Fashion on the Cutting edge: Enhancing your individuality with SAINT WOBIL – Q&A

August 9, 2011
DUNIA Contributor
Posted in Fashion & Style

Interview with Designer Darius E. Wobil of New York based Fashion House SAINT WOBIL

You have already accomplished so much, what’s the secret?

I am grateful for the past accomplishments and I never forget where I come from. I have always told myself there isn’t another option – this is it for me so I give 110%, staying faithful and truthful to who I am. Persistence, Passion, Dedication, Humility, and Sacrifice are some of the secret ingredients that keep me going.

What inspires you and how do you keep yourself motivated?

Life inspires me as a designer. Life has its ups and downs, the dimensions and stages in life cause you to pray for leading inspirations and through your aesthetics, you build on your nostalgia. The future looks bright with lots of opportunities, lots of challenges, lots of success, lots of new experiences; the world has fallen in love with SAINT WOBIL and the fear of disappointing them keeps me motivated to always be my best at all times.

Who is a SAINT WOBIL lady?

Unapologetic to life, takes no prisoners, confident, impressive, lives for today, go getter, driven, sexy, elegant, respects her inner beauty, creates and maintains a lifestyle that just doesn’t follow every fashion trend but sticking to what’s true to her.

Who is a SAINT WOBIL guy?

Strong, youthful version of James Bond, majestic, heroic, chivalrous, seeks life’s passions, impressive, daring, sexy, and willing to think outside the box, not afraid of change and is comfortable in his own skin. He is always looking for new ways to enhance his individuality.

What 5 languages do you speak — which one’s your favorite and why?

English, French, English Creole, Fante, Twi. English is my best, that’s my first language. I learned the others by living and traveling to other parts of the world.

Has having lived in different countries and interacted with different people influenced your work? How?

Absolutely, having lived on three continents and having families in these places granted me exposure to these cultures and an understanding of how people respond to clothing, how people approach the standardized international fashion trends and how fashion metamorphose to fit their daily lives, occasions, scenarios and lifestyles.

What are the core values that guide you?

Faith in God and to be more like Him every day, true to myself, grateful for life and appreciate the ability to feel and love, and share what gifts God has given to me with the world.

What challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?

Gave my dogs away, sold my brand new Jeep, moved away from family, ended an important relationship, a well paying job and a well furnished life, moving to New York from Atlanta to sleep on someone else’s coach and stairwells in pursuit of self fulfillment and my career. Yes, for all of the pain, heartache, disappointment and betrayal I would do it again to be able to share my journey with others through these interviews. Interviews like these are another avenue to share my story besides through my creativity.

How helpful has a formal education in fashion been?

A formal education provides me with the best opportunities and to be taken very seriously. The education truly taught me to never take for granted the amount of work that goes into being a fashion designer. The tools have been fine tuned and refined and this has allowed me to really appreciate what I do and gain the respect of all aspects of the fashion industry. The talent was always there and being formally trained made known to me the reasons why I know that this was the right path for me. I am grateful that I made the sacrifices and decisions I did, so I can speak to others of how much it meant to me and how it prepared me to be a true artist and grow my skills every day.

Please give us some fashion advice and tips.

From a designer’s perspective, to brace themselves; it is 95% slavery and 5% glamour; if you are coming into the business to become a celebrity, you are in the wrong field and the wrong business. But if it’s about your craft and the integrity of the art of fashion, put aside your personal distractions and face your work with authenticity; also the business knowledge helps.

From a consumer’s perspective, it’s best to chose style over fashion because style is eternal, while fashion like everything else fades. Be a SAINT WOBIL lady and guy, those attributes certainly give you the tools to experience a better lifestyle. The true meaning of fashion comes alive when you use what you wear to accomplish your inner beauty or to conquer the world.

What’s in the future for SAINT WOBIL?

To build my brand SAINT WOBIL into a lifestyle where people all over the world can finally maintain a constant style and not just look at fashion as pretty designs but using it as a way to channel their inner beauty, elegance and style. The desire to have everyone in my designs and be able to change them into the perfection we as artists desire and can only achieve through our work. To become the first world renowned African-American couturier and achieve the level designers like Patrick Kelly, Willy Smith never got to — and the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) award would be nice on the mantle.