ShopFlick

Monah Li

Monah Li

SF: What does your brand stand for?

ML: Romantic, mixed fabric designs, fluid lines, feminine embellishments, richly colored fabric, a mix of textures and loving attention to every seam and detail.

SF: What is the inspiration?

ML: Fashion trends come and go. My aesthetic is about something deeper. Whatever her body type, her age, or her personal style, when a woman tells me that wearing Monah Li makes her feel sexy, confident and unique, then I know I have done my job. What inspires me is inspiring her.

SF: Who are your customers?

ML: It is always exciting to know that my romantic designs of distressed rayon, silk and velvet are a favorite of trend setters and celebrities. But as a working mother who lives in the real world, it is just as much a thrill to know that a woman with a job, kids and a carpool loves my clothes as a young Oscar winning actress. I have never wanted to be just about fashion. Whether she is young or old, waif-like or Ruben-esque, living Malibu, in Missouri or Manhattan – the Monah Li Woman is a woman who loves to wear clothes that make her love being a woman.

SF: What’s new this season?

ML: A) Slipservice- what was once an insider secret, available only to friends- is ready to turn your flea market slip or heirloom night gown into a fabulous and of-the-moment dream-dress? How it works: Send me your favorite vintage slip or nightgown, a picture of you, a quick note to tell me about yourself and how you envision your desired look. I will turn all of this into a stunning, sexy and totally one-of-a-kind Monah Li creation that will forever be in style!

B) The Shawl – your new cardigan!

C) Necklace Scarves

SF: What items are people responding to most?

ML: Slip service, Necklace Scarves and Shawls (worn in place of a cardigan). The big surprise hit is that men are buying my black scarves at Traffic Men

SF: Are any celebs wearing your pieces?

ML: Yes- including Ashley Simpson, Miley Cirus and Alana Steward.

SF: How did you get started in the industry?

ML: I studied art and fashion in Vienna. My art professors told me to go into fashion. My fashion professors told me to go into art. After making a stir in German Vogue with a line of clothes made from painted silk, I moved to Los Angeles to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. After a year spent partying hard in LA, I found myself a guest at the California Department of Corrections. On my release, I was shipped back to Vienna, where my father committed me to a mental institution for nine months of drug rehab. There, a funny thing happened. The psychiatrist running my program wanted to be a fashion designer, and he used the recovering addicts as free labor to sew his collection. He eventually was fired, but I loved the set-up. He had hired a really good pattern-maker and a really good tailor, and these women took me under their wing. They taught me couture. I had a new addiction.

SF: What is your must-have item?

ML: A dress made from your own Vintage slip with a super soft shawl draped over it

SF: What are you wearing right now?

ML: I am wearing a midnight blue slip dress with short sleeves and tiny buttons down the front with a charcoal shawl that’s embellished with fabric flowers, beads and antique lace trim.

SF: Visit Monah Li’s Shopflick Store to see her collection.