COCA STYLE SUPPORTS SAVIOR SOL!!!

C.O.C.A STYLE is proud to present another COCA interview.

Some people print t-shirts and call themselves designers. However to truly be considered a fashion designer you might need a resume like the creators of SAVIOR SOL, a Chicago-based clothing company that has worked with brands like Sean John, LRG, Fubu, Nike, Akademiks, Coca Cola and even the Discovery Channel. There mission: "to rid the world of the fashion lame."

CHI STATE OF STYLE

Clothing Line: Savior Sol

Name of Designers: A.D.E.D. Wear Inc. & Dubelyoo LLC

Established: 2004

Target Market: Fashion enthusiasts and consumers who possess an artistic edge, trendsetters whose “sols” need saving

Swag of the Apparel: Unapologetic

1. Why the name Savior Sol?

It embodies the mission of the line, to rid the world of the fashion lame. We felt that clothing was losing its soul and needed a savior. We wanted to create a brand that anyone could feel, because we all need to be saved from something.

2. Tell us the inside story to spearheading the clothing line?

We’d been pursuing fashion for years and had worked for other companies. We were tired of the machine dominating, dictating, and ultimately stifling the creativity of designers. We were also tired of the machine sacrificing quality and then using hype to overcompensate. We wanted to take the attention off the hype and place it back onto the quality of the clothing. We wanted to liberate those designers and ourselves by creating an environment that would allow for free expression.

3. Why Fashion Design?

Why not? It’s the rawest form of art. It’s who we are, and we live it all day every day. Even as children, our parents made sure we were fly. Fashion design allows us to influence how people present themselves to the world.

4. Should Savior Sol be categorized as ‘street wear’? Explain.

No, Savior Sol is not street wear. Street wear is a title the machine has given to define a style of clothing. Titles create limits and parameters. We’re fashion designers, and Savior Sol is simply a line of quality clothing. We could drop formal wear or maternity clothing if we were feeling it. We don’t have parameters.

5. Name designers who give you inspiration?

God is our inspiration. He is the ultimate designer. He design and created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Who can top that?

6. Define trendsetter. Does your line adhere to your definition, why?

A trendsetter establishes the prevailing style. Trendsetters are constantly pushing the envelope and are never complacent. They are unapologetically themselves, and others imitate them. Savior Sol is definitely a trendsetter because we do what we feel and people like it.

7. Any experience in designing outside of your own collections?

There isn’t enough room to list them all.

8. The state of fashion today is ____________? RIP Trends?

… constantly evolving. There’s always something new and fresh on the horizon. That’s why we love it so much. Fashion is as dynamic as people. RIP: Any trend that’s mainstream. A loved trend today is a hated trend tomorrow.

9. How do you stay in the trenches of fashion?

We read blogs and periodicals, network with industry people, and stay aware of our surroundings. Although we pay attention to what other lines are doing (without “redesigning” or copying them) we don’t allow those lines to influence what we think is cool. For Savior Sol we close our eyes, ears and mouths and let the expression flow. Our creativity always keeps us ahead of the game.

10. Favorite Chicago clothing line or independent label?

Willie Haynes Collection. No disrespect to other Chicago designers, but Willie was our mentor. He taught us how to sew. He demonstrates how to love fashion and not just the fortune and fame. We have to give love to the man who brought us in the game.

11. Define Chicago’s fashion style?

Right now Chicago doesn’t have its own “signature” fashion style. Chicago’s fashion style is an eclectic blend of many other styles, a direct reflection of the city’s diverse demographic. At times, Chicago dependence on other styles tends to make it a little label-driven. Because there is no mold to fit into, we as designers have free reign.

12. How do feel about the state of fashion in Chicago?

Chicago is definitely poised to do big things in fashion. Local designers and models are gaining national exposure. A local designer was recently a contestant on Bravo’s Project Runway, and Michelle Obama’s designer, a Chicagoan, has also received national exposure due to Barack’s presidential bid. A Chicago-bred model won cycle 8 on America’s Next Top Model. Additionally, Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago have created several initiatives to put Chicago fashion and its many talented designers on the map. Even Macy’s on State Street has provided in-store space for local designers to sell their merchandise. With so much going on, Chicago’s fashion industry is primed and ready for success.

13. Savior Sol’s future?

Endless.

14. Favorite food spot in the city?

Chicago’s all good. You can eat good food anywhere, from the north, south, east and west. Our favorite food spot depends on what we’re on. When we’re just chillin out south and want something fast, we hit up Leon’s on 79^th and Stony or Harold’s Chicken on 87^th. If we want to sit down, we go to Giordano’s or Leona’s in Hyde Park. When we’re feeling smooth, we go to the Negro League Café in Bronzeville or downtown to the Grand Lux Café, Tavern on Rush, or Le Passage. When we’re doing it way big, we go to the Signature Room at the John Hancock Building.

15. Favorite club?

No time to party right now. We are very focused on Savior Sol.

16. Any last words?

Keep God first and everything else will be A.D.E.D.

For more info on Savior Sol click here