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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
