Taylor Paige
Taylor Paige is a fashion designer based in NYC, who is balancing studies at Pratt Institute while running the emerging brand Iseder alongside friend and collaborator Sharon Mishiev. Taylor’s work blends accessibility with runway artistry. Taylor spoke to us about how living in NYC has inspired her creative process, as well as the challenges of running a brand whilst at university.
Who got you into fashion design? And why do you think you were drawn to it?
I always say my dad, from very early on, he's always been very meticulous with the way that, I would dress myself. He would tell me like, "Oh, you should never go out with a bad pair of shoes," or "You should always make sure you have a clean outfit when you're going somewhere." So that really got me into being concerned about clothing and the way it looks. But what really made me focus in on it was that I went to the High School of Fashion Industries in Manhattan. That was my first taste of really designing. I think a lot of my peers were also in fashion school or were into fashion at that high school, which got me really into it. So I was inspired by friends, family, and just being raised in New York City.
So is that what made you choose to go into fashion design? And why do you think you were drawn to it?
Yeah, right now I'm studying fashion design at Pratt Institute. Once I finished the CTE program in high school, I took a break and thought, "Okay, I want to circle back on this and really develop the skill set at a university level." That was it. Being in that structure for four years in high school made me become way more serious about fashion design.
Who are some designers that have had a big impact on your work?
I don’t know, let me actually think... Honestly I can’t confine it to one designer. I would honestly say, in the beginning, Comme des Garçons like all of that—that was in my head. When I first restarted, that’s all I really knew. Once I grew really attached to it, I realized that I didn’t want to become the person that makes things like that. So that’s why it’s hard for me to pick, because I had to separate being in love with a designer preventing almost becoming that designer. School helped with that, a lot of professors used to compare me to certain designers during critiques, which kind of concerned me. I wanted to be my own person. So I stopped looking at other designers directly for inspiration.
So you kind of just go with what you like?
Yeah, exactly.
What has had an impact on your work which is unrelated to fashion?
Going out a lot in New York City and always being around people has had a big impact on it. Through doing shows and pop-up events, you’re always working with people, marketing with models and casting agents. I think I take a little bit of each person I meet in some way their style, I think, "Okay, this could be cool." I reimagine it into a full look. I’m really inspired by people in general, people watching, and walking outside.
How do you think living in New York helps the process of making your collections?
I think it always keeps me on my toes in terms of what’s trendy. But you don’t always have to go with the super trendy stuff here. There’s something unique about the way people are styling themselves. It feels tailored to them it doesn’t feel costumey.
When did you decide you wanted to make a brand? And why before you've left University?
I wanted to make one in high school, actually. I used to have one with my best friend at the time, Dana. But we weren’t financially ready or stable enough to be structured. I made a pair of pants originally with my friend Sharon. We were already helping each other back and forth and had similar design styles. So I thought, "We might as well make a brand together."
So that's who you’re making the brand with now?
Yeah, it’s Sharon.
What are the benefits or negatives of starting a brand in university?
I could list more negatives! Financially, it’s always draining. You have to pay for projects in school on top of the projects you have outside of school. Timing is also a big issue, I rarely have time to sit down and complete tasks from A to Z. But the positives are great, too. I’ve been able to gain a community and meet so many people through college. Plus, the amenities like studios and photo labs are incredible.
I know your working with Sharon (@currencyconvert) on Iseder, what are both of your roles?
Originally, I handled more of the actual design like draping, pattern making and construction. Sharon focused on graphics and digital work. Now, we’re both equally designing and still splitting responsibilities like marketing and social media.
Where did the name Iseder come from? What does it mean?
It comes from the Hebrew word seder, which means order. Sharon has a Jewish background, and he wanted to incorporate that. We added the "I" in front to make it sound cleaner, and that’s how it became "Iseder".
It looks great as text, how do you pronounce it?
Yeah, it's like saying the sentence "I said her".
Iseder’s ready to wear 2025 collection released just over a week ago, what was this process like, and how do you differentiate it from making the runway collection?
The main difference is accessibility, functionality and convenience for people to buy at a nice price range. For the design process, a lot of it is trend research, what’s happening now but, it also keeps elements that tie back to the runway. We didn’t want to make something generic like H&M style. It had to have runway elements. It was challenging because we only had a few looks at the time for the ready to wear drop. This will be our first-tier drop before the runway, and then we’ll do another one after.
Is there a difference In the quality and how the garments are made?
Most things are manufactured as blanks and then revised in-house. For example, a sweater might come with a rib-knit finish, and we add details like the city skyline in-house. For leggings, the blanks are wholesale products, but the metal studs were manufactured separately, and we assembled them ourselves.
What is the production process for Iseder runway? How much is done in house?
Almost everything is done in-house for the runway. The only things that might be manufactured are graphics. The collection we’re working on now will be more elevated, elegant, and nightlife-inspired, so most of it will be made in-house.
I noticed the first collection was cleaner compared to the second. Is that intentional?
Yeah, the first collection was a learning experience. A lot of that stuff was also made in house. It was our first time coming together on a full body of work, so we had to figure each other out what we liked and didn’t like. It was more about finding our rhythm.
When will the F/W 2025 runway collection release? And what new techniques have you been using in it?
We’re aiming for September 8th, near the Wall Street area. It’ll likely be outdoors and at night. This time, the collection is way more accessory heavy, which is exciting because we usually focus on garments. We’re making most accessories in house, working with a close friend, Eloise, who does styling for us who is also taking a design role. There’s a lot of up-cycling, making things look worn in like someone already owns the pieces so they look actually lived in. We’re also bringing back brooches and other classic evening wear elements like gowns.
I saw those 3D-printed rings as well as the shoes.
Yeah that was a fun collaboration, our friend shelly helped us with that he does 3D printing in nyc.
As Iseder is just starting out you can't do each season but, I think it shows how brands don't need to make 100/200 looks each season for both Women's and mens. Was it your intent to miss seasons which also goes with showing women's and mens wear in the same show, to start a house in an innovative way?
Yeah, when I started, I didn’t want to follow the traditional two-presentations a year schedule, to follow my own guide. Also I think it started to become a bit of a trend, people started to step away from the usual schedual due to overconsumption in fashion and I didn’t want to contribute to that.
Saying this, are you aiming to do more than 1 collection this year? Because theres definitely eco friendly ways to make more collections even if it means less looks. I think it's important as it's a nice way to see a house mature.
Sharon mentioned recently that we should consider a winter presentation. It’s tough, though it’s hard enough to pull together one collection. We’re technically creating year round because of school, so there’s always something happening.
I've noticed a dog called cookie coming up in lots of different ways in the last couple collections, who is cookie and why has it turned into a motif?
Cookie was Sharon’s dog who passed away about a year ago. He passed right before we dropped our last collection, so we wanted to honor him by including him as a motif. It started as a sweet gesture but has become a recurring theme, for example he's on one of the gowns in the new collection, Sharon made that graphic initially for a poster, and I stole it for a school project. We decided to incorporate it into the collection.
I saw you collaborated with retail pharmacy, how did this come about? And what other ways do you plan on promoting Iseder?
We’ve known Sophia from Retail Pharmacy for a while because we stocked some of our pieces in her store. She’s been a huge supporter of the brand, so when we thought about doing a pop-up, we approached her. It worked perfectly because our target audiences overlap. Sophia has been incredible a fairy godmother of fashion for this scene.
How do you feel about the business side to running a brand? What parts do you enjoy and parts you wish you didn't have to do?
I’m not great at it, to be honest. Sharon handles most of the business aspects like social media and marketing. I prefer to focus on designing. It gets stressful thinking about how to make back the money spent on designs and pay off debts. But I’ve realised it’s an essential part of running a brand, and you can make it fit your identity instead of following a strict formula.
Final question, are you working on any other projects unrelated to Iseder, that you'd like to highlight?
I’m working on my thesis collection for my last year of college. It’s about simplifying overconsumption by using one print for the entire collection. I’ll play around with textures and textiles to make it interesting. I want the collection to feel thrifty and worn-in, like your favorite 20-year-old T-shirt. It’s not meant to be serious just fun and nostalgic.
05/08/2024