Tie-dye prints and colorful florals dominate the explosive debut from this hotshot talent.
To borrow a catchphrase from Christian Siriano, emerging designer John Saldivar is fierce. Why? Because when I ask him to name one item that every woman needs in her closet, he saucily replies, “Something a little bit uncomfortable, because that means it probably looks amazing.”
While this spring marks the launch of his first commercially available collection, this talented New Yorker was always destined to see his pieces grace the catwalk. “When I was kid, my grandmother had a high-end boutique in Mexico and I paid close attention to everything, including what pieces I liked and disliked. She and my aunt had an interest in luxury clothing, accessories and jewelry, and I remember going into different specialty stores knowing that I would love to create that feeling for people some day.”
Flash forward to this past September, when Saldivar sent out his Spring look books and received the kind of call that most designers wait an entire lifetime for—Carrie Bradshaw on line one. “Sarah Jessica Parker’s stylist requested several pieces from the collection, which they kept throughout the entire filming process of the Sex and the City movie. It was great to hear that the actresses liked several of the dresses and I’m looking forward to see what might make it into the film!”
But don’t assume that his success has come easily. “The design process is always like a puzzle. No matter how thorough the specs are for a garment, sometimes pieces have to be remade two or three times to get the design and the fit to merge. The collection is a problem-solving process from beginning to end.” Practical challenges aside, is there anything he would change if he could turn back time? “I would have taken it a step farther and made it a little louder.”
Super fierce.
By Caroline Stanley
