Features
Susan Pielsticker
As an inspirational writer and blogger, Susan Pielsticker has designed a line of accessories titled Mi Energia, Spanish for “my energy.” The 39-year-old Tulsa designer says she draws from herself for the designs of her handbags and scarves.
“The exterior and interior aesthetic of my designs are influenced by my philosophical beliefs,” says Pielsticker. Her line includes satchels, hobo bags and clutches crafted from Italian lambskin leather in several eye-popping colors. Scarves, designed to color coordinate with the handbags, display inspirational messages.
Though not formally trained in fashion design, Pielsticker conducted extensive research on how to launch her own fashion line and worked with experienced fashion consultants. She also cites her extensive travel, shopping and love for fashion accessories as a huge help in constructing Mi Energia.
Suzanne Anderson
Suzanne Anderson has an eye for elegance. The 58-year-old designer of Suzart Couture combines beautiful fabrics with couturier finishes to create a unique line that exudes edgy elegance. She got her start designing children’s clothing as a 19-year-old college student. Anderson studied at the University of Oklahoma and then received on-the-job training working in the fashion industry in Montreal. The designer has plans to launch Suzart Couture nationwide within the next six months. Working as a successful fashion designer in Tulsa may pose its problems, but for Anderson, it works.
“I have already lived in the ‘fashion centers’ and know the idiosyncrasies of the business,” she says. “It’s just a matter of applying that knowledge to what I am doing now.”
Tony Li
Clean, sleek lines and silhouettes with an emphasis on prêt-a-porter describe the aesthetic of Tulsa designer Tony Li’s fashion line, Tony Li – The Collection. Li describes his personal style as a balance of staying on top of fashion and trends, yet retaining the classics, a style that is also reflected in his clothing design.
Li graduated from the Art Institute of Dallas in 2002, where he studied fashion design. The 27-year-old retail manager by day, fashion photographer and designer by night received his first exposure to design at age 7. “I designed a two-story house, and it gave me the mentality that I could make anything I want as long as I put my mind to it,” he says.
Valentin Esparza
At just 21 years old, Valentin Esparza’s fashion designs are inspired by different eras throughout history. “It’s gotta have flava’ and history behind it,” Esparza says of his design aesthetic. “I don’t just want to make something because it’s pretty; I want there to be a background, a story.”
The self-taught designer currently operates two lines: V.ESPARZA and T~TownTeez, a t-shirt line that includes designs uniquely Tulsa. Esparza can often be seen sporting one of his own tee designs.
Esparza has plans to hold a showing of his spring clothing collection, titled Nahtual, in mid-April. He designed the line with inspiration drawn from the late Aztec period and early Spanish period in Mexican history.
“This (collection) is a stepping stone for me as I begin making my transition into avant garde clothing,” Esparza says.
Meg Guess
Design came naturally to Meg Guess as a child. In fact, the designer and owner of Meg Guess Couture Bridal & Boutique in Oklahoma City says that growing up, her closet was “always thin, as I would cut up my own clothing to create new and exciting pieces.”
A self-taught designer, Guess mixes textural fabrications, vintage details and fashion-forward styling to create unique, one-of-a-kind bridal gowns. “I try to push the envelope by taking a traditional shape and twisting it with an unexpected pin-striped silk or layers of silk gauze over a row of classic covered buttons,” she says. “I am always looking for that delicate balance of timeless elegance.”
Since opening her boutique two years ago, Guess, 32, has been working toward launching a new couture bridal collection. She is eager to show off the pieces that are part of her new label within the next year.
Jessie Zinke
The designer, creative director and co-owner of the Zinke lingerie line, 26-year-old Jessie Zinke studied visual communication rather than fashion design at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in L.A. She says the Tulsa-based line of lingerie, which she co-owns with sister Arin Robinson, is more than the typical black bra.
“We want to create something that isn’t already out there,” she says of her designs. “We incorporate lots of color and patterns into our designs. Our designs are meant to be mix-and-matched with other clothing. We encourage (wearers to incorporate) their own unique twist and individual expression in the way they wear our designs.”
Zinke designs are currently sold nationwide in specialty boutiques, including Muse Intimates in Tulsa. A new collection was launched in February at a fashion show in New York City.
D.T. Oswald
Let’s make one thing clear: D.T. Oswald is not a fashion designer. At least that’s not a term he’d ever use to describe himself.
“I don’t know if I have the patience for fashion,” says the 32-year-old artist. “I like to keep it minimal, practical and comfortable. That’s what I love about t-shirts.”
Oswald is owner of Bombs Away, an art company in Oklahoma City that specializes in, among other things, t-shirts.
“T-shirts are so simple, yet they can say anything and reflect everything about the person wearing it,” Oswald says. “I am an artist who loves the screen print aesthetic. It is much easier to sell shirts than paintings, and silkscreen printing allows me to distribute my artwork without feeling like I have been compromised in any way.”
As an inspirational writer and blogger, Susan Pielsticker has designed a line of accessories titled Mi Energia, Spanish for “my energy.” The 39-year-old Tulsa designer says she draws from herself for the designs of her handbags and scarves.
“The exterior and interior aesthetic of my designs are influenced by my philosophical beliefs,” says Pielsticker. Her line includes satchels, hobo bags and clutches crafted from Italian lambskin leather in several eye-popping colors. Scarves, designed to color coordinate with the handbags, display inspirational messages.
Though not formally trained in fashion design, Pielsticker conducted extensive research on how to launch her own fashion line and worked with experienced fashion consultants. She also cites her extensive travel, shopping and love for fashion accessories as a huge help in constructing Mi Energia.
Suzanne Anderson
Suzanne Anderson has an eye for elegance. The 58-year-old designer of Suzart Couture combines beautiful fabrics with couturier finishes to create a unique line that exudes edgy elegance. She got her start designing children’s clothing as a 19-year-old college student. Anderson studied at the University of Oklahoma and then received on-the-job training working in the fashion industry in Montreal. The designer has plans to launch Suzart Couture nationwide within the next six months. Working as a successful fashion designer in Tulsa may pose its problems, but for Anderson, it works.
“I have already lived in the ‘fashion centers’ and know the idiosyncrasies of the business,” she says. “It’s just a matter of applying that knowledge to what I am doing now.”
Tony Li
Clean, sleek lines and silhouettes with an emphasis on prêt-a-porter describe the aesthetic of Tulsa designer Tony Li’s fashion line, Tony Li – The Collection. Li describes his personal style as a balance of staying on top of fashion and trends, yet retaining the classics, a style that is also reflected in his clothing design.
Li graduated from the Art Institute of Dallas in 2002, where he studied fashion design. The 27-year-old retail manager by day, fashion photographer and designer by night received his first exposure to design at age 7. “I designed a two-story house, and it gave me the mentality that I could make anything I want as long as I put my mind to it,” he says.
Valentin Esparza
At just 21 years old, Valentin Esparza’s fashion designs are inspired by different eras throughout history. “It’s gotta have flava’ and history behind it,” Esparza says of his design aesthetic. “I don’t just want to make something because it’s pretty; I want there to be a background, a story.”
The self-taught designer currently operates two lines: V.ESPARZA and T~TownTeez, a t-shirt line that includes designs uniquely Tulsa. Esparza can often be seen sporting one of his own tee designs.
Esparza has plans to hold a showing of his spring clothing collection, titled Nahtual, in mid-April. He designed the line with inspiration drawn from the late Aztec period and early Spanish period in Mexican history.
“This (collection) is a stepping stone for me as I begin making my transition into avant garde clothing,” Esparza says.
Meg Guess
Design came naturally to Meg Guess as a child. In fact, the designer and owner of Meg Guess Couture Bridal & Boutique in Oklahoma City says that growing up, her closet was “always thin, as I would cut up my own clothing to create new and exciting pieces.”
A self-taught designer, Guess mixes textural fabrications, vintage details and fashion-forward styling to create unique, one-of-a-kind bridal gowns. “I try to push the envelope by taking a traditional shape and twisting it with an unexpected pin-striped silk or layers of silk gauze over a row of classic covered buttons,” she says. “I am always looking for that delicate balance of timeless elegance.”
Since opening her boutique two years ago, Guess, 32, has been working toward launching a new couture bridal collection. She is eager to show off the pieces that are part of her new label within the next year.
Jessie Zinke
The designer, creative director and co-owner of the Zinke lingerie line, 26-year-old Jessie Zinke studied visual communication rather than fashion design at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in L.A. She says the Tulsa-based line of lingerie, which she co-owns with sister Arin Robinson, is more than the typical black bra.
“We want to create something that isn’t already out there,” she says of her designs. “We incorporate lots of color and patterns into our designs. Our designs are meant to be mix-and-matched with other clothing. We encourage (wearers to incorporate) their own unique twist and individual expression in the way they wear our designs.”
Zinke designs are currently sold nationwide in specialty boutiques, including Muse Intimates in Tulsa. A new collection was launched in February at a fashion show in New York City.
D.T. Oswald
Let’s make one thing clear: D.T. Oswald is not a fashion designer. At least that’s not a term he’d ever use to describe himself.
“I don’t know if I have the patience for fashion,” says the 32-year-old artist. “I like to keep it minimal, practical and comfortable. That’s what I love about t-shirts.”
Oswald is owner of Bombs Away, an art company in Oklahoma City that specializes in, among other things, t-shirts.
“T-shirts are so simple, yet they can say anything and reflect everything about the person wearing it,” Oswald says. “I am an artist who loves the screen print aesthetic. It is much easier to sell shirts than paintings, and silkscreen printing allows me to distribute my artwork without feeling like I have been compromised in any way.”
