Everyone holds power in their own ability to create, but it is what you chose to do with that power that makes all the difference.
ANN WOODSON STONE is an innovative brand for the young professional, defined by empowerment, craftsmanship, individualism, use, and an investment in people and product. At the forefront of women’s liberation, in America, there was a shift away from aspects of design that embraced femininity and stereotypes of power through dress were born. Her work is heavily influenced by designers of the 20th century, not specifically for their contribution to liberation, in America, but rather in how they defined what power looked like through dress. Formally, her design direction is a fusion classic silhouettes and modern relevance. The primary goal is to address a need that further enhances the physical and psychological quality of the wearer. The designs include traditional tailoring technique used to shape the body, material choice and manipulations used to enhances the performance or appeal of the garment, and quality garment construction that respects the process and goals of our work.
The style of making is heavily research based. When working with things like a tailored suit, every element provides a certain purpose and represents and certain thing; thus, the additions and adjustments being made must be well thought out. The work represents an investment in people and product. The argument being, the Feel good – do good phenomenon; when people feel more confident in themselves and their own ability, they are more likely to perform better and encourage others. On the product side, her work stressed a need for responsibility in industry practice. This idea is also simple, respect. For generations, people have respected their wardrobe; clothing was viewed as an investment in your future and status, but in the age of mass consumption, fashion has become disposable and trend based. Ann’s goal is to educate younger generation on the importance of dress practice while also introducing an individualistic approach. Ideally, she would like to create an investment capsule collection that allows for seasonal and client based additions. The timeless capsule would embrace traditional elements of professional/power dress and allow for the ability to include individualized aspects. These additions would allow for stylistic or performance based adjustments that would empower the wearer.