When we last put the spotlight on 100 creative forces in Phoenix, it was no secret there were more than 100 individuals who were making waves in the local arts community. So as we count down to our annual Best of Phoenix issue, we're profiling 100 more. Welcome (back) to 100 Creatives
See also: Tiffe Fermaint Celebrates 10 Years in Fashion See also: Tiffe Fermaint, What Are You Wearing?
Tiffe Fermaint's been making clothes since she was a teenager. The independent fashion designer and stylist is now based in Phoenix and Los Angeles, where she went to school at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
After school, she came back to Phoenix, where her collections are currently sold in local boutiques and featured in runway shows. She says much of her inspiration comes from music (she's in an electronic duo Being Cool is Lonely with her boyfriend Keith Walker), and that music has played a part in new collections coming soon to Buffalo Exchange and Alternative Fashion Society's Medusa's Revenge Fashion Show.
I came to Phoenix with . . . my first thought. I was born in here and although I lived in Los Angeles for some time, it is safe to say that I am a native.
I make art (and fashion and music) because . . . if I didn't my mind would become stale and sad. It's automatic and as routine to me as talking. It is a form of my own communication.
I'm most productive when . . . I'm home. Inspiration and productivity lives here. I tend to take a thought and run with it in every form of expression until it becomes exhausted. One thought can trigger a collection, a song, a video, a dj mix, a photo shoot. I also like to sew or sketch when Keith is producing music right next me. His work motivates me.
My inspiration wall is full of . . . emptiness. I prefer to keep an inspiration book which is filled with my sketches and post-it note doodles of ideas I that have while I'm at work. I keep my melody ideas voice recorded on my phone. Songs that inspire collections are in playlists on iTunes. Images of art and fashion spreads that make me emotional are kept in folders on my laptop and are captured with my camera phone.
I've learned the most from . . . my mistakes. Being blessed with the opportunities to use my creativity to make a living, I try to not shy myself away from hard work and taking risks. But with that confidence I've also had to be prepared that mistakes might happen. With any poor business decision that I have made that has cost me any amount of money or time, it has gained me knowledge. The more I know, the more progress I can gain.
Good work should always be . . . honest. Everything I create has a meaning behind it. It is the premiss of my best work and I quickly loose interest on anything that lacks thought.
The Phoenix creative scene could use . . . more global thinkers. I have total local pride and love to support my fellow artists in Phoenix. But, I think that we have a great opportunity to open our doors to the rest of the world and invite them in. I always hear about how everyone wants to make Phoenix a 'hub' but in order to do that, I feel that we have to reach out. If we give the same amount of attention on promoting locally to promoting our projects to national and international sources, perhaps Phoenix can get more headlines and interests elsewhere.
The Creatives, so far ... (And while you're here, check out 100 Tastemakers on Chow Bella.)
100:Lara Plecas 99. Isaac Caruso 98. Brandon Gore 97. Kelsey Dake 96. Hector Ruiz 95. Caroline Battle 94: Jennifer Campbell 93. Jeff Chabot 92. Tiffiney Yazzie 91. Daniel Germani 90. Irma Sanchez 89. Daniel m. Davis 88. Kirstin Van Cleef 87. Emmett Potter 86. Sarah Hurwitz 85. Christine Cassano 84. Fred Tieken 83. Lindsay Kinkade 82. Ruben Galicia 81. Robert Uribe 80. Heidi Abrahamson 79. Josephine Davis 78. Travis Ladue 77. Taz Loomans 76. Mikey Jackson 75. Alex Empty 74. Joe Ray 73. Carol Roque 72. Daniel Funkhouser 71. Carla Chavarria 70. Hugo Medina 69. Cavin Costello 68. Claire Carter 67. Lindsay Tingstrom 66. Catherine Ruane 65. Christopher Crosby 64. Aaron Johnson 63. Brenda Eden 62. a href="http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/jackalope/2012/07/colton_brock_phoenix_art_creatives.php" target="_blank">Colton Brock 61. Ernesto Moncada 60. Benjamin Phillips 59. Brad Armstrong 58. Angela Hardison 57. Tyler Quinn 56. Andrew James Benson 55. Charles Anthony Darr