Casey Crespo is a NYC based fashion and costume designer! Her work has been in various tv shows and in film as well as she worked with a variety of private clients. She also has a line out now that can be worn on the go, from day to evening as well as activewear and face masks of course! She focuses on sustainable and high quality materials for her line and every item is handmade! I absolutely love her designs and have a bamboo fabric dress plus a pair of her sleek faux leather leggings and a top that I love! I had a chance to catch up with my friend, Casey….

Bella– When did you develop your own unique style?

Casey– With the development of my first collection, I really started to hone my style and think about what features I find valuable in clothing as well as what aesthetics define my style, which are modern clean lines, geometry, sheer elements, dark colors, cutouts, strappy bits, and interesting fabrics.  I think it’s such a cool achievement for an artist to be recognizable by their work.  I do not think I have achieved that yet, but hopefully I’m getting there.

Bella-And what was your style like when you first started to be your own individual?

Casey– My style was all over the place as a teenager.  It was as if I decided to be a different character every day.  One day I would wear my mom’s Indian print wrap skirt from the 70s paired with Jesus sandals and the next I’d wear fishnets and combat boots.  It made zero sense but it was a fun time!  I just appreciated a wide range of looks.  

Bella– As a teen, were you more of a mall or thrift store shopper?

Casey– Definitely thrift stores, I thought mall brand name clothes were endlessly boring.  I cared more about having unique or vintage pieces.  I also LOVED my military surplus store for awesome utilitarian bags, belts and jackets.  If I went into a mall it was probably to go to Gadzooks for some rave gear!

Bella– Do you advise friends and family often on their style? Have they all been supportive of your design career? 

Casey- I don’t really intervene unless asked to do so; as my friends are also artistic and seem to have their own strong design opinions!  I did however design an entire custom closet for one very close friend and  absolutely loved that project.  I’m thankful for my extremely supportive network of friends and family

Bella – Awesome! And when did you start designing and how did you get started? Also, what is the first piece you designed? 

Casey– I say it’s in my blood.  My grandmother owned a bridal shop where she made custom gowns.  My dad oversaw production at Catalina Swimsuit company.  At one point together they had a sewing contracting business.  I was a toddler playing with fabric under a cutting table where my mom made bowling shirts.  

My mom had a paper route and she picked up a sewing machine off the side of the road for me when I was 11.  I would get vintage fabric from thrift stores, and just look at my clothes and figure out how they were made.  The first thing I made was a simple knee length drawstring skirt out of a vintage aqua lightweight polyester fabric with turtles and triangles printed on it.  I still have it.  At 12 I was entering dress design (drawing) contests.  At 13 my Grandma taught me how to follow store bought patterns properly.  At 15 I was altering full 5 pocket jeans patterns to fit my 5’10” body that no store in the 90s seemed to acknowledge.  College fashion design was pretty boring until the upper level draping and pattern making classes.

Bella– What’s your favorite piece to make? And what is your favorite design you’ve ever made?

Casey– I don’t think I have a favorite piece to make.  I just really love creating something with my hands and if someone wants one of my designs, I am STOKED to make them something beautiful that fits them great.  It is so satisfying.

My favorite design I’ve ever made would probably be my second cape/coat look from Charleston Fashion Week F/W 2015.  Simple design, interesting fabric, and a strong silhouette goes a long way.  I really liked the simpler version I ended up selling on my website as well.  

Bella– Beautiful! You are really good at silhouettes and creating beautiful shapes, what’s your inspiration drawn from?

Casey– Thank you.  I cannot pinpoint my inspiration.  My inspiration is a culmination of experiences, art, fashion, nature that I have stored in my brain my entire life.  I’m really inspired by my fabrics.  And I try to not be boring and also try to maintain proper balance.  For example, since I’ve had such a love affair with leggings, I have made lots of fuller, big silhouette tops to pair with it, to balance the entire outfit.  

Bella– When did you become aware of sustainability in fashion? Do you think it will continue to be a big part of your business model?

Casey– I am a fabric snob and I’m always looking for unique fabrics and fabrics that FEEL great.  The leggings in my first collection in 2012 were made of bamboo.  I believe it was in my fabric hunt that I started learning about more sustainable fabrics, and the impact that traditional fabric production has on the earth, and the people who produce it.  It is horrifying.  The documentary, “The True Cost” explains all about this.

A Custom-Made/made to order business is inherently contributing to sustainable fashion because there is little waste involved.  Every piece has a home before it is made.  But, sustainability actually means a lot of things to me:

• Timeless, quality made pieces that can be worn over the years

• The person who made your clothes was paid a fair working wage

• The fabrics are as earth friendly as possible

I have the most control over the first 2 out of those 3 of those things..  Fabric is such a gray area with what is actually sustainable and what is not, such as: the water needed to grow it, the pesticides being used, fairness to farmers and factory workers, and the process and byproducts it takes to turn that raw material into fabric.  Unfortunately I am not at the point where I can be involved in every step of this process, so it is impossible to determine the sustainability level of the fabrics I use.  

Cheap, fast fashion is what most people want and is virtually impossible for me to compete with.  Unfortunately, I don’t think most of the consumer population has enough money to completely embrace sustainable and conscious clothing choices.   I hope to continue to inspire people to be aware of the problems in fashion industry so that more conscious choices can be made.  I also hope the supply chains affected during COVID are able to recover soon so that more sustainable options can be readily available.  We’re all doing the best we can under the given circumstances.

Bella– Yes, so true! I believe we’ll trend that way and people are becoming more aware of it. When did you start to create your own line of clothes?

Casey– I was living in Wilmington, NC working on One Tree Hill.  The costume designer who I worked closely with was a very dear mentor to me and encouraged me to start my clothing line.  There was/is a boutique in Wilmington called Edge of Urge that sold one-of-a-kind artist pieces on consignment.  I actually approached them with jewelry first because I was too judgmental of my clothes at that point.  My mentor finally convinced me to put some clothing pieces in Edge of Urge and do a photo shoot with our Production Assistant.  Being able to put the clothing I created in a store and see the pieces sell was very empowering to me as a young designer.  Although, as I learned more about the business side: giving half to retail stores did not work out with the price point I wanted to maintain.  This photo is from my Spring 2012 Collection. 

Bella– When I first met you, you already had your own line and website to shop.  How do you feel your style has changed/evolved over the years?

Casey– Surprisingly, I still pretty much stand behind most everything I’ve ever designed.  I have never been one for trends.  I like simple, quality pieces out of great fabrics that can be dressed up or down, and layered endlessly.  I like to think of my clothes as an empty canvas, allowing you to take them in any direction you please with your jewelry and accessory choices.

Bella– I absolutely love my bamboo fabric dress of yours and that you use those types of fabrics. Would you say those fabrics are hard to find?  

Casey– Absolutely.  I have searched the ends of the earth and only found a few sources.  Most of my sustainable fabrics come from Canada with a 5 yard minimum, which is not the most ideal when you are a tiny independent designer just wanting to try a new design!  (Kendor, they are great!)

Bella– You changed direction for a while when living in Atlanta, correct? 

Casey– I had always done some of my own clothing line and some film work, since I started my line in 2012.  I started making costumes in the film industry in 2008.  When film work really started picking up in Atlanta in 2016 I could not possibly sustain both any longer and I had to make a choice.  My last big film job was Head Tailor on Stranger Things Season 3 for 7 months.  After getting carbon monoxide poisoning on set in the last week of shooting I decided I needed a break from the film industry.  I feel fortunate to have the ability to switch my focus between fashion or costumes to fulfill whatever I need in my life at the time.

Bella– Tell us more about working in the film industry in costume design, how that came about and if you enjoyed it?

Casey– Believe it or not, I started in the union by unloading trucks and setting up lighting, sound, and video for concerts when I was in college in Greensboro, NC.  It was really hard work!  Then I discovered there was a wardrobe department and expressed to my business agent I was much more suited for that!  Then I found out the same union had locals specifically for film, the closest one being Wilmington, NC, so I moved there to give it a go.  To be clear, I always worked as a Tailor or Cutter/Fitter; sometimes as a shopper or costumer.  Designers are almost always hired out of LA or New York, and have their own unions.  I work closely with the designer to realize and make their vision, somewhat of a technical designer, if you will.  Some designers gave me a little more creative freedom than others.  So you ask if I enjoyed working in the film industry- it really comes down to the designer I am working with, and if the clothes are actually fun to work on.  The long demanding hours are definitely my least favorite part but the gigs are never very long so I’ve learned to just power through!

Bella– As we know, the pandemic change the trajectory for every single business in the world.  How has it changed your path?

Casey– Pre pandemic I had a really great relationship going with an independent costume designer for modern/contemporary ballets.  She allowed me to be very involved in the design process and the costumes were fun.  We lost all our work for the rest of the year in 2 days.  I also had just started a great creative relationship with House of Yes, a legendary nightclub here, making costumes.  I also had an ongoing relationship with a client making high end festival wear (Burning Man style) costumes.  All that was lost as well.

After making a fucking insane amount of masks 12 hours a day for the next 3 months straight, I decided to design an actual clothing collection to put up alongside the masks.  I honestly did not feel like I was ready to jump back in to being a business owner again, but the pandemic had left me no choice.  Although it is it’s own beast and comes with it’s own unique stress, I’m actually very happy being my own boss again.  At the same time, designing during a pandemic has been extremely challenging, working through personal/family issues related to COVID, and also trying to figure out what people are wearing and what price point can work for everyone.

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Bella– I know, it has definitely been a very challenging year and I hope everyone in your family is doing well. What inspired you in your current line? It seems to have even more of a rock feel and NYC edge than you did.

Casey– Honestly, I’ve always had that edge in me.  The collection you got the bamboo dress from was the most accessible I’ve designed, because I took it to a trade show.  In past collections, I’ve tried to push quality timeless pieces, but items like that are actually very under appreciated and really hard to sell online.  Since the dismal times of the pandemic, I really just needed to have fun with what I was designing.  I have actually been dressing more fun and interesting since the pandemic (maybe because I lost all my fun costume jobs!), and it’s definitely reflecting in my designs.

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Bella– What’s your next line feel like? 

Casey– Easy and comfortable summer clothes – since we’re going to be spending a lot of time outdoors, in parks, etc!  I’m really feeling rompers and tie dye these days.  I plan to make an easy shorts/halter romper and also more of an overall style.  I’m talking with a tie dye artist right now about doing a collab.  I think cute tank tops with something interesting like an open back are weirdly hard to find.  I’ve been making myself a lot of lingerie, just tweaking and learning, so I might be ready to offer a few lingerie pieces soon, which is very exciting to me!  I’ve actually considered getting rid of all the clothing that I didn’t make, so I can fill in the gaps appropriately.  I really just want to make what I want to wear and hopefully other people like it too!

Bella– That’s great! I can’t wait to see! What do you envision for yourself post pandemic?

Casey– I haven’t really thought that far to be honest.  I have lost hope for things going back to any sort of “normal,” as we knew it.  Contrary to popular belief, I believe losing hope is freedom.  It puts you more in the present moment, being happy with what you have, instead of what you *could have, maybe one day.*  I’m slowly beginning to make more connections and I’m happy with the variety of work I am able to do right now.  I guess what I miss most and what I will go back to when things open up again completely is making fun, imaginative costumes for performances.

Bella– You have found a great niche in NYC, the line you have out now is so perfect with the aesthetic of the city! I just love it and hope you do tremendously well!  

You can find Crespo NYC clothing at Etsy and follow her on Instagram!

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