The Creative Process Of A Young Designer: Interview With Max Piccardo

Max Piccardo, a talented BFA Fashion Designer Graduate from the Academy of Art University, discusses his unique creative process when designing new designs, and the challenges he's faced to get where he is now. 

Max Piccardo

How would you define your design aesthetic and what sets your designs apart from other designers in the industry?

Piccardo: I would say my style is Japanese inspired and avant-garde. I’m more focused on exploring the relationship between clothing and the body and how the form impacts the eye. I look up to designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Cristobal Balenciaga as they similarly focused on silhouette and proportions.

Can you describe your creative process, how do you find inspiration and translate it into your designs?

Piccardo: I take inspiration from photography. I reference work from different photographers in my collection. I’ll also do some secondary research, looking at garments from different time periods. When I have enough research to inform a design, I take the to-dress form to start draping silhouettes. I might do some sketches during the research period of designs and find more intelligently and intuitively on a dress form using fabric. I might use plain muslin, which is a raw cotton fabric, or drape with source pieces that relate to my secondary research so that I can start to visualize my designs before I even start sketching. Once I have a good amount of drapes, I start drawing or tracing the drapes, collaging them, distorting them. It’s just a process of doing as many variations of the same garment to fully explore its possibilities.

Are there any frequent themes or elements that you often implement into your collections? How do these elements reflect your personal style?

Piccardo: I think some elements that I carry through most collections are exaggerated silhouettes. I love ovoid silhouettes and creating garments that have lots of excess fabric. Also, themes of restraint often speak to me. My senior thesis was inspired by Hannibal Lecter and straitjackets. Most of the tops restricted the upper body in some way, sort of like a straight jacket. This theme relates to mental health and how depression, anxiety, and different neurotic behaviors are a restraint on one’s life. It’s a way for me to externalize those feelings. It can be quite cathartic.

Have you collaborated with other artists or designers?

Piccardo: I’ve never really collaborated with another designer. I think it’s pretty rare to see that in this industry because we tend to be control freaks. There’s definitely a lot of ego involved as well. The most common collaboration is usually between a fashion designer and a textile designer. But I love doing textiles so I haven’t had the desire to do that. I would definitely be open to it though.

Who is your target audience, and how do you ensure that your de- signs resonate with them?

Piccardo: My target audience is anyone who is into designers like Yohji, Comme des Garçons, and Ann Demeulemeeste, and basically, anyone who loves to wear lots of black and very layered and draped clothing.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a fashion designer and how have these experiences shaped your growth and development?

Piccardo: My biggest enemy is when I design, like trying to work through the designs without having the expectation that everything will be good and perfect. I often get discouraged when I don’t like the first designs, and that can be a huge creative block for me and many creatives alike. Getting over this challenge is a work in progress, but it’s also part of maturing as a person and as a designer.

How do you embrace innovation and technology in your design pro- cess? Are there any specific tools or technologies that have changed the way you create and present your designs?

Piccardo: I’m a fundamentalist, so I usually don’t embrace new technologies. I despise things like CLO3D, which is software for computerized pattern making. I love the hands-on process of making clothing by hand. Because of the vast knowledge required to make clothes and all the other limitations, there’s more room for error. If that whole process becomes computerized, you eliminate the opportunity for a happy accident. And it also means anyone who can use the software, which isn’t very complicated, to be able to create a design. Anyone can do that, but it takes a skilled person to create a beautiful garment by hand.