Jonathan Taylor interview with Abdoo
(my friend Artist/Designer/Fashion Designer Abdoo )
Jonathan: How long did it take you to realize you were into art/graphic design/fashion?
Abdoo: Well it was pretty much from conception I guess. It started around middle school really it all came to me. Art in general was just really interesting to me. High school is when I took more initiative and started being more creative. Yeah but from the beginning or middle school I should say.
Jonathan:What was the hardest thing you had to design?
Abdoo: My first show. Umm probably the carpet jacket. The hardest thing about it was reconstruciting the pieces of what was deconstructed. So I had to first clean of all those samples and from there I had to put it all together and then they were all so stiff so I had to wash it a couple times to loosen it up so it was a long process I basically made the fabric out of the samples and from that cut the pattern out of it and then from that made the jacket. So yeah it was a long process but it was worth it.
Jonathan: How has school helped you develop as an artist?
Abdoo: School? I’d say that um Like fashion school helped create a method in a way or like an approach for how to go about designing and the steps and process of design not that these arent things that I didn’t know but it definitely helped tuned the thought process to how to go about making a show, putting a collection together stuff like that so I guess school helped build that structure around it.
Jonathan: Do you ever get frustrated with designing?
Abdoo: Not frustrated but sometimes I get like burnout you know. You kinda just get tired of like the day in day out sometimes you have to push through you just gotta be like its one day out of many that you're feeling like this.
Jonathan: Do you enjoy designing more or making money from it?
Abdoo: I definitely enjoy designing more. I mean especially that I havent made much money from all of it yet. I just enjoy being able to put a look together from what Ive been thinking in my head like from having it in my head and then having it in real life and being able to wear it is what it's all about for me.
Jonathan: What are some of your favorite artists that inspire you?
Abdoo: First it was Comme de garcons and then ametsuchi. Also Virgil Abloh, that was a big one for me. My brother, he actually started me out by just thinking about art in stuff because he did it too and I always looked up to him at a young age. This one brand called asparagus caught my attention really early in my career when I first started modeling but they were very off guard but still something you could wear, not too crazy but still wearable like something you would want to wear. Blotter has been a recent brand that has been catching my attention.
Jonathan: How many different types of design would you be interested in diving into?
Abdoo: Ummm I'd say I'm open to most of all but I want to stay away from swimwear because I'm not really into it. But no I would touch on all different designs. Definitely dont want to limit myself at all
Jonathan: Do you prefer working alone or in a group?
Abdoo: I definitely prefer working in a team. It depends on what it is though. But I do enjoy working in a team
Jonathan: How do you balance designing and life?
Abdoo: I definitely pritotize designing and putting designs together just tryna work on the future with the whole idea of what design is and then from that I guess everything I do plays into that so i work to try to get money to make sure I can sustain myself for what I need for designing, I take care of the family so that I can have more time so that I can have more time to design. I plan trips and things I'm about to do with my life to make sure I also can have more time to design. So it's a core essential thing I'm getting into.
Jonathan: Do you use your emotions to cope with designing?
Abdoo: Mmm Yes yeah I'd say I use it , it's just designing as an outlet for some of those emotions or thoughts or ideas kind of a way to cope for me.
Jonathan: What is your goal/vision or something you wish to see at the end?
Abdoo: One of the biggest end goals I want to do is make change in the WORLD. Yeah designing and all that but mainly the fashion world. Then from that the world in general. I want to change kinda how fashion is interacted with you know everyone has this brandios world change view but I wanna do it in a way where its very practical its real its reality and obviously not everyones going to want to do recycling but i want to change the way we use clothes change the ways the clothes are processed especially after they are used and made and stuff.
