If you’re like me, more than ready to cast off your layered winter wardrobe in favor of something a bit lighter, imaginative and, if possible, locally-produced, look no further than Torn Angel by Esther Chung.
Chung, a Columbus College of Art and Design instructor, says her womenswear line consists of “one-of-a-kind, sculptural pieces” that are either “really tailored or really deconstructed.” A majority of her designs are distinguished by extreme shoulders, asymmetrical cuts, and a neutral color palette.
“I like to always have grey, black, and white or creme interspersed with a spot of color,” which is purple this season, she explains. “But I am experimenting and my next collection will actually involve a lot of prints.” Her clothing is made of natural materials, like cotton, wool and leather, which are easier for Chung to manipulate and easier for customers to care for. In fact, effortlessness is key.
“I want my clothes to look good, but I also want them to be comfortable,” she says. “I want it to be stuff that people can wear every day.”
BFA Display
Octo Top with Long Bubble Skirt
Men’s Ocoto Sweater with Bubble Pants
Bubble Cowl Sweater with uneven Bubble Skirt
Initially, Chung sold her eight-year-old line, which includes blouses, scarves, sweaters, dresses, skirts and pants, on Ebay and at craft shows. Today, she mainly relies on an online store at www.tornangel012.etsy.com − for sales.
The Torn Angel customer, in Chung’s words, is “fashion-forward, somebody in their mid-20s to a lady in her 80s…somebody who knows their sense of style and has the guts to wear [unusual pieces].”
Model is Angela Makeever. Photos by Stephanie Bair-Garant
Scotland Dress with Long White bubble Shawl
That said, perhaps it’s unsurprising that the 27-year-old counts Alice in Wonderland, Victorian era clothing (particularly for its “leg-of-mutton sleeves, corsets, and bustles”) and nature (“seasonal changes, mounds of snow, bubbles in water”) among her varied design inspirations.
Distressed Linen Top
Like many designers, Chung’s interest in fashion took hold at an early age. She learned to sew at 10 and promptly produced clothes for her Barbie dolls and stuffed animals. Years later, she designed and sewed her own prom dress. (“It was a creme silk with satin lining, Grecian-style front and low back with a draped bustle, corded lace straps, and empire-waisted in the front.”)
Upon graduating from Upper Arlington High School in 1999, she enrolled at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and it wasn’t long before industry professionals began recognizing her talents. In 2002, Chung was awarded the Marshall Field’s Emanuel Ungaro Scholarship and a year later she won the Style Scotland competition.
Chung says those awards, and several others, helped pay for half her college education; she graduated from SAIC in 2003.
Though budding fashion designers often take jobs with mass market retailers early in their careers, Chung decided to go it alone for two reasons. One, she values the opportunity to connect directly with the consumer and, two, entry-level design staffers typically spend more time making copies and fetching coffee than contributing to the creative process.
“It’s just like that show Running In Heels,” she sighs.
Currently, Chung −who works out of her home in Grandview− would like to sell her line at local boutiques, and several have expressed an interest in carrying it. However, finding time for the business side of operations, i.e. shooting product photos and creating line sheets, is difficult.
Pricing in this sluggish economy also is a challenge. For instance, her skirts, which sold very well during her college years, usually retailed for $300 to $500, based on the cost of materials and labor.
“But today, even $125 is too much for a lot of people,” she says. Recently, her top sellers have been $35 scarves that feature the same felted bubbles she uses on her skirts.
Bubble Scarves with Ruffles Top
In the near future, Chung would like to stage a fashion show specifically for store owners. However, it won’t be held at a nightclub (the usual venue for local designers).
“I think that takes away from the seriousness of it,” she says. “A fashion show isn’t just pretty visuals at a party; it’s to have people come and seriously view your work for purchase, like a gallery opening.”
Other plans for Torn Angel include offering more items that can be sold on a “mass sales level” and incorporating menswear back into the collection, she says.
Chung’s favorite fashion designers are Vivienne Westwood, Viktor & Rolf, and Alexander McQueen. A few of her other favorite things (words of advice, etc.) are listed below.
- Favorite color? Blue.
- Favorite artist? Yoshitaka Amano.
- Favorite place to have a drink? Surly Girl.
- Dream vacation spot? Guam
- What are you most vain about? I don’t know. There’s a lot of things (laughs). I guess my makeup…and shoes. I’m really picky about the shoes I wear.
- Favorite fashion trend of all time? Big hair.
- What current trend would you like to go away? Bin Laden scarves. And “indie” guys. They’re too skinny!
- If you could come back as any designer –dead or alive− who would it be? Coco Chanel.
- Name one thing every woman should have in her closet. Tall, black stilettos.
- A piece of fashion advice for the locals: I wish people would take themselves more seriously and not dress like slobs.
Look for Chung’s work at the new Undone location in May! Undone opens in the Short North at 772 N. High St., May 2.
