Get to know: Travis Mann
What’s your year, major and hometown?
I am a fourth-year fashion design student and from Pittsboro, N.C.
Do you have any professional experience?
I interned at Kohls Department Stores in Milwaukee, Wis. last summer for the missy brand Apt 9, and with the young men’s brand Helix, working on their summer assortment and revamping the brand image. I was asked to return as a full-time Assistant Designer. I will start work with them in July.
When did you decide to pursue a career in fashion?
I came to SCAD to study illustration. Fashion was the last thing I thought I would do — I think I was asked to tour the animation building or the fashion building and laughed as I boarded the bus to Montgomery because I had like zero style or interest in clothes. However, sophomore year I fell in love with Alexander McQueen — his ability to make fashion art, create a narrative, his love of historicism, etc. Then I made a costume to wear to a Lady GaGa concert. I loved the process of making clothes to tell a story, and how much more functional this kind of art was over illustration. I loved how you could create something 3D and it would come to life as it was worn. This was my turning point, and I dived in without any sewing or design experience, and just did my own thing.
What inspires you creatively? Professionally?
I am always inspired by taking from the past and making it something fantastical and new — I suppose my inspiration from what Lee McQueen famously did. Something that intrigues me is looking at the course of the history of clothing and seeing how ideas about gender differences have changed, and are very obviously made up somewhat arbitrarily. This led me to create a unisex collection for senior. I am choosing to show it on men for the show, because I think women are sort of allowed to wear whatever as far as gender lines go, so it will look more intriguing on men. The collection reads more menswear, and I plan on exploring that concept more as my designs develop so I can create something truly blended as far as gender goes.
What are some of the most pressing issues facing today’s fashion designers? Models? Accessory designers?
A very pressing issue that I am interested in is the issue of labor laws in dealing with foreign countries’ factories. There is a lot of mistreatment of the people sewing all of our cheaply made products, and they get away with it for the sake of meeting the bottom line. I want to help figure out a way to fight this and make labor more fair. We really are fortunate in this country to have fair labor laws, and I don’t think a lot of people understand what that cheap outfit they were able to buy really costs the people making it in less fortunate countries.
Fashion is also sort of coming to a place where there is so much being constantly produced without enough of it being bought up. Its very flooded — what with designers making several collections a year that are disposed of quickly. These goods are used and discarded — it makes the whole process kind of cheap. What happens to the quality of clothing when there is a pressure to constantly make and buy something new?
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I see myself in an exciting city working on my own creations, hopefully. I really want to dive into my concept of gender-free clothing. I think there is a demand for it by people who don’t want to “fit” in their boxes.
Do you have any advise for future SCAD fashion designers or those who are preparing to enter the industry?
I would say to truly do what you feel is “you.” I would have been very disappointed if I got to this point after my senior collection was complete and looked at it and saw that it was dictated by what I thought I was “supposed” to do. Also, I think it is important to keep a balance on your work — if you can do conceptual, beautiful artistic things, make sure you can show that you understand how the business of fashion works, that there has to be a realistic customer out there to buy your clothes. As long as you can show that too, you can still create your more fantastical work as well.
How would you categorize your aesthetic?
This is hard to say, I am a bit all over the place. I think I am working on creating a new definition of androgynous. Some of my more commercial work is very countrified. I think I am going back to my southern roots haha.
Who would be your dream designer to work alongside?
If Lee McQueen were still alive, I would do anything to learn from him. He was a genius with how he cut clothes and had such a vision. I would love to work with Anne Demuelemeester or Damir Doma as well. They create such beautiful clothes.
When you think about the future of fashion, what do you see?
I see a shift coming (like what I was talking about earlier with the market being flooded with so much product). Hopefully there will also be a shift in what is acceptable to wear. I only see it getting weirder and more beautiful.
