12 Questions with Collina Strada

Hillary Taymour, the face behind Collina Strada has been designing clothes sustainably with purpose since 2012. More than just a brand, she creates a platform for social awareness and opens up the discussion for a kinder planet and how to be more mindful. She has even figured out a way to tie-dye like no one else we’ve ever seen.

This year she was nominated for the CFDA Vogue fashion fund and blocked off an entire street block for her S/S ‘20 show. On top of that, the brand has been seen on every fashionista from Courtney Trop to North West.

We got the honor to sit down with Hillary, and ask her some personal questions that others might not know the answers to. We laughed the entire time and got some perspective on how to conserve, think about the world around us, and consider the fact that there really is no planet B. 

Jo: What kind of pajamas do you wear? 

Hillary: Sometimes underwear. 

Jo: what’s your favorite color?

Hillary: Watercolors. 

Jo: Who is your favorite sustainable brand other than you?

Hillary: Misfit Market. 

Jo: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Hillary: Chinatown. 

Jo: If you weren’t living in New York where would you want to live? 

Hillary: I can’t say because that’s my exit plan.

Jo: Is it space? I could see you definitely moving to space.

Hillary: I would definitely want to live in space because there is no planet B, but I would be happy to live on a spacecraft. 

Jo: What are some ways people can become instantly more sustainable? 

Hillary: Consuming less everything. Buying less. If you do buy, buy more consciously. 

Jo: What are your favorite things? 

Hillary: I like hummus, my dog, crime documentaries and I’d love Diane Keaton and Whoopie Goldberg to wear my clothes. 

Jo: What advice would you give someone who wants to be where you are? 

Hillary: Why would anyone want to be like me? 

Jo: Do you want more people to start designing clothes? 

Hillary: I think people need to start thinking outside of the box on how to develop good products that aren’t wasteful or harmful to the environment. I think we need people who should research and understand what the next plan should be and what the next step in fashion is. 

Jo: What’s your catchphrase? 

Hillary: My fall/winter phrase was “the future is in our hands, how will you make a difference?” 

Jo: Anything else you want to tell your fans? 

Hillary: Pick up your shit. 

-

Article written by Jo Rosenthal