The Timo Weiland Team

It’s organized chaos in the den of design house Timo Weiland. Amid the rows of stacked fabric and clothing racks of inventory, the Timo trio is working well past quitin’ time in the heart of the Garment District. And it’s no wonder – the line has received rave reviews from the likes of Style.com, countless fashion blog features, and coveted retail space in the eponymous Barney’s department store. The team, comprised of creative director Timo Weiland, design director Alan Eckstein, and head of design Donna Kang, has worked hard and made an undeniable impact with the help of innovative, dynamic collections. two + seven wedged their way in and stole a few precious minutes with the gang for some exclusive insight to this successful brand.

two + seven: What kicked off the vision for the Fall 2012 Collection?

Timo Weiland: Post-punk era New York, East Village.

Alan Eckstein: We are very inspired by New York on a daily basis. We looked at musicians, artists; the life of a New Yorker fused with the post-punk genre.

2+7: The juxtaposition of this collection – grungy plaids and supple leathers combined with preppy cardis and plush luxe fur – seems to translate from uptown to downtown quite easily. Who is this collection for?

AE: We have a range of girls that we think about, and a range of men that we really think about. We have a lot of fun with the girl that lives downtown! She’d be this awesome chick who is sophisticated and smart. But of course it doesn’t stop with the New Yorker.

TW: Yes, she’s confident and cool, but not pretentious. Playful sexiness as opposed to a sultry sexy. Understated.

2+7: You know the saying, “three’s a crowd.” How is it collaborating with three creative minds?

AE: the three of us, we’ve done everything from the start, we all worked do everything. Collectively we make a better product together. We make compromises, and we have a good time doing it.

TW: We all wear multiple hats every day, all the time, so having three people helps in that sense.

2+7: How do you connect both the men’s and women’s collections?

TW: It’s always one story. They are people dating or they are friends, maybe travel partners. Sometimes the girl is borrowing from the guy. They are always connected.

2+7: You’ve done runway shows the past few seasons, as opposed to your usual presentation. Is this a change for the better?

TW: The runway shows are definitely better for us. There’s more energy, more focus. Things can sometimes get lost in a presentation, whereas with a runway show, you are forced to see one look at a time, in its entirety.

2+7: Where do you draw inspiration?

AE: The inspiration process comes from a lot of places; relaxing in the Hudson river valley, New York itself, women and men, seeing something on them that you like… I also get a lot of my inspiration from music, looking at bands, seeing what they are wearing and getting a sense of their style and attitude.

2+7: You guys also have a pretty sweet side gig: DJing! How do you find the time?

AE: We love music, so we just kind of figure it out. If you’re doing a couple things, you can do a couple more. We can do it all.