Fashion student Maxi Britt is more than a little rebellious and unconventional in her approach to womenswear design. When she dreamt up her Geoffrey Beene Collection for the juniors’ draping class, she thought about the dust bowl era—oh, and men.
“I try to take parts of menswear and basically design...boys [clothes for] girls...[it] just [feels effortless] and sexy,” she explains. Much of her collection is sewn in tweed, a traditional men's suiting material. To soften the look, she juxtaposes the masculine fabric with flirty feminine ruffles.
The sides of her tweed skirt are flanked with patches, like those found on hunting gear, but with a twist. Done up in floral fabric and silk chiffon, these are decidedly not what you’d find on your Grandpa’s rifleman jacket. Details like these create an image of a woman that is a little rough around the edges, yet still girly.
Her gusto for paired-down elegance is also displayed in a tweed crop top with pleated chiffon across the bustline. Britt is still designing the outwear component of her collection, but has plans to construct a collared cape with pockets and a detachable hood.
Her collection’s color scheme will include earth tones to compliment the fall season. Britt quips, that from the buildings to the muddy surroundings, “...Syracuse is looking very brown to me.”
Because of the unique nature of her collection, Britt admits that her collection may be hard to market to large retailers, however fashion trailblazers will flip for her fun and experimental designs. Britt also relishes her chances to experiment as a designer. “Being a design student is the only [time] you have to be crazy and do something ridiculous and for yourself,” she explains.
Britt is very much inspired by classic American design, such as Halstons’ Heritage line and Ralph Lauren. In fact, she interned for Ralph Lauren, and did a stint at Jill Stuart.
“I’ve definitely [seen] that this is the industry for me,” Britt says of her experiences.
In collaboration with Tim Westbrook, a fellow arts major, Britt founded The Internation, a member-based company that helps students find internships. To join, students can e-mail theinternation@g-mail.com.
Britt is dead-set on a future in the fashion industry. For her, fashion isn’t just about expression, but the different ways that one piece can be interpreted. She says, “My clothes say something about who I am, but on someone else it could say something completely different. The body is a blank canvas.”
Her Dream Job: To design for Ralph Lauren. “The way that the company is structured is that all the [divisions of the] brand... are in the same place, so you can see what’s hot for children, men, and every [other] department,” Britt explains. She also loves that each collection tells a story.
Why You Should Look Out For Her: Britt has a sarcastic and witty demeanor. This sharpness translates into both her edgy designs and work ethic. “I’m very goal-oriented, so if I say I’m going to do something, I will,” she says.
Her Designer Confidential: Britt recognizes that students will have to fight their way into their desired professional fields and she knows the weapon for combat.
“Life is a competition,” she says, “But you’ll win if you don’t let the Man hold you back.”
-Amanda Michelson
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