Blackmail, Austin's
own little black spot.
An interview with Blackmail's owner, Gail Chovan, by Waverly
Tinsley from First Samples:
W: What inspires you
about the color black?
G: In clothing design
color is a distraction, the same as in photography. Black creates visual simplicity that you build
on.
W: What gothic artist
do you admire the most?
G: I don't know any gothic
artists.
I know of Marilyn Manson and Tim Burton, but
putting the label of gothic on any artist would be presumptuous of me. I am inspired by Yoji Yamamoto, my favorite
all time designer who works mainly in black.
I also like the late 18th century sensibility that invokes
the gothic feeling.
W: As a designer, where
do you get your inspiration from?
G: I try not to look
at too much commercial stuff. When I was
a student of design in Paris,
it was important to follow the works of the great designers, but as a designer now, it is more important to pull
inspiration from architecture, art, or
anywhere else other than what other people are doing.
W: Do you ever get
bored of wearing black?
G: Nope! I don't get bored of
it.
I layer and layer it. My house is colorful, but
I love to wear black.
W: Is there any local
artist you would like to promote?
G: A local artist
that I carry is Via Christa Chains
by Tyler. He casts animal bones and then strings them
up on necklaces. I think I might
exclusively carry them. The prices are
from about $100 - about $200 per chain.
Thank you Gail for taking the time to share your noir perspective.
Blackmail
1202 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 326-7670
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