story by Sandy Ramirez
photos by Sandy Ramirez, Ron Adar, and Freda Henry
Adam Lippes is the designer behind ADAM, a label which showed its Fall 2009 Collection on Valentine’s day here at New York Fashion Week.
5 Min – What was the inspiration for your collection?
Adam – On a visit to The Peabody Museum, I saw an exhibit of photographs from the Edo Period (1850’s) in Japan, just after they had opened the country to rest of the world. These were hand-painted photos designed to attract tourists of that period to Japan. What caught my eye was the serenity of the images, [and the] bright colors that the hand-painting brought to the photographs. You can see it most in the colors and embroidery in my collection for this season, if not the actual silhouette.
5 Min – Can you show me an example?
Adam – With this jacket we used embroidery to create this crane feather detail, based on Japanese drawings from that period, bringing the art itself to life.
5 Min – How would you describe the silhouettes you designed this collection around.
Adam – Well it’s mostly pants and skirts for a lean profile. I design for an eclectic girl.
5 Min – What inspired you to become a designer?
Adam – Well, I’ve always wanted to be a designer. After getting my degree in psychology at Cornell, I traveled to Paris. It was there that I made the decision to become a designer. After that I worked at places like Oscar De La Renta, and now I’m here.
5 Min – In a hundred years, what do you think history will say about you?
Adam – That I created clothes that were colorful, fun, wearable, and approachable.