Recession-resistant: Priestess NYC

Ask Cody Ross how he would define Priestess NYC's designs and he will come up with a very simple definition ”kitschy-freaky and super-cool”. But these aren’t the only reasons why the brightly coloured clothes and accessories created by the Dallas-born designer with a BSc from the London School of Economics and a career as a financial analyst, are a hit with both celebrities and fashionistas. The success of Priestess NYC’s designs has definitely got something to do with the sense of optimism and fun they ooze, two much-needed things in the gloomy times we’re living in.       
 
Dazed Digital: What inspired you to launch Priestess NYC?
Cody Ross: I was working in the hedge-fund world and that was stressful. The temptation to remove myself from the structures and routines became too strong and I felt the personal need to unleash my ‘artistic animal spirits’ in the entrepreneurial sense and focus more on abstract creative stuff rather than arcane financial modelling. Fashion design is the perfect outlet for creative endeavours and I’ve always been interested in making womenswear. So I did short/evening courses in Pattern-Construction and Design at Central St Martins while in grad school in London. They provided an excellent foundation in all the technical aspects of design and pattern-construction and that has really stuck with me. I’m a big fan of free-will and self-determination so, if you’re feeling an ‘existential urge’ to start anew in a radically different industry like fashion or art, by all means pursue it. I think it helps to be armed with a ton of conviction and drive and to identify a niche and then work fanatically to fill it.
 
DD: What are your signature designs?
CR: Jumpsuits with absurd prints; high-waist denim skirts and dresses with lots of monochrome finishes.
 
DD: What drives you to get up every morning and work on your brand’s designs?
CD: The ‘creative process’ is really what rallies me every morning, lots of espresso help, too! I’m mainly interested in making super-cool clothes for super-cool girls and I try to constantly improve and innovate.

DD: What does your studio look like?
CR: The Priestess NYC atelier is right in the artsy/trendy West Village and it’s a venue filled with wild and freaky-kitschy knick-knacks from skeleton-pillows to blood-thirsty baby dolls, samurai-swords and lots of fabric and finishes. Trinkets and toys abound and there are heaps of past-issues of Dazed and Confused and Vogue amidst the chaos. This kitschy madness provides high-octane fuel for creating lots of womenswear and accessories.
 
DD: Who has been the greatest influence on your career?
CR: My dad, who taught me the art of selling and marketing and my favourite designers, Rick Owens, Marjan Pejoski and Jeremy Scott. When I was a ‘young and impressionable undergrad’ at the London School of Economics I became philosophically enamoured with Ludwig von Mises and later Ayn Rand. I’m sure that sounds bonkers for a womenswear designer to claim those thinkers as ‘inspirational’ but their books really got me into thinking like an entrepreneur and gave me a great perspective on creativity and risk-taking.
 
DD: Will you be at any fashion shows in Europe in the next few months?
CR: I will try. The Wall Street Journal recently argued that upcoming fashion shows might be the next victim of this downturn, but I’m upbeat and I look forward to attending the shows in Paris and Milan.
   
DD: Your background is in economics: do you think the global recession will affect the fashion industry?
CR: It’s clear that we are now in a synchronized downturn and the retail outlook is dour. But we’ve already been in this funk for at least 12 months so I’m hopeful it will get better in another 12. Fashion is a big business and the ructions taking place in world markets at the moment are having pretty bad effects on labels and consumers. I’m glad to be doing what I enjoy but, as the world teeters on the brink of ‘economic Armageddon’, I’m also a bit concerned. Only the fittest, most innovative players who change with the times will thrive and survive going forward. I’m trying hard to create innovative fashion under the Priestess NYC marquee and I think these times of distress present great opportunities.  

DD: What is the most important lesson you learnt since you started Priestess NYC?
CR: Randomness is a virtue and whimsical dressing and styling can confer certain advantages and buzz.
 
DD: Can you give us a preview of your limited edition line of accessories?
CR: It’ll be glam, radical and super-shocking. I’m working on a one-time collaboration with super-model Greta Cavazzoni and we’ve made the perfect clutch: edgy, elegant, functional, minimalist and perfect for mixing and matching. The textile bangles, belts and necklaces have also been a total hit, so I’m going to work on more textile jewellery and experiment with new fabrics and colour variations and incorporate different materials.
 
DD: Where do you see yourself in five years?
CR: Hopefully still sitting atop a ‘cool/cultish’ fashion and accessory label, Priestess NYC.