7Qs… A peek inside the world of Byron Lars:

Describe your design aesthetic in 3 words.
Curve-enhancing, well-appointed and classic (in its own way)

What training path did you follow traditional or non-traditional?
I would have to classify my training as pretty traditional since i did attend fashion school (F.I.T to be specific) and served the requisite internship (with the extremely talented Kevan Hall), however I believe the most traditional path of my training was the unavoidable trial by fire launching of my business.

What was your first big break? Wasn't your first collection an instant hit with NY buyers?
My first big break came when Henri Bendel's gave me an order and the front windows on my very first group (because five styles could hardly qualify as a collection) for which I sewed all of the first samples myself.

Shortly after shipping the Bendel's order, Bloomingdale's gave me an in-store shop area at the 59th street store.

How did it feel being proclaimed Rookie of the Year by Women's Wear Daily?
Receiving that dreamt-up title by Women's Wear Daily felt in word, "surreal". While solidifying my faith in the possibilities of achieving the American Dream, it also starkly brought into question the validity of the other designers and companies that I had seen featured in the paper, since (at the time) I could scarcely scrape up the dollar to buy the issue baring my design on the cover.

Are there any future plans for another Barbie series?
Actually I have done a Barbie every year for the past twelve years. There have so far been three series, the most recent of which available is the Chapeaux Collection which (I'm sure you've probably figured out) features each doll wearing a hat. A hat box houses each doll in this series.

Why did you decide to launch your Beauty Mark line and what is the concept behind the brand?
Beauty Mark was launched initially as a collection of shirts and shirt dresses reminiscent of those featured in the earlier collection, but at a contemporary price point. It has since however developed into a well-rounded collection in it's own right.
 
I have always wanted to make my clothes at a Beauty Mark price-point, in greatest part to avoid painfully hearing from so many young ladies, such as yourself, how much they love the collection but are simply unable to afford a single piece of it. Most of these would be customers that I met at trunk shows while selling my higher priced goods were the very women that I truly wanted to dress.

What advice do you have to lend to our community of young talents, who aspire to be the next WWD Rookie of the Year?
Although no one job in the industry can fully prepare you for launching your own company, there is a wealth of priceless information that you can attain on someone else's dime at a job in fashion, that will get you much more prepared, if not fully.
 
These trying times, although more extreme, are similar to the conditions that allowed me an opportunity to start up modestly. While established designers were then and are now moved to play it safe during economic downturns, an upstart can be refreshingly brazen in their approach to supplying an idea starved industry.

Byron Lars
7Qs - Mar. 2009