Designer Feature:
After our first season, we have met quite a few interesting people. Sheena Sood was one the first designers we had the pleasure of working with. We were so taken by her unique sense of style that we thought she would be the perfect candidate for our first ever designer feature.
Lets start with a little profile of Abacaxi:
Launched in 2013 by Sheena Sood, abacaxi channels the tropics – the sun, surf, and lush flora and fauna – to create a unique urban-island aesthetic. From India to Brazil to Ecuador, the patterns and colors pay homage to the places the designer has lived and traveled.(source: abacaxi-nyc.com/story)
and now, onto our Q&A:
1. Can you please provide us a little bio about yourself:
I was always into color, pattern, style, and drawing, even as a kid. I studied Visual Art and Comparative Literature at Brown University. My paintings often involved fabrics, embroidery and beading, which led me into textile design. I took textile design courses at RISD and at Central Saint Martins, and when I graduated college, I moved to New York because I knew I wanted to work in fashion. Before starting my own line, I worked at Tracy Reese, and at Cole Haan on the Concept team. 2. How did you come up with your brand name "Abacaxi"? Is there any significance in its meaning?
The word abacaxi means pineapple in Portuguese. It’s one of my favorite words, and I also love pineapples as a motif. To me they are a symbol of good luck and beauty, and I think the motif speaks to the lighthearted, playful, tropical and quirky aspects of my clothing line.
3. How would you describe your brand if it was a person?
I use these three adjectives to describe the brand: lighthearted, adventurous, seductive. So she is someone with a sense of humor, who doesn’t take herself too seriously; she enjoys taking risks, traveling, and she wants to look and feel brilliant.
4. Your FW14 collection was such a fun mixture of prints, color, embroidery and texture - What was your inspiration for the designs?
This season I was inspired by a magical trip to Ladakh, a remote region in the Himalayas. The high-altitude desert, and sudden day to night temperature drops lead me to this idea of layering with head-scarves and hoods. The many Indo-Tibetan Buddhist monasteries I visited informed the color palette and geometric patterns in this collection, with their mix of gold, red, copper, and black and white motifs. See visual inspiration on the abacaxi blog and tumblr.
5. As an emerging designer, what are some difficulties you face?
As a small business, it’s hard to juggle design, production, sales, marketing, and PR all together, since I’m just one person. It also can be difficult to break in to stores since there are so many new clothing labels out there, that’s why you have to focus on what sets you apart.
6. What is your advice for new designers?
Follow your passion, and stick to your gut. That’s what I did.
7. On to the fun stuff ... What do you enjoy doing during your free time?
I love to travel whenever I can. I also like to cook, bike around Brooklyn, and be a total beach bum.
8. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Time travel!
Sheena, working with amazing designers like you is exactly what we live for at Kya NYC. We are so happy to see your line come to life, and we wish you nothing but the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. We hope to work with you again in the near future!
If you guys missed Abacaxi's Fall 2014 runway show, catch it here:
abacaxi Fall 2014 Runway Show from abacaxi on Vimeo.
