Sunday, August 17, 2008
Quick, Life, Style, Q&A

Being fashionable with Tian Justman

A Quick Q&A

Young designer Tian Justman is helping to reshape Atlanta’s fashion footprint, taking a modern approach to classic shapes and going in a very different direction from most local boutiques. After a stint in New York City, the Atlanta native returned to set up shop in an Old Fourth Ward Studio and is already finding a following.—Larissa Erin Greer

Q How did you get started working in the fashion industry?
A I grew up in a very creative family—my mother in the fashion industry and my father an artist. So I think it’s just in my blood, although I tried to deny it at first. I started out as a molecular biology major in college, but, even though I enjoyed the curriculum, it never satisfied my creative side. I turned back to my fashion roots and immediately felt I was in the right place. Fashion design comes naturally to me. It's exciting and rewarding to be able bring my sketches to life.

What's it like being a young designer in Atlanta?
I made the decision to come back to Atlanta after interning at W Magazine and Jill Stuart in New York last year. Being an Atlanta native and watching this city transform itself over the last several years, I feel that it offers endless opportunity for fashion designers. The amount of diversity and culture that resides in this city is very exciting. I think that the demand for high fashion is ever-increasing, just like the city itself.

Have you found any special resources here that you turn to when working on a collection?
Fashion Group International is a wonderful organization that has a chapter here in Atlanta [and] hosts a biannual trend report of all the major fashion capitals. They offer great networking opportunities as well. I like to use local Atlanta companies whenever possible. My marketing firm, Benjamin Harrison Blake Marketing, is local, as are a fabulous group of models that I work with frequently and several high-quality photographers.

What are your inspirations for your upcoming line?
Right now I am working on the Fall 2009 collection and am finding myself very drawn to post-WWII French design. I have also been flipping through a book on [fashion designer] Erte’. It seems to be a nice mix of fitted silhouettes and deconstructed underpinnings.

How does an Old Fourth Ward fashion designer spend her free time?
When I find myself with free time, I love perusing the museums and going to art openings around town. They serve as great source of research and inspiration. I also love fine dining and enjoy discovering new restaurants. And sometimes I just like staying in and inviting friends and clients over for a glass of wine at my design studio. SP