The beginning of NYFW kicked off with Greta Constantine presenting a color blocking Spring/Summer 2020 collection. While the company first launched in 2006, the creators Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong still get butterflies with every presentation. “If that goes away then, that’s scary,” said Wong. And after the fashion week madness has had a chance to calm down, it still takes a few months for the designing duo to come off their fashion week high. Although based out of Toronto, Greta Constantine has a worldwide presence. The brand has been able to reach 15-countries and over 40 doors touch their collection as well as online e-commerce such as Hudson’s Bay, Nordstrom, and both Moda Operandi and Farfetch online.
ESSENCE got a chance to chat with both Pickersgill and Wong about their most recent NYFW presentation, longevity in the fashion industry, and much more. Read below.
ESSENCE: What was the creative direction behind this collection?
Wong: It was inspired by Kirk’s aunt’s orchid collection, so it was very organic. Which means that we would have volumes that would dictate their own shape. There’s so much fabric in some of these garments that they just transform shapes. There’s a lushness and luxuriousness of having that much fabric on you. You just feel the weight of it, which is a good thing and a very positive thing of having that weight feel substantial.
ESSENCE: Describe some standout moments in this collection:
Pickersgill: The standout pieces are the ones that are with the most dimension, the ones that almost are like sculptures, and ones that look like flowers. Steve and I don’t do print, so we thought, why don’t we just work on the texture? And we’re big into fabrication because we’re believers that the fabric speaks for you. We chose our fabrics, then we choose the color, always thinking of the orchid and when it rains the water hits the flower and there’s a certain shine to it.
“I can’t imagine anyone just getting used to the whole process, because it’s extraordinary. ” – Greta Constantine
ESSENCE: Describe the tones you used?
Pickersgill: We always have sequins. We always have shine, because it’s just part of the Greta DNA. There is neon orange and neon pink, but something that we thought would be a lovely addition this spring is to add these pastels. Soft colors that are just whispers, but we did use them with volume.
Wong: We’re kind of fabric nerds. We love fabric, and in that way, whatever fabric we introduce into the collection, we research it very well, how best to use it, and different ways of using it. This was a continuation of our Resort 2020 collection, and that collection has tons of neons and brights.
ESSENCE: How does it feel to continue your reign at NYFW?
Wong: It’s amazing. And you know what puts the icing on the cake? When the stylists, the top stylists of fashion at the moment are requesting your clothes hours after they’ve been debuted. It’s just like you can’t have enough, and you can’t get enough, and it makes you happy. It makes you feel at the end of the day that you did your job well.
Pickersgill: I can’t imagine anyone just getting used to the whole process, because it’s extraordinary. You’re in an arena where if you love fashion, you’ve grown up knowing of a lot of these brands and a lot of these designers. Being in that same arena, it’s remarkable, and it’s something, as a designer, you grow up wanting. Playing in the same field, it’s like nothing else really.
Greta Constantine Spring/Summer 2020 lookbook below.
