Issa Pressman gives us the low down on her first ever fashion show. Check out the exclusive interview here.
On the last day of BYS Fashion Week, attendees were greeted with the first ever show of artist, singer, and entrepreneur Issa Pressman as she showcased her newest line of scarves from her fashion label, I S S A. The collection is called “Time and Space,” inspired by the four cities that Issa travelled to in a month, namely: Tel Aviv, London, Seoul, and Mykonos. These scarves were styled by Lyn Alumno in more than 30 ways for the fashion show, and the result was a beautiful brigade of I S S A models styled perfectly for their different body types.
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We wanted to know more on the young designer’s mindset getting into her first fashion show, which is why we called Issa up for an exclusive interview. This is what the designer had to say about her successful debut runway collection.
MEGAStyle: “Why did you choose the countries you visited as the inspiration for your first show?”
Issa Pressman: “I had a rough and tough start of the year. Towards [the] summer, I started picking myself up. Then, before half of the year started, which is coincidentally the same day as my birthday, I decided that it was time to get back to being healthy and happy—deeply. As a reward for the stage and my birthday gift to myself, I decided to travel to four cities in one month. [It’s] the same month I did the designs, too. It was a significant time in my life, and the amazing experiences I had in those places led me to the name of the collection: ‘Time & Space.’”
MS: “What were the challenges you faced during your first fashion show?”
IP: “A lot! This was way outside of my comfort zone. I’ve been used to doing multiple things, but most of them just fall under the same umbrella of my abilities. But this was different, especially because I wasn’t just the artist and designer. I was also involved in every part seen from the show.”
MS: “Could you tell us more about the work you did for the show?”
IP: “I was really hands on from choosing the models, the dancers, the script, and the story. Being involved in the sound production, communicating with everyone, as I also creatively produced it with the BYS team, to creatively directing it, too, with Direk Yan. [This was] all only possible with the help of my family. But mainly, my stocks! Having three full sleepless nights to create the designs, faced a lot of delays in production, and shipping! And, trying to make it in time for the pre-prods of the show, and the show itself!”
MS: “What’s the message you want to relay about the I S S A the brand as per the fashion show?”
IP: “To highlight versatility, uniqueness, and individuality. To prove that we can be anything we want to be, and also to highlight collaborations through art. It’s my art only until it’s yours. What you do with the pieces or how you want to style it is all up to you. Through that, you get to be creative. From there, we’ve shared art.”
MS: “How well does I S S A and all the operations of it coincide with your other endeavours? Is it a struggle balancing everything you do or does it inspire creativity for your music?”
IP: “It’s always hard to balance everything at once. So [first], I make sure to find the fun and put fun in work. Second, I make sure to take breaks. Every challenge or brand involvement I do, I gain experiences from. It’s not just beneficial for my other endeavours, but also life in general.”
MS: “What’s next for I S S A?”
IP: “Something outside of scarves. [Maybe] a collection for the senses. Then, after that, launch a collection for your comfort!”
Photography KIERAN PUNAY
