We love the sassy style of the Evil Kitty collection, designed by Lidia Wachowska. Inspired by an animated character that Lidia created while attending The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, the collection includes t-shirts, dresses, underwear, jewelry and more, all designed with strong, independent women in mind. Lidia, current Artist-In-Residence of The Chicago Fashion Incubator, recently launched the Evil Kittens fan club, which offers exclusive items, contests and discounts to members. We chatted with Lidia to find out more.

Tell us a little about yourself and your work. My name is Lidia Wachowska. I'm the proprietor and designer of a clothing line called Evil Kitty. My collection attracts mostly a younger audience (or young at heart); women who are tired of "cookie-cutter fashions" and like to "stand out in the crowd". I design for the independent, thinking woman who has a statement to make.

I started the original line with punky and playful clothes that make all women feel and look "purrfect." Then I added another line, which has the chic, sleek and classic look. It is inspired by film noir and by the fashion of the 1940s and 50s. I pride myself on creating unique pieces in a socially conscious way. Each garment is created domestically with an emphasis on quality and sustainability. Evil Kitty is cruelty free and anti-sweatshop.



How did you get started as a designer? I've always wanted to work in the creative arena, but I could have never foreseen that soon after graduating from The School of Art Institute of Chicago, I would start my own clothing label. While working on illustrations and digital animations I came up with a character called Evil Kitty. This rebellious feline eventually ended up on t-shirts, which became the foundation for my clothing line.

What inspires your work? The collection mirrors a lot of Evil Kitty's characteristics. It's inspired by rebellious music, art, unusual street fashion, the punk movement, 40's and 50's glamour and designers who push the envelope. Fashion that stands outside the mainstream is what Evil Kitty is about.

Who are your favorite designers? Designers that push the envelope and are not afraid to challenge their audience and the fashion world; Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld, Thierry Mugler...

What are your top fashion & beauty must-haves? Nothing is more flattering than an outfit tailored to your own body. I make a lot of my own pieces. Beauty? Great foundation and a bold color eye shadow.

Any advice you would give to aspiring designers? Before you start your own clothing line, work for an established designer. Such an experience is priceless.

Where can people find your work? The full collection is available on www.evilkitty.net.

Anything else? A lot of great things happened this year and I have a lot to be thankful for: I was picked to participate in The Chicago Fashion Incubator, a year-long program for emerging Chicago designers. I collaborated with Toyota on creating an outfit based on their new concept vehicle called I-Real. We also launched a new website and Evil Kittens – Evil Kitty fan club. Evil Kittens is an unique experience for us and our devoted fans. Not only will they receive a tote bag filled with Evil Kitty goodies such as hot shorts, stickers, coupons and T-Shirts, but they will also be granted access to exclusive sample sales. This is a great opportunity to open a channel of communication between us and the clients. I feel it will lead to greater possibilities through the strong bond of the Evil Kittens community. We can bounce ideas off of each other to make Evil Kitty the best that it can be. After all, creativity breeds creativity!

We love all of the amazing independent designers out there and we wanted to find out more about what makes these creative types tick. If you do too, check out more of our Indie Designer Interviews.