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| www.meganhuntz.com |
American fashion designer Megan Huntz has previously lived and worked for seven years in Italy and Barcelona, Spain. Graduate studies at Domus Academy took Megan to Milan in 2003, where she worked on projects in collaboration with prestigious designers and brands: Antonio Berardi, Neil Barrett, Victor Victoria, Frankie Morello and Meltin’ Pot. At the end of her Master Program at Domus, Megan was awarded an internship with Meltin’ Pot, which then resulted in a full time position as design and research assistant for the company’s creative director and Italian denim guru, Dario Marangon. After working for Meltin’ Pot, collaborating on the first four seasons of their women’s denim and fashion collections, she continued on working as a fashion designer, researcher, and consultant for one of Italy's most important concept stores, Spazio Lazzari of Treviso, and for Max&Co and New Penny, brands of the Manifatture del Nord, among the strongest, internationally recognized, Italian clothing companies.
Megan’s bachelor degree in Industrial Design, from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, has given her a basis to explore design through fashion, as well as cross over into other types of work such as retail design and fashion communication and brand identities. Her background in painting and love for art has also translated into and enriched her design work, and also tied in closely to the development of her signature aesthetic.
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| Megan Huntz |
Megan is the sole creative voice of her brand, controlling everything from the design and production of her line to the graphics and communication. Since the launch the brand, she has been invited to participate in several prestigious events, on an international level, celebrated for her excellence in design. In April of 2008, MHD was one of 6 young designers selected for Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion annual fashion show in Miami, and has since gained much interest from buyers and fashion followers in the US. Having proven to be a successful launch pad for notable designers, Fresh Faces in Fashion has become Gen Art's largest and most important fashion program, created to propel the careers of up-and-coming fashion designers. In June of 2008Megan Huntz Dresses participated in Changing Room, a one-day event held once per season, in the heart of Barcelona. 25 designers each take over a room and open to the public for a shopping extravaganza of the most cutting edge fashion from Barcelona. And since her first appearance there, she has continually been invited to participate twice a year. Megan Huntz Dresses was also selected for ModaFad- a 2 day event to showcase new designers in Barcelona including a fashion show and an open market. FAD is a prestigious organization of design in Barcelona that has been in existence for over 100 years. In July of 2009, MHD launched Bridal, inaugurating this new part of the brand, including wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses. In the US on June 4th, 2010, MHD participated in an exclusive designer showcase, presenting the dresses along side a video performance dedicated to the creative process in the dress making, at Modern Atlanta “Paris”, MA’s annual Fashion Cares event in association with Jeffrey.
After reading through many articles about fashion designers in Atlanta, I stopped in my tracks when I got to www.meganhuntz.com. In addition to being intriguing, the dresses were sexy,flirty,and feminine. This very creative soul gives us some insight on her line and what inspires her creativity:
- KN: How old are you??
- MH: 34.
- KN: At what age did you discover your talent for designing?
- MH: I was the first in my pre-school group to learn how to tie and un-tie, button and un-button, zip and un-zip, because I was determined to change my clothes all the time and put my own outfits together. I guess you could say that I have always have a pretty decisive view on style. I didn’t necessarily recognize an artistic or design talent in myself until I started painting in high school. From that moment in my life, I knew I had to create something, however, It wasn’t until years down the road that I really found what I really wanted to do, which is dress making.
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| Megan Huntz Dress Photo courtesy of achiclife.com |
- KN: Do you construct the clothing or is it just sketching that u do?
- MH: I do every step of the entire creative process. I usually cryptically sketch or conceive and idea loosely on paper then jump into draping . Usually I will make a 3 dimensional “sketch” and then cut a pattern from that. I choose all of my fabrics carefully and develop a series of washing and dyeing techniques for each fabric, so that each dress that I make is unique.
- KN: What inspires your creativity?
- MH: Eccentric women, Roisin Murphy, Italian cinema from the 50’s and 60’s, the Futurist movement, Hitchcock, Almodovar. I have a lot of varied references which change quite often, but a strong reoccurring theme is an iconic image of a powerful female protagonist.
- KN: In one word describe Megan Huntz designs?
- MH: Empowering.
- KN: What is your next POWER move for your line???
- MH: Ha ha, see my answer above! Power move is a powerful word! I prefer to think of myself doing 2 things parallel to one another. One is making a commercial line that I can mass produce sell and still maintain my original creative intent; the other is to do limited edition projects which blur the line of fashion and art and are presented in a more artistic context, not following typical fashion cycles.
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| Megan Huntz Dress photo courtesy esposay.com |
- KN: Do you make your own day to day clothes?
- MH: I wear all of my own dresses. If I can’t wear and enjoy them, how can I expect anyone else to? A huge aspect of getting the fit right on a garment is being able to feel how something moves with you. I believe that when a woman is comfortable and they like the way they look, a sense of inner beauty comes out and there’s nothing more attractive or beautiful than that.
- KN: Describe your experiences in Spain and Italy.
- MH: Where to begin... It was 7 years of big adventures and lots of learning. I think the most important thing that I took away from my experiences abroad is just being able to adapt to new circumstances and staying open to other points of view. It is very humbling being a foreigner, at times, because you realize that the entire world doesn’t revolve around you and your culture.
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| www.meganhuntz.com |
- KN: How do you think living there affected your work as a designer?
- MH: It completely formed my sense of style and way of life.
- KN: Any advise for fashion design students???
- MH: The best advice I can give to anyone beginning in any creative field is to relentlessly find and follow your own voice, learn how to take criticism and be discerning of that criticism. Did I mention that I will be teaching introduction to fashion design at SCAD starting this summer quarter? I enjoy being involved with young people. God knows that I have had lots of mentors and helping hands along the way, and I am really excited about sharing my experience with others.
Checkout http://meganhuntz.com for a rewarding fashion experience!!!! Kela Norman
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