Bartlett Interviewed By: Alicia Giordano
It was a catalyst moment. The designer’s name would go on to be sewn into clothing labels, yelled at his fashion shows, and peppered across fashion magazines as he became known for his gender- bending, subculture-referencing, fantasy-building designs that were all the rage in 1990’s New York. Bartlett’s smart designs (the fruit of a master’s from Harvard and a degree in tailoring from the Fashion Institute of Technology) carried his namesake label into the sales windows of Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel and his own stand alone store in New York City’s artistic West Village. Throughout his creative career, Bartlett also earned two Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards: “Swarovski Best Newcomer Award” and “Best Menswear Designer of the Year.” But these days, the highschool-rebel-turned-fashion- entrepreneur has a different cause to fight for: sustainability education. Throughout Bartlett’s career, sustainability has changed. The word has gone through stages of obscurity, surviving on the outskirts of the fashion industry, before achieving acceptance as an essential aspect of the mainstream in recent years. But through it all, Bartlett has been watching and incorporating ideas of bettering the planet into his work. “I was exposed to so many different types of products, price-points and markets.” says Bartlett, who joined Marist’s faculty in the fall of 2020 “I also had the great experience of being involved with fashion shows, magazines and stylists. But the industry is due for change.”
An Interview with Marist’s New Fashion Director
John Bartlett twisted a necktie, buttoned a cuff, and popped a collar without realizing that fashion would one day be his life. Within the boundaries of his Catholic high school, a young Bartlett first felt inspired by the concept of fashion. His uniform needed an attitude adjustment, and so Bartlett had his first experience with personal style.
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Vol. VIII
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