Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Abou the creator and designer for Soda Pop; the up and coming fashion brand that was featured at Movistar Fashion Week in Madrid.
Soda Pop is like the M.I.A. of the fashion world and the swimsuits are stellar. So I was thrilled when Jessica agreed to do an interview for Style SPF. What an awesome experience. Jessica is so down to earth, has a great sense of style and community with in the creative world, and some amazing advice for other aspiring designers.
Check out the interview below, and check out Soda Pop www.sodapoprocks.com the FaceBook page is well worth a look too.
StyleSPF: Where are you from originally?
Jessica: My Mum is from Belgium and my Dad from Lebanon. I was born in Belgium,but my parents moved to Marbella, south Spain when I was a baby and thats where I grew up.
StyleSPF:How/why did you choose Soda Pop as the name for your brand?
Jessica: I was searching for the perfect name for quite a while, then suddenly I read Soda Pop somewhere and said that's it! Its fresh, colourful and sounds great. Its also easy to say in nearly all languages.
StyleSPF:How would you define your style?
Jessica:Hot and cute at the same time mixed with a bunch of 80´s idols and ghetto attitude.
StyleSPF:What/where did you study? And how did you get started in the fashion world?
Jessica: I studied Fashion Design in the Istituto Europeo di Design of Madrid,graduated in 2006. I opened a little studio where I made tailor-made clothes and costumes for theatre plays and any creative project I could get my hands on. I went to Paris for 6 months for an internship at Giambattista Valli, which was amazing but I needed to come back to Madrid and start thinking on my own thing. Last year I went to New York for a couple of months and worked at Threeasfour. After this I thought it was time to begin my own adventure.
StyleSPF:What inspires you when you design?
Jessica:80's L.A. Gear ads, Sports Illustrated covers, Kelly Kapowski, Venice beach and hot ghetto nail-art with animal prints, and a thousand more things that inspire me every day. I think about the clothes I always look for and never find, so I make them. I love vintage clothes, but many times these clothes are ruined by the pass of time, so I make vintage inspired pieces found in the best vintage shop in Madrid,Retro City.
StyleSPF:What made you want to be a fashion designer?
Jessica:I don't know because I always convinced myself, for my parents, that I was going to be a Lawyer. But thank god I followed my passion and my parents angrily supported me. I knew I just needed time to prove them right.
StyleSPF:Do you have any artists, musicians, or other designers that inspire you?
Jessica:One of my favourite painters is Frida Kahlo. I'm really into Japanese pop-art Takashi Murakami, I love the way Louis Vuitton introduced his acid flowers on their traditional canvas. Mark Ryden is an american painter which I covered my left arm in, I'm a big fan.Music is always present when I'm creating, my favourites lately are Desmond Dekker, Rye Rye and Stacey Q. I love brazilian favela funk and reggaeton too.
StyleSPF:Your facebook page says you launched your brand in 2010. How were you able to create such a well developed, and well positioned line in such a short amount of time?
Jessica:Thanks! I'm trying my best to make things work, bringing together my friends, filmmakers, photographers, models, esigners, cool-hunters,djs...we all have to support each other at the beginning.
StyleSPF:What did it mean for Soda Pop to be selected to show in Movistar Fashion Week?
Jessica:It was a great opportunity to have a stand for 3 days open to all kinds of people, and the fashion show went really good, everyone came.
StyleSPF:I see that there is a strong resemblance between you, and one of the models on your online store…Is it you?
Jessica:Yes its me! As I said before, I make clothes I can't find
anywhere...so I thought why not model too? I like to sell my product, I wear my things all the time.
StyleSPF:What would your recommend to the Style SPF readers as a Total Look for a day at the beach?
Jessica: If your a trendsetter go for the Barbie Malibu Trikini in green and pink, with a big straw pamela hat and some sexy wedges. The Cali Beach Babe bikini looks amazing too if you still need to tan and don't want trikini lines, and wear the Mambo Cookies Yellow Visor Sunglasses,coming soon on the online store!
StyleSPF:What would you recommend to the Style SPF readers as a Total Look for a Pool Party?
Jessica:The Pretty Woman Dress is perfect for a pool party, as its lycra fabric won't ruin if thrown in the pool. The California Dream Short look super cute with a plain t-shirt and a pair of funky sunglasses and plastic sandals.
StyleSPF:Aside from online. Where can readers find Soda Pop swimwear?
Jessica: In Madrid you can find things at Retro City and The Wall, both in Corredera Baja de San Pablo, in Malasaña. Soon in Barcelona and Ibiza.
StyleSPF:Based on your experience what advice would you give to aspiring designers?
Jessica:Anyone who works in fashion knows its a very competitive and sacrificed world. Everyone wants to be a designer because its cool, but hard work, creativity and perseverance are the base to make things
work out.
