JD: What would you say inspires your creativity or interests in general?
JS: I'm always really inspired about trying to do something that I feel is new. That challenge of trying to push things in a new direction. A juxtaposition of new ideas together - that is what always inspired my theme. When things kind of don't have an exact reference or label already in the way. That's what is exciting.
JD: OK, so when you do or create new ideas do you think, "Oh! I've gone too far with this one." They're not gonna do it [referring to Adidas]?
JS: No, should I? (laughing)
JD: No I'm just saying have you ever fucking reach a limit with yourself? Do you ever think;what have I done this time? I’m pushing it to far. Do you ever feel like your limits are reached?
JS: No I just think onward, upward, charge, and go forward. Yeah I don't really ever. On the rare occasion I think something is going too far, it. It takes me like I take a glass of water. I gulp and then I'm caught up with it. It doesn't last very long if I have challenged myself that far where I'm like 'Whoa, I'm not sure if I can even handle this.' But definitely. That's an exciting moment when that does happen but it just doesn't really last long.
JD: Would you say you're looking to push yourself out of your comfort zone?
JS: Absolutely. Constantly. You know, I feel like I'm always trying to. I don't want to ever have to wait for myself. I want to always be pushing forward and I don't want to have to wait until I feel I'm ready for that. I just want to go charging forward with my new ideas.
JD: Would you say fashion has moved over to the art side because its quite conceptual and really pushing boundaries? Would you say it is fashion or art?
JS: Well, I am by trade a fashion designer or by name but I grew up. I had art classes and was making ceramics or dug clay out of the earth to make pottery and I did all these other traditional art things as a child growing up all through high school. At one point in high school, I had taken every art class there was that they had to just make this new number that would just give me class time because there was no more classes for me take. You know I even started teaching one of my teacher’s classes to the freshmen in high school because I had already taken everything that she was like 'well you actually making hand made paper and you make it better than anyone.'
So I come from doing all kinds of like art. Not that I'm a good painter, but you know I did painting, and ceramics and hand-made paper.
Things I did with my hands were more what I generally liked. I was always into fashion and I was just re-doing clothes or putting things together or drawing them and I didn't really think of it as a job until I was a senior in high school and graduating and thinking 'Oh you know what am I gonna do like make pottery?'
JD: Did you run out of things to do in art and you felt like okay maybe I can do clothes because you've exhausted art?
