The following interview has been executed by Broes van Iterson.
Broes van Iterson spoke with Maximilian Vermilye. Broes wanted to know more about Maximilian, and the reasons behind his commitment.
Broes: Hello Maximilian, you're a professional personal stylist, with the seasons changing, do you style differently for Autumn and winter or do they blend into each other?
Maximilian: I love to style for Autumn weather, you can wear lighter and more colorful clothes compared to winter, when thicker and darker clothes are preferred. I'm glad it's finally Autumn out there, not like recent years where we went from summer directly into winter, which made me feel robbed.
- It's going to be so cool to get going and be creative, so I might as well make a big show of it."
Broes: You obviously are passionate about styling. Tell us, how did you come to this profession?
Maximilian: In 2014, I was at a point in my life where, after leaving university and trying many things, my professional path was not working out. Luckily my sister pointed out that, since I've always had great style and fashion sense, styling could be a good direction for me. A couple of weeks later I enrolled in the London college of style and I absolutely fell in love! It was such a rush, it made me feel like I was on Wall Street, that kind of excitement, it was electrifying.
Broes: When thinking of personal styling, it combines various aspects of the Hack Your Style project. Fashion and luxury, and durability too, as focusing on one style will minimize overconsumption. You're so generous to support the Hack Your Style project with 2 rewards. What motivated you?
Maximilian: When I was working at My Big Geneva, we heard about the Hack Your Style project and we loved the initiative. We wanted to offer multiple rewards, so my boss Emilie suggested that I would do styling sessions. I'm so excited to be able to support Hack Your Style and combine my newly learned photography skills with my competence in styling. It's going to be so cool to get going and be creative, so I might as well make a big show of it.
Broes: To whom would you recommend your reward?
Maximilian: Oh, this covers a whole range of people. From the easiest person that I will work with until the most fun for me to work with. Easy people look at clothes as a uniform, something they put on to go to work. For them, I will look at their body shape, their skin color, hair color and style, and whether they are an introvert or extrovert. Then, I work it out and boom, it matches up to their perfect personal style, a classic outfit for them to enjoy. On the other end, there are the eccentrics, the ones that are daring to find a new way. With them I will work on brighter colors or try something a bit edgier, and craft their unique style and sass. We will really explore the unknown, so they can find the place where they stand. Seeing this come together gives me such a rush!
Broes: The Hack Your Style project supports sustainable fashion designers in Geneva. Do you work together with sustainable fashion designers?
Maximilian: Yes, I will do this where I can. There is a real need for this project as right now, sustainable fashion is not competitive enough yet. The massive presence of major companies is making it hard to shop consciously. I would love for the fashion industry to get to the point where we don't have to worry about their environmental impact. Where materials are fully recyclable, for example.
Broes: Where do you get your style inspiration from?
Maximilian: My style inspiration comes from my travels. Whenever I go to a different country or culture, I collect a unique local item of clothing. Where these items have come from a rigid cultural meaning, I take them out of their context and style them differently. For example, when I was in Japan I bought these super comfortable samurai pants, and I match those with other items. I look at the color, texture of the material, form and flow and I extract that to come to new pieces. It's an inspiring creative challenge that I like to give myself.
Broes: Can you relate this to the openness of fashion-styles in Geneva?
Maximilian: Well, I can relate the fashion-style in Geneva to that of London or Paris which I know well. In Geneva people are more conservative with their style, they don't need to stand out and are happy with a more quiet life. In London or Paris people like to push towards extravagance, find the edges, and create their own niches so they'll get rewarded for their differences. There's a different cultural acceptance of fashion.
"I look at the color, texture of the material, form and flow and I extract that to come to new pieces. It's an inspiring creative challenge that I like to give myself."
Broes: Who is your favorite style icon?
Maximilian: I'm going to have to go with David Bowie. He is one of the classiest men, when it comes to carrying off a suit, he owned it. When he wore it, he would keep the respect that comes with wearing a suit, and yet he wore it so casually that he would break all the rules which I appreciate. And apart from that, he has bridged the gap between wearing men and women's fashion, bringing the concept of gender neutral clothing in the USA, the UK and even the Netherlands. No matter whether an item is on one side of the aisle or the other, if it is a good piece, then it can be combined. David Bowie has started to push the boundaries of style, and this creative movement in fashion is very exciting to me as it redefines the new cultural normal.
Broes: Thank you very much, Maximilian.
Lets' push the new cultural normal towards sustainable fashion as well!
To find out more about Maximilian
Instagram Maximilian: https://www.instagram.com/maximilian_vermilye/
LinkedIn Maximilian : linkedin.com/in/maximilian-vermilye-4a23918a
To find out more about Broes
LinkedIN Broes : https://www.linkedin.com/in/broes-van-iterson-b41b12153/