Plastics made it possible for Brooklyn-based design duo WesFeld
Wesley Nault and Daniel Feld are WesFeld. They’re also FIT graduates, Project Runway stars, the winners of our Plastics Make It PossibleSM design competition and last but not least, about to blow the fashion world away. Next Wednesday, on the eve of New York Fashion Week, they’ll show their first 10-piece collection at New Garde. We stopped by their Brooklyn loft to learn a little more before the big debut...
How did you start working together?
Wesley: Daniel and I met on Project Runway. When we were on the show we realized that we had a very similar aesthetic. The way we dressed, what we were inspired by, who we wanted to dress, even movies.
Daniel: Yeah, we had to fill out this form for the show. It asked things like who we’d like to dress and our favorite movie--and our answers were exactly the same.
What was the movie?
Wesley: What Dreams May Come. It’s a beautiful movie.
Daniel: And we both wanted to dress Nicole Kidman.
When did you know that this was what you wanted to do?
Wesley: I think when I was in middle school...12 or 13.
Daniel: For me, probably high school. I wanted to be a zoologist or a vet, actually, at first. I started going to school for that but then I transferred over to fashion school.
So this collection you’ve been working on for New Garde--what’s the feeling behind it?
Daniel: We wanted it to be kind of like a fantasy. For this collection in particular, the outdoors – water, nature, animals, shells – inspired us. We dye our own fabric to so that it has the effect of being exposed to nature’s elements.
What albums have you been listening to while working on the pieces?
Lady Gaga, St. Vincent and some Enya.
Do you have a favorite Gaga outfit?
Daniel: We’ve both worked on things for her—we were freelancing for a costume design company and got to work on some of her outfits.
Wesley: Yeah, I was freelancing for a menswear company recently and we did an outfit that she wore on Oprah.
Daniel: She’s just great because she has so much fun with fashion. It’s kind of a revival of early Madonna. She’s bringing it back in a modern way.
Wesley: She’s making other people step it up. Like Rihanna and Beyonce...they’re all kind of competing. It’s interesting to watch.
What kind of girl do you see in your clothes?
Daniel: I love Winona Ryder.
Wesley: Parker Posey...girls with a little bit of a dark side.
You’re having a dinner party and you can invite any five people—living or dead. Who’s on the list?
Parker Posey, Lady Gaga, Anna Wintour, Tim Gunn and Christian Dior.
What would you serve?
Wesley: Swordfish. Daniel makes really good swordfish.
Daniel: And couscous.
Do you keep in touch with Tim Gunn?
Daniel: Yeah we actually ran into him outside of Penn Station not too long ago. He was saying he wants to come to the show.
Wesley: He just got a new apartment...
Daniel: Yeah he invited us over for a big slumber party. He’s a really, really nice guy.
Who would you love to see show up at New Garde?
Anna Wintour, Tim Gunn...basically all of the people at our dinner party. Also, all the people we love and who’ve supported us along the way.
