Lady LUX

The notion that fashion is art has long been argued. Some don’t believe that fashion design is art, while die-hard fashion enthusiasts are unwavering in the belief that it is. Fusing the best of both worlds and silencing the naysayers is Keri Wilson’s newest Concept, Silver Seed Clothing.

The brand is one that brings together artists of different mediums and applies their work to legging. “Silver Seed is a growing community of artists; the whole theme behind it is the art of collaboration,” explained Wilson. However, the designer does have a very important stipulation when it comes to being a part of the Silver Seed Clothing collaboration: the artist must have something interesting to say by way of their own art form, which can be everything from photography to interior design. “I’m really into the story of the artist. I won’t work with one that doesn’t have a true passion for what they do,” she said. With that type of attitude, Keri is able to find and connect with new artists regularly. “I just let the universe bring them to me. I talk to everybody and if I love their story and their vibe, then I’ll use them for a collection,” she said.

With that said, every pair of leggings has its own story. The first collection, The GEODE Collection, has a strong travel theme to it, as Wilson documented her travels throughout the United States, using photography as her medium. “My collection started in Park City, Utah, then I went to South Carolina, then went back to Utah,” she said. “I wanted them to be really loud so you’re like, ‘wait, is that a picture?’”

She also included a few artists in this first collection who had a similar story to share. “I really wanted to share my story but right before I was going to finish my first collection, I thought about it and I had so many art friends around me that I had met in different places and I thought it would be cool to see everybody’s point of view,” she explained. Before a legging is purchased online, the story is available so that the person who is purchasing the legging will know what the picture is about as well as the artist’s vision and inspiration.

The concept started two years ago when Wilson was living in the Big Apple, pursuing a fashion career and felt inspired by the city’s surrounding culture. “I was living in New York and after work I would walk around taking pictures of everything. Then, one day I thought, ‘how rad would it be I was wearing these images?” she said. While the concept was the easy part, the tricky parts were finding a printing house that wasn’t a screen print to make the vision come to life and the right material for the legging. Two years of research later, Wilson found the perfect blend of polyester spandex that have a special treatment to make the leggings breathable and a printer that would blow the images up and apply it to leggings as if it were a canvas. These two factors resulted in a legging that is not only comfortable, but holds bright colors without the risk of bleeding.

A true free spirit at heart, Kerri Wilson wants Silver Seed Clothing to be an anti-industry brand. “I don’t want stores, I want this to be a community of artists just helping each other and going against society norms,” she mentioned. For this reason, Wilson designed the leggings to have a scan code right in every waist band so that they can be purchased with a smart phone. Another anti-industry characteristic of Silver Seed Clothing is the lack of seasonal collections. Instead of the typical fall/winter and spring/summer collections, Wilson puts out her new collections on instinct. “I hate the rules, I hate the calendar. I love this: Ooh, I’m feeling a new one! And I’ll put it out,” she explained.

For those afraid of trying out such loud leggings, Wilson has a word of advice. “Silver Seed leggings are definitely statement pieces, however, we do have a lot that are less intense. You can wear the legging with a sweater or long tunic and tall boots, if you’re scared of the really loud ones,” she said.

Fashion is about expression and creativity. What better way to do this than with the help of artists and their messages? Silver Seed Clothing has taken fashion and art, and fused them unlike any brand before and is truly a brand for art lovers.

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