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Pegah Anvarian in conversation with Joseph Lerner

© 2004 Joseph Lerner

To listen to an audio clip from this interview click here for Quicktime or here for Windows Media.
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Los Angeles-based fashion designer Pegah Anvarian grew up in Dallas, Texas, to a photographer father and educator mother, who taught her how to sew at the age of six. Together with her grandmother, Ms. Anvarian’s family encouraged creativity in the home, prompting Pegah to design her own clothes from the age of eight. Inspired by her love of sewing, fabrics and color, Pegah recognized that working with clothes was her calling, and quickly moved to New York in 1996 to realize her dream.

Upon arriving in New York City, she began working as a costume designer and stylist. It was through this that she met and began working with renowned rock band The B-52’s and was coaxed to go with them and The Pretenders for an international tour lasting the year. Upon her return to New York City Pegah continued styling, working with a variety of well known directors on cutting-edge music videos and commercials. It was during this period that she knew it was time for a change and that she wanted to design her own line.

Pegah moved to Los Angeles in 1999 and officially launched her collection in Fall 2002, with her first sets of orders coming from such esteemed retailers as Henri Bendel in New York City and Madison in Los Angeles. Her designs have been worn by such celebrities as Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and Naomi Watts, among others.
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Joseph Lerner: Ms. Anvarian, I would like to ask you a little about yourself. How did you get started in fashion?

Pegah Anvarian: I got started when I was about twenty years old. I was a seamstress on music videos and commercials at the time, and right after that I became a stylist. In the midst of doing all this I found a roll of cashmere fabric. I started draping it on a mannequin and that's basically how my collection began!

JL: Have you ever had formal studies or are you mostly self-taught?

PA: I'm mostly self-taught. My grandmother taught me at the age of seven but from then on I pretty much taught myself the rest.

JL: Fashion might not often be thought of as an art form in the same sense as painting and sculpture. What do you think are the similarities and differences between these more traditional forms of art and fashion?

PA: Well, I think that fashion is more like sculpting, but it can also be similar to painting. If you like you can always paint on top of clothes to make them look different! Fashion is definitely an art form and it's an expression of art. It just depends on the person an how they like to express themselves through it.

JL: There is incredible diversity in the fashion world right now, from the craziness of Cavalli...

PA: Yes!

JL: ... to the simplicty of Helmut Lang. What direction do you see fashion taking in the next few years?

PA: I think it will be more about comfort and how you feel in the clothes. I think it's going to go towards comfort, sexiness and beauty all mixed together. But comfort is most important of all, because if you're not comfortable in what you have on it really shows in the way you speak and walk and carry yourself.

JL: What artistic techniques do you draw on when you design?

PA: Well, I really get inspired by being outdoors. I take a lot of the elements of nature and I bring them in and make a board of what I think I want to do. Then I do some drawing from there and transfer it to a drape formation. I just kind of go with the flow and it just comes out.

JL: Do you think that fashion can be used to express emotion?

PA: It's definitely emotional. When I look at a runway show and hear the music and see the way the girls walk and the way the clothes flow it gets me very emotional. It's incredibly emotional, if you're really into it. I mean, if you're really into anything it can be emotional, but for me it's fashion.

JL: How do you think one can express themselves through what they wear?

PA: Through color for sure. If you're wearing something bright I'm sure you have more energy than if you were something dark and are feeling more introverted. It's the same with the amount of skin you show. If the clothes are very sexy you just feel it and walk it and move it. It all depends on the person and what they're in to. Personally I love a mixture of everything in one look, so it kind of balances everything out.

JL: Is it fair to say you always go for a sense of balance?

PA: Yes, definitely.

JL: Do you prefer unusual and more creative styles of clothing or more traditional and practical ones?

PA: Definitely unusual and creative, just because it looks different and really catches your eye. You can see practical clothing everywhere – it's not very fun! It's routine.

JL: How do you come up with ideas for a new collection?

PA: I go to a lot of fabric shows and I feel all the fabrics. From there it's really a matter of using my intuition to see what the fabrics can do. Being out in nature really helps as well. If I'm doing the Fall line I'll try to go somewhere cold (or somewhere that's cold enough for me!) and find inspiration from being in a cold atmosphere. When I was doing my Spring line I went to Mexico where it's nice and warm. I snorkeled and saw the colors from the sea and that's where the colors in that particular collection came from.

JL: Is it fair to say that intimacy with nature inspires you to create?

PA: Yes, absolutely. But, you have to balance nature and the city so you can get the perfect balance. I think it all goes back to balance, no matter what medium you choose to work in. Fashion or art or whatever, if it isn't balanced it just doesn't look right.

JL: What are the things you've done in the past that you are most proud of?

PA: The design that I'm most proud of was a dress that I made for the singer Shakira. It was black cashmere that I shredded and then added hand beading to around the edges. It ended up being so extremely beautiful that I decided not to give it to Shakira and kept it for myself because I loved it so much!

JL: Who are some of the celebrities that have worn your clothes?

PA: Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Naomi Watts, Cameron Diaz, so many people!

JL: If you could choose three people, who would you most like to design for?

PA: I would love to do something for Madonna. I would also love to do something for the Oscars, a beautiful Oscar gown. Not for a particular celebrity, but just someone who would look amazing in it. Maybe Nicole Kidman!

JL: What are your career goals?

PA: My main goal in a general sense is to own my own boutiques all over the world. Every time I design I think of a customer that could be eighteen and wear the collection, or be fifty and wear it as well. I think to be able to get a wide age range into the collection is very important.

JL: What advice would you give to designers out there that are just getting started in fashion?

PA: Just do it! Don't listen to anyone and just do it!
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Joseph Lerner is a composer, producer and music industry career coach. He is Executive Director of the Conducting Institute and Chairman of the Millennium Arts Society. In addition, he has served as the North American Liaison and Operations Manager for the Masterplayers International Music Festival in Switzerland.