DESIGNER CODY ROSS STATS
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Current Location: New York City
Education: BSC Economics/Statistics, The London School of
Economics
Loves: Melissa Brasier
High-Profile Clientele: Bjork . . .my mom, hahha
Favorite fabric: Silk Jerseys with monochrome finishes
Signature style: Jumpsuits/Rompers, mini-skirts and fanny-
packs!
Design Technique: 'Dynamic Draping'

What is Priestess NYC?
CODY: Priestess NYC is a ‘directional’ womenswear label based
in the West Village, New York City. The broad aesthetic leans
toward the edgy and avant-garde. Priestess NYC is 'super-duper
cool', especially for urban girls with a fashion-forward point of
view.

Where do you see Priestess going and what are your
expections for the future?
CODY: Priestess NYC is about elegant ‘street-mix’ that
represents a contemporary take on the spirit of ‘vintage-punk.’ It
is high-quality design understated with a cool, kitschy attitude and
a ‘discrete, punky grandeur.’ There is lots of momentum at the
moment and, despite the economic downtown, the label
continues to sell.

Who wears Priestess NYC?
CODY: An opinionated, knowledgeable and highly individualized
girl who is a little irreverent and subtly-outlandish. She obsesses
over fit and style and is typically well traveled and familiar with the
coolest things in the coolest cities: NYC, Paris, London,
Shanghai, etc are her playgrounds.
.
Describe Priestess NYC in 3 words:
CODY: Kitschy, Punky and Futuristic. Hmmmmm, a Grace Kelly
meets Judy Jetson spirit.

What is your design philosophy?
CODY: To feed the demands of individualism - to make clothes
that are provocative, versatile and beautiful enough to excite.

Where do you find your inspiration?
CODY: A very broad range of influences: I look to the streets of
NYC, Paris, Shanghai, etc, as well as the prominent Fashion
Houses and strive to unite the looks into a single garment or
outfit. Lots of references, periods, people, cultures, and inform
the design process. There's a symbiotic relationship between the
streets of NYC, for instance, and the runways of Paris and Milan.
Working with Brittany Kubat and Melissa Brasier also gives me
AMPLE inspiration! I find inspiration in the collections of Rei
Kawkabo Raf Simmons, Jeremy Scott, Greta Cavazzoni, Junya
Watanabe and of course I look to the coolest publications like
FASHION Q&A for the coolest ideas/content!
Where does your passion for fashion come from?
CODY: I have a penchant for sexy-edgy-quirky girls who display ‘attitude’ and wry
irreverence, especially toward the status quo. I’m excited by lush materials and I
love the development- process: sketching, sourcing fabrics, draping, fitting.

What makes your line different from others?
CODY: Priestess NYC differentiates itself along lines of its 1) Versatility and 2)
Ease of Transition. The looks are simmering with energy and the linings are
radical and provocative. And the line is grrrreat for mixing, matching and layering!

Why should people buy your clothes?
CODY: Priestess NYC is a WEARABLE, cool/bold celebration of the
FASHION-UNEXPECTED! The designs capture imagination, create desire and
foster confidence and sexiness. There is a focus on finish, detail, relevance and a
superb price-to-quality ratio! Priestess is fundamentally sexy and sophisticated
and perfect for mixing and layering!

Please tell us more about yourself.
CODY: For many years I worked as a hedge-fund analyst in Shanghai and NYC. I
spent all my free-time looking at fashion mags, dressing/styling cool chicks and
finally (fed up with repression) quit my job and launched the label 2 seasons ago.
Fashion has also been a central interest of mine and sketching, sewing and
draping an active hobby that I can now do full time! I got my technical skills from
part-time courses at Central St. Martins and lots of do-it-yourself stuff.

What are your favorite fabric, colors, shapes to work with?
CODY: I love top quality natural fibers AND synthetics: silk-blends, soft
jerseys/cottons are perrrrfect for dynamic-draping! Favorite colors of the moment
are: yellow, purple, gray and both subdued tones AND vivid colors. And, of course,
all the snakeskin stuff! Oh, and hot pink! Shapes include lots of volume and
‘inverted pyramids.’

Cody's designs are also featured in this month's "Confessions of a Top Model".
Interviewed by Colin Megaro, Editor, Reader Relations & Trends
Do know someone that meets the criteria to be featured in the Readers' Choice Designer Profile?
If the answer is yes, email us at readerschoice@fashionqanda.com, for more details, with a chance
of seeing the designer of your choice featured in the pages of FashionQandA.com!
Priestess NYC
designer Cody Ross
(right) with model
wearing a black
suspender jumpsuit
from his Spring 2009
collection