|
|
 BY KATRINA SZISH | | |
Great Lissner | |  | | | | | He'll send you into a swoon with a swath of silk and over the moon with a touch of tulle. Frocks are his fancy: equally elegant with a fox stole and edgy with a motorcycle jacket, Keith Lissner's designs are simultaneously sexy and sweet.
You may recognize his painstakingly detailed, draped designs from red carpets and glamorous galas, where they have graced the figures of Emmy Rossum, Natasha Bedenfield and countless Manhattan It-girls, from Alex McCord to Tamsin Lonsdale. You may recognize the man from the small screen, where he was featured as one of the designers competing on Bravo's "The Fashion Show," hosted by Isaac Mizrahi. Though he didn't walk away with the final prize, he decrees the experience worth the effort: "It was absolutely worth it. I have always said that I would do anything for my business. When this opportunity came along I saw it as a chance to create more exposure for my brand, which is exactly what it did. I was blessed to have been included in the show, and I would not take it back." | | | | | | | | | | The 32-year-old Chicago native grew up cocooned in couture in his family's boutique - Dorothy Schreiber, named after his great grandmother - a decadent destination in which no pieces were displayed on the floor. Instead, clients would be seated and Lissner's grandmother would present the dress she deemed appropriate. Yet it wasn't the close proximity to Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass and Geoffrey Beene designs that led Lissner to his epiphany at age 19: "I had always loved fashion, but it never occurred to me that I could make a career out of it. A friend was studying fashion, and I would constantly question her about what she was studying. Finally, she suggested that I should study fashion as well. After much thought and trepidation, I decided to pick up a pencil and paper to test the waters. This was at 8 o'clock at night. By 8am [the next morning], I was surrounded by piles and piles of sketches. At that moment I knew."
Lissner honed his craft as an intern at Moschino Cheap & Chic while simultaneously studying womenswear at the London College of Fashion. Following graduation, he forayed into menswear as a designer at Perry Ellis and then Ralph Lauren. But soon the siren song of corsetry and couture lured him back to his first love, and he launched is eponymous collection of demi-couture eveningwear in 2006, a breathtaking array of all that is feminine, modern and beautiful. Truly what one might wear if she were princess for a day; not a surprise considering Lissner cites Marchesa Casati, Audrey Hepburn, Degas ballerinas and Marilyn Monroe as style icons. "To me, being a dressmaker is a true art form. There is so much room to dream and design when creating a dress, the options are limitless. I think part of it is watching the transformation take place when a girl slips on the perfect dress. Such a simple action can make such a huge impact, I love that." | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Lissner’s lasses love it, too. He stores his vast archives in the basement of his high-rise Manhattan apartment building; upon arriving in the expansive, gray-hued, poshly minimalist home, he offers you a drink while quizzing you on the event you’re planning to attend. Suddenly he’s gone, having disappeared into the elevator like a mildly maniacal magician, only to return several minutes later with armfuls of delicious dresses - not unlike his grandmother. But then, like your best girlfriend, he sends you off to shimmy into the spoils and perches on the couch eagerly awaiting the reveal, inevitably cheering and applauding when you walk out in The One. And when you’re the girl in the dress, this moment is unforgettable. "The woman [I design for] is feminine, unique and exudes a great sense of self. She is independent, hard working and possesses a refined palette. She is a social woman who requires a wardrobe that allows her to make an amazing first and lasting impression."
For Fall 2009, Lissner extended his custom-order-only brand to reach wallets a tad less padded than those of his usual clients, with the launch of Keith by Keith Lissner - a collection of delightful dresses with equally delightful price tags, all below $300, now available at Scoop. Clearly not lost in fashion la-la-land, Lissner is both artist and entrepreneur, well aware of the impact fashion has on the women he dresses and beyond: "Fashion is important in this economic climate. First and foremost, the fashion industry employs millions of people, the less important fashion becomes the more jobs are lost. Second, fashion is about fantasy. In a world full of hardship we all need an escape. Third, as responsible people of the world, it is our job to pull ourselves out of this mess. This is a big task and we all must dress the part!"
One would think that a man who has launched his own business with such great success would be basking in the glamour and all that goes with it, champagne swilling and such. But the self-described homebody is refreshingly down-to-earth, perhaps the very quality that makes him so successful. "The number one misconception [about fashion] is the glamour, I hate to say it, but it is about 10% of the job. A successful fashion label is like a beautiful sports car, on the outside it is a thing of beauty, but under the hood it can get pretty nasty."
Yet there is no denying that the Keith Lissner woman always looks - and feels - devastatingly beautiful.
Visit: www.KeithLissner.com | | | | | |
|
|
