Mal Sirrah - Fashion Design 101

So many of you aspiring designers and fashionistas are constantly asking me to explain how I come up with my unique designs. As I mentioned in a previous post, I wish I could tell you that I was one of those designers that sat around and sketched whimsical frocks all day, but this is a bit typical and surely not the Mal Sirrah way…

A single design or group for me usually starts with the sighting of an interesting and engaging woman. You would think in a city like New York you would run across this type of woman all the time, but this is not completely true. For the most part, I find a great number of women in New York City to be quite disengaged if not downright disconnected. But this type of woman holds no interest to me at all. I am only interested in women that live life to its full; women that are active participants in their journeys and not idle voyeurs. I can spot and feel a Mal Sirrah woman a mile away. The spirit of the Mal Sirrah woman doesn’t possess a certain height, weight, race or body type, she simply possesses a vitality and/or vibration that allows her to stand out in a crowd. Therefore, my design process usually starts out by the fortunate sighting of this elusive and rare creature followed by a bit of stalking as well as active voyeurism.

History's greatest story tellers

As an English Lit major I have always been more fascinated by great story telling than in benign drawings and illustrations. My writing and designing are both very much of the Gertrude Stein persuasion wherein grammar and/or punctuation mean very little to me – it is the spirit of the story that always prevails. Therefore my design process actually starts more like that of a novelist than a fashion designer. It is through jotted down notes and ramblings instead of elaborate sketches and/or croquis that my designs come to life. I am much more interested in helping women to tell and/or translate their own stories through fashion rather than projecting and/or dictating my own fantasies onto their pages and form.

Therefore a Mal Sirrah dress is born as follows (excerpt from Malcolm’s Daily Journal):

- Pale toned girl got on subway at 59th Street Columbus Circle (a bit too pensive and serious for a sunny afternoon).

- What a great touch in the dead of summer – a super lightweight pink cashmere scarf! You don’t even have to touch great cashmere – you can tell its quality by the way it drapes and hangs.

- She has the face of a young Amy March in “Little Women” (the book not the movie).

- I can imagine her at that sweet little garden party Taylor is attending this weekend. I wonder why she wanted me to make her dress in black. (Just remembered Taylor’s party has a “Tarts and Vickers” theme). Well maybe she won’t be at Taylor’s afternoon soiree.

- Chiffon would really lighten the spirits of our young Amy March (total Sirrah girl). I am sure a bit of chiffon would really make her come to life.

- How long has it been since I’ve seen a girl secretly reading “The Rules” tucked inside of The New Yorker.

- Maybe she should show a wee bit of skin. Nothing vulgar just a hint or a peek-a-boo detail (could really help her in the opposite sex department, and avoid a re-reading of “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus”). Screw it – desperate times call for desperate measures - she might need to show a lot of skin.

- Judging from the Equinox gym bag, I’m sure she has great legs.

- Why is she getting off at 14th Street? I figured her for more of Broadway-Lafayette girl. (Bingo – Whole Foods!!!)

So with visions of a modern-day Amy March, a slightly perverse garden party, and yards of gingham chiffon I was able to create one of my favorite Mal Sirrah dresses to date: