September is fashion’s big moment for change and fresh beginnings. But every change of season comes also with the challenge of investing carefully in pieces that will endure fashion’s caprices and that will stand the test of time. Discovering a collection that is truly timeless…minimalistic and clean, qualities that bring out the beauty of a garment and which make an item elegant, wearable, functional and durable. This is the exact impression that the Mary Jo Matsumoto Fall line left me when I first saw it a few months back. And how can you expect less from a designer who collaborated with the patternmakers who had also worked with James Galanos, Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent?
For a fashion lover I don’t think there is anything more exciting than to find out how a collection takes shape from the designer himself/herself. Maybe except for owning one of the beautiful creations we admire on the catwalk or in the advertising campaigns, like my favourite pieces from this collection, the incredibly simple and elegant grey silk charmeuse midi dress with raglan sleeves or the black silk velvet halter gown, the epitome of sophisticated evening glamour. I am honored that Mary Jo was kind enough to share such details with me and my readers.
Tell me a little about this line. Who is the woman you design for, the Mary Jo Matsumoto woman?
In some ways, my clothing line is about the perfect wardrobe that I wanted to own. Each piece is constructed as a “forever” piece, lined in silk. I design for a woman who enjoys fashion and likes an occasional touch of whimsy, but might have a very busy career/social life along with being a mom. I also wanted to give women the experience of wearing a suit that wasn’t black. A feminine soft pink wool can look amazing and modern and gray is softer and more forgiving on a woman than some of the harder colors we’re accustomed to.
The key pieces of the line are based on late 1930s piece from my personal collection, and almost every piece contains a unique vintage detail that I felt was beautiful and rare, like the portrait collar jacket or my knot dress. Even simple pieces like the pencil skirt are taken from the construction of a pencil skirt from the 30s, which had a real kick pleat, not the cheap V-slit that you’ll often see in modern pencil skirts. All the pieces have little luxuries like extra fabric at the waistband so that the fastener doesn’t rub against your skin (and can be easily altered if you gain or lose weight). This was standard 50 years ago, but factory made clothing really changed that–if you’ve ever owned a dress where the snap, hook or zipper rubbed uncomfortably against your skin, you know what I’m talking about.
What was the inspiration behind the collection?
My collection started taking shape when I first fell in love with vintage clothing from the late 30s, and my friend and vintage dealer David, opened doors to meeting some of the last great patternmakers who had worked with James Galanos, Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. I feel so fortunate that I had this opportunity to work with them, and as a result was able to create a line that was classic with some of the vintage details that are really hard to find {and patternmakers who had actual experience constructing these kinds of details}. To me, if you copy vintage literally, then it’s just about costume making, but if you find special details and modify them for modern women who need to travel, walk, sit, eat, and breathe comfortably in their clothes—whether it’s at a party or at work-then it becomes something unique.
My goal is to make beautiful clothes that can function in lots of different ways. In a perfect world we would all wear cocktail dresses and fancy outfits on a daily basis, but the way our world works, we rarely wear the full suit together. We might wear the jacket with jeans, the silk top with a pencil skirt, the pants with a tee shirt. This is the world we live in and so separates are essential. I wanted to create some great separates along with a few key dresses.
When did you know you wanted to be a fashion designer?
I was a good student as a kid but never liked math and would doodle all over my homework pictures of girls wearing intricate outfits and gowns. My math tests would come back and the teacher would write, “study more next time, but nice drawing!” I think kids always have a sense of what they’re supposed to be doing in the world. I didn’t study to be a fashion designer–I was at NYU studying film when Marc Jacobs was launching his first collections. Some of my friends were the videographers for his first shows. I think the film production experience served me well in the process of manufacturing, and my love of film + art also play a big role in my design life.
What is your greatest challenge as a designer?
My greatest challenge so far as a designer is the cost. Working with the best patternmakers, finest fabrics, and best sewers makes the garments more expensive to manufacture than something I could have made at a factory in China. Deciding whether I’m going to stay in this arena or succumb to the pressure and create more affordable lines has been an ongoing debate at work this year and I don’t have a final answer.
Thank you, Mary Jo, for accepting my invitation.
You can see the entire Mary Jo Matsumoto Fall collection as well as the designer’s lines of fine jewelry and handbags on Mary Jo’s official website, Mary Jo Matsumoto, and you can also visit her blog, Trust Your Style.
photos: courtesy of Mary Jo Matsumoto
Love these clothes – I appreciate the pattern & the fabrics, especially. You know, I’m always interested in designers’ point of view. That’s a nice interview, congratulations!
Great interview. And the outfits in the pictures are also great.
Aura
http://www.littlebitsoffashion.com
What a fab interview with Mary Jo – very interesting to read the backstory and the detailing that goes into her pieces – not to mention that they are flattering and timeless and i would say Mary Jo is not only her own perfect model but muse too x
http://fashionandfrank.blogspot.com/
Thank you for the interview, darling! Really enjoyed it. I’ve been in love with her coat from the last photo for what feels like a year… x
The pics are amazing!
Mary Jo is an amazing designer and a very good looking woman! All her designs are very chic, unique and blend perfectly with all occasions !! The grey dress in the first picture is absolutely superb!!
I really enjoyed reading this interview! Thank you, Ada!
xo
These are all such beautiful pieces and I loved your interview; I was interested to read about her inspirations behind the collection xx
Ada, thank you so much for this lovely interview! I so appreciate you asking me to be a guest, it’s an honor to be on your blog! Also, I wish I could say those photos are me, lol, but they are of Katie Osumi, who modelled the line for me. Again, many thanks for the interview!
xo Mary Jo
@mary jo
Thank you for accepting, Mary Jo. It is my pleasure and honor to feature your fall line. About the model, I knew she wasn’t you, but I haven’t had time to leave a comment until now to clarify that little misunderstanding, lol.
So fabulous! And the view is amazing too! Have a delightful day, Kellie xx
Amazing! I love every single piece of this Collection. The First Dress is so Feminine and Classy! Great to see such an Amazing Designer!
http://www.glamthings.com
These pieces are absolutely stunning. I love every look!
Great interview & gorgeous looks!
I love everything about Mary Jo, her designs, her writing and her sensibilities. I think as soon as you look at the fold and shapes and line of her clothing you know that it’s taken many hours with a pattern maker and the quality is so unusual in today’s world. Great interview!
I am soooo happy you interviewed Mary Jo. She is incredibly talented, smart and generally wonderful. I have really enjoyed getting to know her and learning more about her process here!
You did a fantastic job with the interview Ada. The questions were very well picked and it was a pleasure to read the whole interview..
I really love her answer on one of your question. She said that kids have a sense of what they are supposed to do with their lives and it got me thinking about how she managed to find her way back to her passion after many years of trying to do something else for a living.
It’s comforting to know that we always find our path in life.
The last outfit is the best, I am in love with the pink coat.
Thanks for the introduction Ada! This all looks chic, yet comfortable.
Oh she is just amazing. I love that long black dress. So classy!
xo
Incredible interview, amazing pics and lovely style! Thanks for sharing this kind of post! Kisses
http://blesstheit.blogspot.com/
Amazing pieces and amazing pictures!Love em!
beautifully designed pieces and a stunning model!
What a fantastic interview, Ada! I love Mary Jo and I’m so happy to have gotten to know more about her. Her pieces are absolutely gorgeous as is she
xoxo
Wonderful interview, thank you for introducing her to us! Great questions, I really appreciated getting to know her thoughts behind her collection and getting to know her as a designer. Her designs are most definitely forever pieces, which is more of what I need right now in my collection. Those dresses are so timeless, classic and feminine. I can picture myself wearing every single one of those pieces!
Great colors!
Love Grace.
Timelessly chic! It was good to “meet” a new designer. And I knew some people in film school at NYC and they all have amazing styles!
wow! very strange….i’ve been a reader of your blog forever {very much a fan}….was not expecting to see my face on today’s post…
maryjo is a mad genius! the clothes are even more beautiful in person than on photo….and please {?} maryjo is a more stunning model than that \hack\ she hired in her ads…..
xo,
katie
@katie osumi
Hi, Katie. You know, I’ve visited your blog before, but I haven’t realized that you are the beautiful model in the Mary Jo Matsumoto fall lookbook. Such a wonderful surprise your stopping by.
Love the color and proportion of the clothes – and that deck she is on … beautiful!!
Gorgeous collection!
I love Mary Jo’s fashion designs and her blog, she is very talented. This collection is truly so gorgeous, especially because she put so much effort into blending details from the ’30s. The grey and pink cape with that fabulous collar is amazing for example. Great interview Ada, its really nice to read more about her thoughts.
Mary Jo’s collection is just stunning, I would wear every single piece, it exudes an effortless classic elegance, the liquid silvery silk dress calls to me every time I see it.
Stunning pictures and Mary Jo is amazing!
Coco Chanel
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