Andrew Wedge is one to watch

BORN AND RAISED in California, Andrew Wedge (left) received his BFA in Fashion Design from Academy of Art University in 2010. While in school, the designer interned for fashion designers Sara Shepherd and the late Linus Mendenhall of Selfmade Apparel. In 2009, he was nominated for the Visionary Fashion Designer award in San Francisco and the following year presented an edgy womenswear collection using fur and leather that landed in the windows of San Francisco store Sui Generis.

Miguel Lopez and Gabriel Yanez, owners of Sui Generis, have followed Andrew’s rise since his school days when they started ‘noticing his style,’ said Miguel. ‘What we love about Andrew is that he looks to the future but walks in the present. He empowers women and makes them feel sexy yet classic at the same time. We chose to put his design in the windows because they tell a story together with our styling of this women who can rule the world.’ Sui Generis is located in San Francisco at 2265 Market Street, between Noe and Sanchez Streets, and is quite the social hangout for hipsters as the store invites one to linger after inspecting the shelves of shoes and racks of clothing. ‘We had have the most amazing feedback about our windows for both of the stores,’ added Miguel.

After interning in the fur division of Oscar de la Renta, Andrew decided to stay in New York City to focus on his own line. Lucire caught up with Andrew after a red eye from New York for his final fitting with the band Monarchy before their headlining act at San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair. Demetri Moshoyannis, Executive Director of Folsom Street Events, reached out to Andrew and one of the event’s sponsors, Mr S. Leather, to create custom leather pieces for the band members to wear during their performance. Known for wearing fitted suits and masks to hide their identities, the band members wanted something ‘unique and different,’ said Demetri. ‘I thought to approach Andrew because his designs are particularly inspired by a European æsthetic. Being that Monarchy is a British band, I knew that this would be a good match. The final response was overwhelmingly positive. The band loves the pieces. I think it was a perfect marriage of rock and roll and fashion design.’

Lucire: What inspired the pieces you created for Monarchy?
Andrew Wedge: The design process really started from the get-go as a collaboration between Monarchy and myself. They allowed me access into their inspiration books for the visual direction of the band, and that really was where I found many of the ideas I incorporated into the final designs.
 
What was the response to your work from the band?
My main concern was always making sure that the band was happy with the pieces. If they loved the pieces and felt comfortable in them, then I knew the audience would love the harnesses as well. Overall, the response, both from the band and from the audience, was overwhelmingly positive.
 
Has this experience inspired you to design menswear?
I was incredibly nervous when I accepted this offer, as I had never designed menswear before. However, I felt that Monarchy and I shared a similar visual æsthetic and that this would be the perfect chance for me to play with menswear. The experience was such a positive one that I have been working on some men’s pieces since, and am really enjoying branching out.
 
Describe the Andrew Wedge customer.
The Andrew Wedge customer is really the ultimate femme fatale. She is intelligent, strong, and very provocative.
 
What is next for Andrew Wedge in 2012?
I am continuing development on my own line and will be adding shipments to Sui Generis throughout the year. Additionally, I have started development on a project that will be launching in the early months of 2012. •

Check out Andrew Wedge’s website at www.andrewwedge.com.

Ian MacKintosh is a guest contributor to Lucire.

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