Interview: Assad Mounser

February 15th, 2011

Amanda Assad Mounser

Glam Rock meets medieval times for Assad Mounser’s S/S 2011 collection. Feather-like gold, neon baubles and ornate crosses are intricately arranged into powerful compositions.  The label is only in its fourth season, and already Amanda Assad Mounser is receiving well-deserved hype and recognition, including for her recent collaboration with Cushnie et Ochs. We chatted about her new collection, David Bowie, neo-conquistadors, and her future muse, Anita Pallenberg.

The Block: You spent years working in the fashion industry, what sparked an interest in jewellery design?

Amanda Assad Mounser: It all started from a stylistic need in my own wardrobe. I would get an idea in my head that, do-or-die, I needed to have a certain piece to make my wardrobe complete. It was quite dramatic, really: this idea would come, I would obsess about it, and inevitably would figure out a way to make it.  At the time, I was working in wholesale and press. I started wearing the jewellery I made to business meetings, and stores as well, as editors showed interest. That was kind of the springboard I needed to move forward and launch a line.

Assad Mounser S/S 2011

TB: Your designs are influenced by Glam Rock. Is there a particular icon that you drew inspiration from?

AAM: Originally it was all about David Bowie. I mean, he is glam rock. However, I have also sought inspiration from Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall, the Rolling Stones, Anita Pallenberg… the list goes on. I am constantly listening to music from that genre: Bowie, the Stones, T. Rex, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Lou Reed. That whole sound just gets to me. I also love the 70s and the British interpretation of fashion of that time. Bohemian, yet glamourous: the perfect combination!

TB: There are elements of futurism in your S/S 2011 collection, but also it feels a bit medieval with opulent gold and crucifixes. What is the story you had in mind when designing it?

Assad Mounser S/S 2011

AAM: S/S 2011 focuses on a futuristic journey, one that many rock stars, drenched in glitter, might sing about.  Titled “Neo Conquistador,” the collection follows a future-bound phoenix rising from the ashes of a catastrophic wave of destruction to a path of redemption and rebirth, creating a new world from the rubble. Each piece is meant to represent a part of her journey, a gathering of relics from different time periods and different cultures and combining them into something progressive and modern.

Additional inspirational references include the richly hued and liquid art work of Yago Hortal, the haunting landscapes by photographer Guy Sargent, the photo realistic paintings of raw-edged rocks by Carly Waito, and the textures and hues of Haitian ritual costumes as shot by Phyllis Galembo.

Assad Mounser S/S 2011

TB: I can spend hours on your blog. Do you use it very much as an inspiration board or a sketchbook?

AAM: My blog is a way for me to communicate both my inspiration as well as show how the Assad Mounser vision correlates with trends in the marketplace. And hopefully it also brings new perspective and inspiration to others!

TB: Aside from the Assad Mounser collection, you also collaborated with Cushnie et Ochs for S/S 2011. How did that design process differ from your own?

AAM: It was the first time that I had collaborated with another designer so there was definitely a lot of brainstorming and defining the creative process together.  Those girls are amazing, and so very talented.  They were an absolute pleasure to work with!

TB: Will the pieces you made with Cushnie et Ochs be available for purchase, or was it just for the runway show?

AAM: They are just runway pieces.  But I loved them. They were made to look like pearl strands deconstructing as the girls walked down the runway.

Assad Mounser S/S 2011

TB: Are there any dream collaborations for jewellery you would like to partake in?

AAM: Ooh, Rodarte, Givenchy and Meedham Kirchhoff!

TB: Four seasons in and you have already been featured in every major magazine. What has been a career highlight so far?

AAM: I have a few.  One was meeting Rihanna, at a Glamour shoot, and literally watching the photographer shoot my pieces on her.  She was absolutely delightful, as well as gorgeous and flawless!  Another one was seeing the paparazzi shots of Courtney Love wearing my jewellery.  And finally the ‘Requiem’ collar was shot on Leighton Meester for the February cover of Nylon.  It was my first cover, so I was so excited!

Words Anya Georgijevic