Designer Christopher John Rogers embraces a calm and collected approach to fashion, contrasting with the industry's frenetic pace. His studio radiates tranquility, reflecting his warm and genuine personality. This article explores Rogers's unique design philosophy, his collaboration with Christina Ripley, and the inspiration behind his vibrant Collection 015.
For many people who work in fashion, manic energy is a prerequisite. Whether you work at a design showroom, a press office, or a magazine, the gig often comes with a sense of anxiety-ridden urgency. Everything is a constant, grueling race to the finish or to the next fashion show. Sometimes, there are actually people running down the hallways. “Gird your loins!” as the meme goes. Not an ounce of that energy exists inside Christopher John Rogers 's studio.
The designer’s headquarters, located inside an old warehouse building on Broadway, is distinctly cool, calm, and collected. So is the man himself, especially when I met him there a few weeks before his return to the New York Fashion Week schedule. Rogers is about as warm as they come, a light and gracious spirit who is quick with a smile. You know his colorful work when you see it, whether it’s a corset with rainbow top stitching in a lookbook, a voluminous ballgown on a red carpet, or a vibrant striped knit in stores like Target and J.Crew, both of which he’s created sell-out capsule collections for over the last couple of years. It’s clear he has never taken himself too seriously, and perhaps this is a key to the success he’s seen ever since starting his eponymous label in the apartment he shared with the brand’s co-founder in 2018. That co-founder is still by his side. Her name is Christina Ripley, and she greets me with a hug as soon as I arrived at the studio space. So did “Chris,” as she calls him. The pair met while in school together at SCAD and have been inseparable ever since. They are more than business partners; they’re best friends having a blast. In front of a comfy emerald green couch, a sweet-smelling candle is lit on a table stacked with magazines featuring Rogers’s designs on their covers. It’s an open space with sunlight pouring in, the better to take in a preview of his vibrant Collection 015. A single long rack nearly the length of the space is hung with the designer’s latest offering, which includes a spectacular silk faille gown with Japanese grosgrain ribbon embroidery on a draped skirt that Rogers says was inspired by a folded umbrella he saw on the streets of Tribeca. (He points out the “pattern magic” happening with a neckline that’s been pleated into the back of the neck and turned into an armhole.) There’s also a longline British mohair coat in a color he calls “slime.” The clothes look divine, even just hanging on racks without bodies filling them. Rogers also points out that this is the first season they’ve started working with a factory in Italy for their tailoring, which I could tell immediately from that big, delicious bunch of beautiful clothes. “This is the most ‘me’ collection I’ve ever designed,” he said with a soft confidence and that sweet smile. Rogers hasn’t shown a runway collection since 2023, and I was curious to learn more about why he decided now was the moment to return. Of course, he’s never really followed fashion’s calendar system. As he and Ripley have often noted in interviews, they’ve always just done what’s right for them, both creatively and business-wise as an independent label. They have been very intentional in the way that they’ve chosen to release collections when it makes sense for them, usually in the pre-seasons, which gives the team longer lead times to make the clothes and get them delivered. That timing also means the collections can be on the store floors longer, allowing for deeper customer engagement with and discovery of the clothes each season. Time is an interesting concept in relation to Rogers’s work and business. The word came up a lot during our conversation in the studio, primarily when talking about the creative benefits of taking a beat to process, ideate, and recalibrate as a designer. “I feel like in the beginning, there was an urgency behind it all,” Rogers says. “We started out all having full-time jobs and making collections at the same time. A lot of the work was reliant on the ease of making things because we made everything completely ourselves.” He says that this is the longest period of time that he’s had to really sit with his ideas and take deeper dives into references that have always interested him. For this collection, Rogers notes that he really used process as inspiration and looked to other artists he admires who have done the same, like Ángela de la Cruz, Robert Morris, and Ettore Sottsass. He also looked to the interior construction of couture garments and underwater ecosystems with their surreal, “high-octane” colors. Color is Rogers’s most important visual code, something he’s built his business on in a way that’s always felt completely singular. The most inspiring thing about Rogers’s designs, ROYGBIV and all, is that his pieces can look completely different on different people. “When I was growing up,” he said, “I never felt like there were clothes that did that for m
Christopher John Rogers Fashion Design New York Fashion Week Color Inspiration Collaboration Time Process
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Odyssey Cast Reportedly Adds John Leguizamo to Christopher Nolan’s Epic AdaptationThe Odyssey cast continues to grow, with a new report from The InSneider's Jeff Sneider saying that legendary actor John Leguizamo is joining
Read more »
Christopher Walken Reveals John Turturro's Role in Casting Him for SeveranceSeverance Season 2 premieres on January 17th with the return of John Turturro and Christopher Walken's acclaimed duo, Irving and Burt. In a recent interview, Walken revealed that Turturro personally advocated for him to play Burt, a testament to their long-standing friendship and collaboration. The actors' connection, forged over decades of shared experiences, undoubtedly contributes to the powerful on-screen chemistry they share as Irving and Burt.
Read more »
Ben Affleck finds mansion survived Palisades fire while Billy Crystal and John Goodman mourn their lossesWhile Affleck’s new mansion was spared, other famous Pacific Palisades neighbors are coming to terms with losing longtime homes and memories.
Read more »
Former Fed Advisor Arrested for Allegedly Sharing Trade Secrets with ChinaJohn Rogers, a former senior advisor to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, has been arrested by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly sharing confidential information with Chinese intelligence personnel. The DOJ alleges that Rogers provided information about U.S. bond market trends, allowing China to manipulate the market in a manner akin to insider training. Rogers allegedly received payment from a Chinese university for his role as a part-time professor and lied to investigators about his actions.
Read more »
Will Rogers State Beach parking lot turned into wildfire debris sorting siteAs the cleanup efforts continue in the Pacific Palisades, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will turn the Will Rogers State Beach parking lot into a processing site for hazardous wildfire debris.
Read more »
Will Rogers State Beach parking lot to be processing site for Palisades fire debrisA parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach will be used as a staging area for potentially hazardous household waste removed from the Palisades fire zone, officials announced.
Read more »