subtle elegance with Megan Blau
Well-crafted clothing is something that I’m always after and will consistently appreciate. I am that person who always goes for a classic, understated piece over what is trending. Clothing that can transcend time and space, and essentially fit into any era without explanation is revitalizing, and I’m always interested in the perspective it takes to see things from a timeless lens.
There is something to be said for designers who are able to create pieces that are intricate and simultaneously subtle. Certainly in that category is Newport, Kentucky-based designer Megan Blau whose brand is eponymously named Blau.
A designer who makes elegant pieces in an accessible, intentional way — Megan’s keen eye for perennial pieces and simplicity is in a league of its own. The construction of her garments is extremely detail-oriented making it easy to see why she worked for companies like Amazon Fashion and The Row.
Megan’s home doubles as her studio workspace, where she designs and crafts all of her garments. I got to visit and see an up close and personal view of the myriad of textures, shapes, and dimensions of her clothing. We chatted about the creative process for each collection, her approach to maintaining a sustainable brand, and where she sees her company in the next five years.
What’s the one article of clothing that piqued your interest in fashion?
Those ruby slippers! I was obsessed. . .still am. It was the transformative power.
What do you consider your design ethos to be — what principles, ideas, or emotions are at the core of any project you do?
Easy pieces. Perennial designs.
My intent is always to create clothing that makes women feel confident — modern and refined, but not precious. I design to highlight the wearer so you see them first. I spend a lot of time refining the design so the details enhance, not overpower.
What I love about fashion is that everyone participates, whether they realize they do or not. The choice of what we’ll wear is one of the first decisions of the morning and one we make every day. Seeing how people interpret the pieces is my favorite part of the process.
Can you take us through the creative process of making a collection from start to finish?
The process is definitely not linear, but it goes something like this.
Inspiration: “Notice what you notice.” — Margie, my former professor, used to say this and it’s always stuck with me. I start with the need and desire. I ask what is missing, and what I want to wear. What have I heard women saying in regard to clothing - their bodies, how they feel, how they want to feel, what they are doing, and what they want to do?
Design: pull fabric samples, and sketch.
Pattern and Muslin: fittings, revisions, happy accidents, experiment with details and proportion.
Sample Sewing and Wear Test: wear testing is a significant part of refining the designs as functionality and longevity are key. Most brands don’t do this, but for me, it’s one of the most important parts. Having a model walk and move around a little bit, when we try on in a fitting room. . .does did not demonstrate how we move through life.
Is it comfortable? Do I really want to wear this? Are there clunky details that could be refined? Does anything cause fuss or fidgeting? How does the fabric wear and hold up over time? Do the proportions work on multiple bodies? Wear tests usually last one month (longer depending) to fully vet the function and details.
Finalize and Production: polish it up and work with our local seamstresses.
“My design philosophy has always been to create enduring, thoughtfully designed pieces that people want to wear and keep for years. I take a lot of pride in what I do and put a lot of care into the creation of each design.”
Tell me about the sources of inspiration behind your SS22 capsule collection.
There are some constant sources — vintage loungewear and intimate apparel, designers like Geoffrey Beene, and inspiring women’s personal style. The paintings of Laura Naples and photography by Aude Le Barbey resonate with me and have been a consistent inspiration for a few years now. Recently I’ve been really fascinated with summer style and beachwear from the 50s and 60s, the evolution of Lee Radziwill’s style, and revisiting Irving Penn’s Small Trades.
How do you manage to work in multiple seasons at once?
It’s just part of my natural design process. I’m always thinking about how pieces from the current capsule pair back to the previous, forward to the upcoming, and with what a woman already has in her closet that isn’t from my collections. That’s the way we buy clothing anyway, right? Of course, developing multiple collections in parallel means synchronizing several timelines. That can be a challenge, but from a design perspective, it’s ideal.
Talk about a really hard decision that you had to make recently and how you arrived at a solution.
Oh, man. . .being a new, small business it seems there are challenges every day and I definitely get decision fatigue. Keeping the big picture in mind provides a lot of clarity. Every decision is based on a balance of quality, impact, and longevity. . .how does it impact short-term goals, and long-term goals, and align with my values?
How do you approach sustainability in your work?
Sustainability. . .such a tricky term! Honestly, I struggle with using ‘sustainability’ because it’s become an ambiguous buzzword. I approach ‘sustainability’ through my practice of designing and producing with integrity.
My design philosophy has always been to create enduring, thoughtfully designed pieces that people want to wear and keep for years. I take a lot of pride in what I do and put a lot of care into the creation of each design.
To create something that will only be worn a few times and discarded is senseless. There’s so much excess and waste, especially in fashion, and extending the life of a product is one of the biggest impacts we can have as individuals.
Also integral to the design is producing my product with local seamstresses and craftspeople; working with mills and suppliers who share my values on sourcing responsibly, using natural fibers, recycled material, and mitigating waste; and using recycled materials for packaging.
It’s something I’ve always cared deeply about, and in large part why I decided to start my own brand. I could spend hours talking about this, so for the curious, more about the materials we use and why are here and our responsible practices here.
“I’ve succeeded when a woman tells me she felt beautiful, confident, or special in a piece, that she chose to wear it for a special moment, or that it’s her favorite piece of clothing.”
How do you try to cultivate your work environment to inspire you on a daily basis?
I’m definitely someone who is inspired and impacted by my physical surroundings. My studio is pretty small and the space is primarily functional so I use every inch of it. That doesn’t make for the most visually inspiring space and so I’ve focused on my lines of sight.
I have a couple of sketchbook pages that are really sentimental to me from my former professor Margie hanging above my desk so it’s the first thing I see when I walk in. I keep a mood board and sketches for the season on the wall straight ahead.
I take time every day to do something creative, even if it’s just a few minutes. On a good day, I’d go to see an exhibit or visit the library for some non-algorithm supplied rabbit holes. If I only have a few minutes something more simple than flipping through a book or perusing design sites or blogs. And I tidy up at the end of the day so the next morning I start with a clean slate and a clear mind.
What is your go-to mantra when you’re having a hard time?
“I think I can, I think I can.” My dad read us The Little Engine That Could all the time and he still says this to us today. It reminds me to keep going and those setbacks can be overcome with perseverance and the right frame of mind.
How are creatives in the Midwest unique compared to creatives in larger cities such as NYC and LA?
There’s often this misconception that creatives in the Midwest aren’t as accomplished, talented, or sophisticated as our counterparts in larger cities. I think it’s important to call out because I find that narrative to be a bit antiquated and misinformed.
You can find good and bad talent, good and bad taste everywhere. . .there’s just more of it in a large metropolis. It’s all subjective anyway.
So to answer, I’m not sure it’s the creatives that are unique, as much as the environments themselves which in turn influence us.
Different environments, exposures, and inspirations elicit different results. In big cities the creative communities are really dense, the pace of work relentless, and there’s constant stimulation. It can be incredibly inspiring, but it’s also easy to get tunnel vision because the environment is so immersive.
In the Midwest everything is less saturated, the pace is a little slower, and there’s more room to breathe. There’s not as much pressure to create non-stop news so you can explore more, but if you don’t push yourself you can become complacent.
Creatives here have to be intentional and seek out their community. I think one of the pros is that because it’s not so saturated there’s more diversity in the types of creatives within them. What I mean is, in Cincinnati, I’m part of the creative community, but in NY I was part of the fashion community.
What city or country are you longing to visit and why?
Always New York. It’s the first place I lived and really felt like ‘myself’ so every time I go back I feel galvanized. It reminds me of being younger and finding my sense of self.
But I love to travel. . .the freedom from routine and discovery that comes with someplace new. I like visiting friends and seeing their city through their eyes. It makes you fall in love with a place fast. Copenhagen and Amsterdam are on my shortlist.
What do the next five years look like for your brand? How do you measure your success?
I’ve succeeded when a woman tells me she felt beautiful, confident, or special in a piece, that she chose to wear it for a special moment, or that it's her favorite piece of clothing.
I’ve always loved the transformative power of clothing and hearing that something I designed has enabled someone to find that confidence in themselves is everything.
There are so many exciting things on the horizon. This year I’m most excited that we’ll be extending our size range. I’ve been really eager to have a more encompassing size offering but was intent on developing it the right way. Thanks to a grant from Main St. Ventures I was able to accelerate the process.
Over the next few years, I’ll be gradually expanding the number of boutiques where Blau is available currently at Continuum here in Cincinnati and online as well as some more trunk shows and pop-ups.
Currently, I do a limited amount of custom work and am developing a program for custom design in an extended capacity. Finally, down the road, I’ll be adding custom leather sandals done in the hand-tooled method I learned years ago during an apprenticeship with Barbara Shaum.
