CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF PRINT ISSUE #9, WHICH FEATURES THIS INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY!
THEY\'RE NOT CELEBRITIES. THEY WALK PAST YOU ON THE STREET, BRING YOU YOUR FOOD AT A RESTAURANT, AND LIVE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY\'RE EVERYDAY PEOPLE. JUST LIKE YOU.
PRINT ISSUE #9: FASHION NINJA\'S AREKA IKELER
AREKA IKELER IS A WOMAN WHO WEARS MANY DIFFERENT HATS: SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, DESIGNER, AND TEACHER, TO NAME A FEW. AND NOT ONLY CAN SHE WEAR MANY DIFFERENT HATS, BUT SHE CAN ALSO MAKE THE HATS SHE WEARS. PUSHED BY A DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING NEW, AREKA OPENED FASHION NINJA: A SMALL STORE THAT SERVES AS BOTH A SHOP FOR PEOPLE TO GET FUNKY NEW THREADS, AS WELL AS A SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS OF THE THREAD AND NEEDLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEWING AND FASHION DESIGN. GUEST INTERVIEWER ANNE WILKOWSKI SITS DOWN WITH AREKA IN FASHION NINJA TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THAT ONE IDEA GAVE BIRTH TO AN ACTUAL SHOP, AND WHAT STEP SHE PLANS ON TAKING NEXT.
Anne Wilkowski: A couple weeks ago I came into your shop-- Fashion Ninja-- and you were holding your now-annual Handbag Expo. Can you talk about that a little bit?
Areka Ikeler: The Handbag Expo is a great way to focus on the handbags that I and the other designers that I teach in Hardcore Handbags build. It’s a great way for them to showcase the work they do in the school. Each one is so individual, each one is one of a kind. You saw the work, having been in the class. I think the work will get stronger every year. It was a really well-received and successful show. As the years go on and we have more expos it should be really fun. I’d like to incorporate photos of past bags that were created.
AW: Very cool. When I came in here it was really packed, so it was a successful night for you.
AI: And the other designers. Seventy-five percent of the other designers in the show sold two or more bags that night. I was really happy with the support from Milwaukee and the surrounding areas.
AW: You had DJ K.RO in here, and I know that you are a big fan of soul and hip-hop. I was wondering how that influences your fashion design.
AI: I think it does influence it. I think it’s broader in the fact that people who listen to similar types of music share similar styles. It’s a little more urban-style fashion at Fashion Ninja. It’s definitely for when you go out, enjoy your life, and have a good time. You can incorporate the pieces into your work attire, assuming you work in an office. You could put one of the shirts or blouses under a blazer. But most of it is meant to be worn when you are out enjoying life, going to shows, and enjoying the city. That’s really what the clothing is all about: going out and having fun apparel.
AW: You mentioned you had your students’ work in the show--
AI: Not all of it was student work. Some of the designers were from outside of Fashion Ninja, making handbags on their own and never having taken a class here.
AW: When did you decide it was time to teach?
AI: Six months into the business I started opening the doors to students that wanted to learn how to sew. It was just sewing then, but it grew from there. The school’s now been running for three years. It’s a six- to eight-month program in design, because there’s more to it than sewing. I fast found that teaching how to sew is essential, it’s a foundation. If I want to continue working with people further they have to know how to construct. I teach the sewing class to help people get into my world of design, and then I share my philosophy and process in my advanced classes. I show how I make handbags in my Hardcore Handbags class, and how I drape in Abstract Pattern Making and Skirt Development. It’s an inside look at how I design clothes. I share what I learned in college, as well as what I’ve learned on my own. I’m sure there are other fashion designers who do exactly what I do in my process, but I wasn’t taught this by anybody specifically. I think that anyone that spends enough time with fashion design will probably fall upon these things. It’s just a little easier if someone can show you, and then you can start using these tools and techniques right away.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER PRINT ISSUE #9 TO READ THE REST OF THIS INTERVIEW!