For our ongoing feature, Indy Designer Interviews, Eric Niccoli,
Creative Director/ Designer, Orthodox Clothing, talks about the subculture of being an indy brand and the importance of wire transfers.

Typically we see "orthodox" with a religious connection. Can you explain how you employ it? In its purest definition, orthodox means an, "adherence to an approved form of doctrine, philosophy, or ideology." Here, at Orthodox, we are creating a lifestyle brand with its own personality and identity. This doesn't imply a perpetual monotony. Fashion evolves and so will Orthodox, but it will do so while retaining our own, peculiar DNA.

There's like 5 billion men's wear lines out there, why should I buy yours? Because we are the bestest in the whole wide world... kidding. We have created a look and feel that is unique in the marketplace. People want to feel unique. In a world of faceless multiplicity, people want to feel like they have identity. Clothing is one of the easiest ways of expressing one's personality and identity. So here at Orthodox we offer the medium of clothing as a means of self expression. We provide forwardly fashionable garments with an intellectually masculine aesthetic. And what man out there doesn't want to be a fashion forward, intellectual man?
What does "indy designer" mean to you? To me, an indy designer is a young designer who is servicing, and attempting to develop, a niche market. This is how indy designers compete with the big boys. They are quick to pick up on new movements do to the fact that they are quite often immersed in the subcultures of metropolitan hubs around the world.

What advice would you give to an aspiring, fashion designer? Find a partner who understands finance, damn it.

What is the biggest challenge of operating your own fashion company? The day to day operations. All us creative types get into this business with visions of color, runways and champagne, but the reality of this business is a monotonous minutia of emails, headaches, returns and wire transfers.

Your mission statement says founding Orthodox was a longtime dream. Can you say what was your first interest or curiosity about fashion? My initial interest in fashion started in high school when I began playing music. Music and fashion both influenced my developmental years in such a way that I can't imagine doing anything else with my life. Well, maybe writing a book and traveling the globe.

How does expanding into women's wear (fall '08) present new challenges? New opportunities? Well, for one thing, I'm not a woman. So this carries implicit challenges to the game. My first eye opener came when I proposed designing a pair of 1960's inspired pants with a wide horizontal stripe. Yeah, needless to say, that idea was quickly shot down by just about every girl I knew. Women and horizontally striped pants just don't mix. It's little things like this I had to discover.

Orthodox spring/summer '08 men's wear collection is currently available at Barney's, Oak, and American Rag.