Interview: Krystel Pindi

We recently met the New York based Swedish/French designer Krystel Pindi and talked about how she became a fashion designer, what inspires her and her plans for the future!

How old were you when you started to design? Was it always something you knew you would do?

I started to design and creating clothes when I was 17-years old. But as far as I can remember, I have been drawing since a long time. I used to take my mother’s knitting tools and knit different items, cuddly toys and small clothing for my little sister’s baby dolls.

You grew up in Sweden but moved to France at age 13 to study fashion design and textile at Ecole de Condé. What are the biggest differences between Scandinavian and French design?

The difference between, for example, Swedish and French design is that Swedish design is simpler in a way that it is minimalistic, clean with a modern twist. France has its legacy since many years back, especially with all the diverse big names that propose what they have been creating since a very long time. French design is refined, elegant and people always associate it with high tailoring quality. French fashion is often chic; people often describe a Parisian girl as chic and stylish.

How would you describe your fashion design and where do you get your inspiration from?
To describe my design I would use these words: structure, geometric forms and details. It is important for me to live in an inspirational environment in order to be able to create. I like to look into the past and see what has been done before and then at the present trends. I like to go to exhibitions and see what the other artists are up to. I also get inspired from the situations and moments that I go through in my personal life. So, it really depends, I would say that I get influences and inspirations from everywhere.

You travel a lot in your life and it has also helped you to identify what women in different countries likes to wear and how your design can appeal to them. You now live in New York City could you tell us about how the people dress and style there?

The style in New York City varies, depending on which part of the city you are in. I would say that there is a mix of everything. For example, if you would go to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, you would see the hipster style and there are a lot of vintage stores over there. In Harlem, the style is more about soul and finally in the Financial District everybody is wearing the office gear, the suit. Then you have the people who mix their own thing and don’t necessarily follow the latest trends. What always works here is the T-shirt with a pair of jeans. I like the fact that you can be yourself here, wear whatever you want and still feel as if you fit in.