Imitation is when you copy someone, inspiration is when you get inspiration from something to develop it and turn it into something else.
-Give us some background of designers
I’m a 360 ° creative person. I studied graphic design, fashion design, drawing, sociology, industrial design and interior design. At the age of 20 I moved to Italy where I then worked as a print-designer for the brand Killah (SIXTY s.p.a.). I worked as a trendspotter for a teenage fashion magazine KissMe! with my own page every month “The diary of Emeli”. I also worked freelance for different magazines, mostly D-I-Y articles but also illustrations. 2 books were published by me in these years, both D-I-Y. 10 years later I moved to the U.S; Brooklyn, New York, where I am now.
-How did you come to establish the brand?
5preview was created by coincidence in january 2008. I was working for a long time as a print designer for the Italian brand Killah (SIXTY group) where I learned a lot of things but after a while I got tired of interpreting someone elses ideas all the time. I did a D-I-Y article for the magazine where I worked abouthow to print T-shirts. A picture of that T-shirt was put on Myspace and the day after I got so manyrequests of where to get that T-shirt. I needed a name and a logo and that was pure minimalism…The primal intention was to do a small 5-piece-collection (thats why it’s called FIVE PREVIEW) and the T-shirt-business will serve to get the brand known before it releases. 5Preview got a lot of attention in media, magazines like Dazed & Confused and PIG magazine wrote about it. Other magazines like Glamour, Vanity Fair and GQ published pictures of the clothes. Slowly 5preview became known, not only in Italy, Japan and U.K. (the early adapters) but also in Scandinavia & northern Europe thanks to a collaboration with the swedish brand WEEKDAY.
With 5preview I’m free to express myself however I want to!
-What is the concept of the brand?
White simple high quality T-shirts with black bold prints. Simple and timeless.
-Why do you think your brand become so hot amongst young fashionistas so quickly? Did you ever expect that when you start the brand?
The brand actually was created when the reaction was like that. No one expected anything, like now. We’re just continuing to do what we want to do, if the fashionistas still likes the prints, it’s fine otherwise we have to invent something else. the prints for the next collection will be a lot more political and less commercial.
- ‘Imitation is the highest form of flattery’ could you explain about this quote? What do you think about the difference between inspiration and imitation?
Imitation is when you copy someone, inspiration is when you get inspiration from something to develop it and turn it into something else. That print is ironic, because 5preview NEVER imitated Chanel (even if Chanel thought so; we had to take all Chanel-inspired prints out of the collection).
-We could find fake (Badly copied) 5 Preview T shirt online. What do you think about this?
In a way I find it amazing that someone is copying a shirt with my old Rome-address printed on it. It makes no sense but it’s BIG. It means that people like what we’re doing. I only hope that our clients understands that those bad copies are not made by us, we do quality stuff, not crap like that.
-What are the sources of the inspiration in your design?
It depends. For the last collection (that is still not out) I got a lot of inspiration from New York, where I lived when it was created. Old prints found in thrift-stores, ideas that came to my mind observing the us-culture (that is completely different from Europe), writings on public bathroom walls, fresh art, all concerts going on everywhere; it’s such a creative place!
-Do you view fashion design as a means of expressing yourself?
The prints definitely yes. Usually I didn’t have so much to express, but leaving Europe woke up my mind! I feel like an angry teenager again!
-Is there any designers or person that had a strong influence of your work?
No. I like simple stuff, no one in particular. I admire the work of Pettibon and Hopper, I listen to punk-rock music, I go out a lot, travel a lot (right now I’m in San Francisco) I’m a curious observer, I love the nature here in California the ocean the fresh air…far away from the (often) pathetic closed VIP fashion-world.
-How would you describe your customer?
It’s so many of them! And they’re always very well dressed! People send me pictures of themselves wearing the 5preview T-shirts all the time! I love that direct communication with the customer.
-How do you see the 5 preview brand developing over the next couple of years?
I would love to continue with the prints, but you never know if people will still like printed shirts in the future. I guess so, it’s like walking around with a statement written on your body, and people want to show off. Anyway, from the next collection it will be so much more. We’re getting organized to conquer Asia, Australia and the middle East. But now I’m gong on holidays until september…
HP – http://www.5preview.blogspot.com/
