Another Blogger Spotlight Friday! This is the first time, I will have an interview with a male! Meet 22 year old Anthony Carmen from Scranton, Penn. (currently residing in Philly) of An Early Life Crisis from Academia to Art

Do you like living in Philly?

I’m loving it. Finding my way around a big city alone has been quite the experience, but I don’t mind it one bit.

What are you doing with your life right now?

Recent graduate in biology/psychology and moved to Philadelphia to find a decent job to pay the bills and attend fashion school in the fall.  Oh, and I work on a blog and am teaching myself to sew on the side!

What do you do in your spare time?

As of now, I sew.  A lot.  From my blog, you’ll see that my goal has been to teach myself, so I just try different ways of sewing to get the right looks/executions in my designs.  I’ve also been watching a ton of old movies lately.  I think it’s great inspiration.  Fashion’s ever cycling and looks always come and go and come back, and movies are a great way to recognize/appreciate this.

What got you into fashion?

The beauty, the passion, the artistry, the love! I don’t exactly know what it was. I’ve always had an affinity for it. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I remember when I was young, I used to draw figures, and try to design clothes for a brief time, but realizing that I didn’t have a talent for drawing, I suppressed that.  Fashion became so huge, it was everywhere, and it came back to me.  The idea of actually doing something about it, however, never occurred until I was in college.  From my biology background, I’ve always had an appreciation for the human figure.  After dabbling in the arts a bit as an undergrad, I grew a strong attachment to it.  So how could I put those things together? Create art for the body.  And I decided then I had no passion for science any longer, and dived right into designing.  My passion for it has been growing with every project. 

What are you most excited about right now?

I think I’m most excited about the fall.  Not only is it my favorite season, but the looks that are going to be seen soon are great!  I’m SO excited about capes and ponchos becoming a trend.  I find them so elegant, and the volume just reminds me of a chilly autumn day walking in the country.  My newest designs are based around a mini poncho idea around the neck, and I can’t wait to get started on sewing those!

Where do you get the inspiration to do all these projects?

I get my inspiration from so many places.  I like the quality that I can find beauty in almost anything, and how I try to translate that. For example, I had my friends come up with different challenges for me to do.  One of them was an early project on my blog (#4), where I needed to create a look based on a character from Mario Bros.  I chose Toad (you know, the mushroom guy?), and well, you can see the results for yourself.. But that is still one of my favorite dresses I’ve made.  Also, I get inspired by trends.  I like to take a trend, and spin it my own way, and give it a little bit more freshness.  Other times, I get inspired simply by the fabric, and things organically just create themselves.  It’s really all up in the air, and I let it come naturally.  I love designing, there is so much freedom! I’ve always loved the quote that fashion is living art.. And it is.  No matter what anyone is wearing, even if it is an oversized, stained white t-shirt, you have to appreciate that it was designed for the body by someone at some point, as a piece of functional art.

When you were a child, what was your biggest fear?

This fear has been with me as a child, and I doubt it will ever go away.  I don’t like darkness.  I know exactly why I’m afraid too, and that’s another big problem.  I’m afraid because you never know what can be in the dark; I don’t like the idea of not knowing.  And with that, when I am in the dark, I often imagine what could be there and freak myself out.. And it’s just a cycle that I’m going to have to live with.  Luckily, nightlights help!

Did you ever think where you are today?:

That’s an interesting question.  I remember when I was very young, I was such a dreamer.  I wanted to do everything when I grew up.  And then, in my early teens, I found a love for science.  I always did well in school, and I particularly excelled at science and math.  People always told me I’d be a doctor.. So that’s what I went to school for.  Little did I know, I’d actually come to despise the idea.  Yes, the money would have been great.  But the time, the effort.. I just did not have the passion to do that.  And did I really see myself doing that my whole life?  No.  So, to answer the question, I guess I’ve always envisioned myself as graduating college and either going to medical school or starting a science career.  But somehow, from my academic background, I’ve found myself in the midst of an artful/fashion world (a world more similar to my younger dreams).. And I definitely feel the most life here!

Sincerely yours,

J.

P.S- liked to be featured email me at mybasicexpression@gmail.com