Introducing FFLUENZAA: an Interview with Davina and Seung Bin

[UNPUBLISHED:] Tell us about the brand and how it started.

[Seung Bin:] The brand was something we could both experiment with what we know. We're trying to emulate a typical approach to mask making. We're designing clothes while trying to stay within manufacturing and industry standards. We feel like making masks is gonna be a thing that's essential to everyday life in your closet, even after the pandemic passes.

[Davina:] Wearing masks is a new thing for a lot of people to get used to. Within these next few months, not only with the virus but also with pollution in concentrated cities. We hope that people who wear FFLUENZAA will take advantage of it as a styling tool and just have fun with it.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What inspired you guys to start the actual brand?

[Seung Bin:] We've been talking about starting a brand together for a long time. It did take place with the pandemic in mind. We felt the timing was just there because we wanted to do something that was easy and workable within our creative sides. It wasn't a particular artist that made us want to start going in this direction. It was just more how should we start collaborating and what should the name be.

We’ve been talking about starting a brand together at some point during our relationship but never thought about how or when it was going to happen until now. The timing felt right with the pandemic, the obvious first thing we wanted to make were masks. We want to donate/sell masks and also design newer styles of masks that can be functional and comfortable with everyday wear. The name “FFLUENZAA” didn’t stem in reference to the pandemic itself, it was inspired from a song.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What was your guys's drafting process like?

[Davina:] We start off with sketches and we just create designs very loosely based on ideas that we come up with, trying to make whatever comes naturally with what's in front of us. It's been really difficult to get materials, just with everything going on so we're using deadstock fabrics and a lot of things that we already have at home. We try to eliminate waste by using our scraps and other things that we've collected from previous projects. When we're designing, we always try to keep the CDC recommendations, along with comfortability, in our mind while designing. When executing a design concept we try to think about fabric choices. First and foremost before we continue, whether it's breathable especially when it's layered up to three or four times on top of one another. We've been wanting to play with more airy fabrics like gauze linen for woven, also lightweight neoprene, lycra and mesh for knits. We realize that a lot of our masks are alongside masks that are being produced right now, a lot of people are making masks in general. In the market today, they're not going to completely protect everyone from the virus but we try to take the step of including a pocket in the linings of our masks, especially our basic masks as well as a lot of our design masks, as much as possible, so that people who buy our masks will be able to insert replaceable filters, which is something that we’ll also be providing with every purchase.

[Seung Bin:] Every step of the way we've tried to make masks we would always have to come to a stop because someone would recommend putting in nose strips and then we'd have to order that which would take two to three weeks. Then we'd be like the fit isn't right for men but it's good for women. Somebody suggested mesh but also have that standard. We're experimenting, trying to figure out every way to make a basic mask.

[Davina:] Although we want to create designs beyond the basic mask silhouette, we know that basic masks are very functional and convenient and something that anyone can just pick up and wear easily compared to our design masks which will sometimes kind of be hard to put on if you're just trying to run to the grocery store. We just want to make sure that it's comfortable and it's breathable if you're doing a lot of activity, especially during the summer it can get really hot, keeping all those things in mind.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Is it just you guys that make up the team?

[Davina:] We design and sew every mask ourselves.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How would you guys describe your professional style versus the brand style.

[Davina:] We have similar tastes and similar general styles but we're different in a lot of ways. It's gotten a lot easier for us to collaborate because as our relationship goes on we become more meshed together and we understand each other better.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How did you guys like each individually get into fashion?

[Davina:] I was always into styling and fashion. Growing up, I've always wanted to pursue something in the fashion industry. After graduating high school I never expected to go forward in the design aspect of it. Me and my friend suddenly decided to go to trade school for fashion design after one semester taking general education classes at community college.That's how it happened, I became more confident in my skills and that’s how I realized that this is what I want to do.

[Seung Bin:] I wasn’t really into fashion but my mom was, she owned a manufacturing company in downtown LA while I was growing up. I hated looking at it just because I would go to the factory and see what they do and it would just look miserable, seeing everybody in a warehouse sewing. It's hot, and dusty. I grew up wanting to be a professional skateboarder, I was skating all the time so my style was influenced by skate culture. One day it just clicked where I was like, “You guys aren't just miserable in this manufacturing warehouse, it actually is pretty cool what you're doing.” It was always in my life, but I just never took it seriously until I was 14.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Where do you pull inspiration from for your style?

[Seung Bin:] I would say who really inspires me with fashion is Martin Margiela. I think the way he conceptualizes his clothes even before he goes into designing them or actually making them is really romantic. I also like this painter Anselm Kiefer. His paintings are just chaotic, it's insane. Also this performance artist I've been really looking into, his name's Chris Burden. He was really famous in the 80s in Los Angeles. I just like looking at a lot of different things like Bill Evans for music, which my dad got me into. It all inspires me together when I look at other people's work.

[Davina:] I look to different subcultures in Japan. I really like the Visual Kei subculture and also the whole Gothic Lolita thing. It's like really cute to me. I also really like vampires and school girls. I really love McQueen, Rei Kawakubo, Alice Auaa, and Ann Demeulemeester. Marc Le Bihan especially as of this moment. All of them are such beautiful designers to me, I always look up to them for inspiration. I want to emulate them with that kind of style and niche.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How has your fashion evolved over the past couple of years?

[Seung Bin:] For me, It’d be a 3⁄4 sleeve t-shirt and a pair of trousers and that would be what I would wear every day for two years. But after we started dating, we started going to a bunch of thrift stores. It's helped me to become more open to different styles I wear today but I mostly wear suits in social events. I don't try to wear colors much.

[Davina:] My style hasn't changed too much. I embrace the more dark side of fashion. I really like to wear black all the time now.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Have both of your families been very supportive of your guys's career choice?

[Seung Bin:] My mom, definitely because she was in that background to begin with. She is more in a manufacturing mindset so when she sees me trying to make more artistic pieces she wouldn't really get it but she'd still be like, “That's really good, keep going.” My dad supports me too but he doesn't understand anything I'm doing, he's more old fashioned. Growing up they did want me to be a typical doctor. There was a transition to, “If you can make money doing something you love like, go for it.”

[Davina:] My parents don't understand the route, they don't know too much about the industry. My mom is always jokingly saying, “If you are going with fashion design, you're going to be really poor.” They always placed an emphasis on school. My dad, he's just very old fashioned and doesn't really talk to me about fashion. But they are both so supportive of me because they can see my dedication and have faith in my career path regardless of what direction I take. I want to make them proud at the end of the day.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How did growing up in LA affect your style?

[Seung Bin:] I grew up on the outskirts of LA so I didn't really see any cultural inspirations until I moved out. I moved to Lincoln Heights and I lived there for a while, which really influenced my current style. I was lucky enough to meet a friend in college, his dad Brett Goldstone, ran and owned the community at N Ave 21/Barranca St which was founded in the early 1980s. It was called The Compound and it consisted of a collection of welding shops, 19th century homes, and artist studios that used to be a garment factory. In one of the back units was The Toolbox which me and my friend shared collectively. I was broke so he just took me in, it was like, “Here’s your month's rent to make me two pairs of jeans and a few dollars. I was really fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of artists. They all had the urgency to create, it was a good year of reflecting to figure out who I was and how I wanted to be viewed.That's what really grew my own personal style at the time.

[Davina:] I didn't start to develop a style that I really liked until I started going out to parties. I think the party scene in LA, the rave scene, influenced me. I always see people that are pretty cool. There would be this one party that would happen every weekend downtown and some nights there'd be so many drag queens out and they go so hard with their outfits and makeup. It really helped me be more comfortable. We can all just be weird and different. I've lived in LA for a while,but went to high school in Redondo Beach, so it's kind of like a little bubble. I didn’t really see anything outside of social media trends.

[UNPUBLISHED:] If you guys could have your masks featured in a magazine, or anywhere media wise, where would you want it to be seen?

[Seung Bin:] An art magazine would be really cool, not just fashion magazines. I know a lot of artists hate Artforum now because they're super blue chip but being in the Artforum would be really cool.

[Davina:] It’d be cool to be featured in art and fashion magazines. Anyone that lets us speak about what we're about and give us more traffic.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How has quarantine affected your creativity?

[Seung Bin:] We always start with the fabric choice in mind so it's been limiting since we can only work with what we already had.They just started opening up fabric stores again in downtown LA. In Concord, California, which is where i stay currently, they don't have any fabric shops around here so I'm kind of just scavenging with whatever fabrics I have at the moment. I like going to the museums and visually seeing things in front of me, but now it's almost like everything has to be seen on the internet. It hasn't hindered me too much though because I'm a very reclusive person and I'm always inside anyway.

[Davina:] I'm able to stay at home, I live with my parents at the moment and they're really supportive and I have personal space. I know that a lot of people during this period are going through a really rough time, but I can say that I'm fortunate enough to not have to worry about those issues. It doesn't affect my creativity and, in fact, being able to work from home helps me.

[UNPUBLISHED:] While you guys have been in quarantine, have you picked up any weird hobbies or learned anything interesting?

[Davina:] I’m really trying to get into knitting. It takes a long time to finish projects, especially because I try to spend all my time on FFLUENZAA.

[Seung Bin:] I don't think I've taken up any new hobbies, just different practices. My class right now is draping. It transitioned from me only working with 2D paper to actually draping on a model form and trying to transfer that to 2D, so it's that extra step but it's really cool. I'm fortunate enough to have a job right now, I'm helping my mom with her restaurant.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have any advice for people who are wanting to experiment with their fashion but are too scared to be judged by others?

[Davina:] This is something that I struggle with a lot as well, it's definitely easier said than done. But with fashion in particular, try not to look at other designs or pictures too much on Pinterest or Instagram. That is someone else's interpretation and if you're being influenced by that, you're going off of another person's interpretation, you're not starting from scratch, It's not truly your own. That's something that always happened to me, so always have that in mind.

[Seung Bin:] For younger new talented people, I would do your homework and practice your craft. You shouldn't feel scared to be judged because somebody can make the same pair of jeans that I made, but at the same time, it's something I made, and it's special in its own way, down to the smallest stitch. I'm always having constant battles with myself, but you see improvement so keep researching and keep honing your craft.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What advice do you guys have for people wanting to pursue a creative career, specifically in fashion?

[Seung Bin:] Try and go to a trade school, if you can, because it really does teach you a lot more in the eight weeks you take a course, then if you would try to figure it out in eight weeks on your own.

[Davina:] Starting at trade school has been really helpful. Our School, LATTC has so many departments you can dabble with anything creatively. Getting an education first is really important. And the program itself at trade schools in general may not be all arts focused and glamorous compared to an arts school, but it's really up to you to make the best of your education. As a young creative, if you want to go into fashion definitely go to trade school. It is also a much more affordable option compared to an arts school, and you can figure out from there if you want to continue fashion as a career and continue school elsewhere.

[Seung Bin:] And if you don't have the funds to go to school I would also recommend just getting a pattern making book to begin with. There's an online course that our school’s been recommending, it's really cheap too. So, for fashion designers, I would say go to Universityoffashion.com. It's like this European trade school that’s really cheap online and you can learn a lot from there, too.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What can we expect next from you guys and FFLUENZAA?

[Davina:] In respect to the pandemic we thought it would be really convenient to put ourselves out there with masks. We're just experimenting and I would ideally want people to take the fact that we have to wear masks right now in a more positive light and use it as an accessory. We definitely want to move past that eventually and go into actual clothes.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Where do you guys see yourselves in five years?

[Seung Bin:] Have a portfolio under my belt, finishing up at university and getting a BA or MA during that time.

[Davina:] I'll be wanting to finish my degree at a really good school, ideally in Europe and continuing to develop my sense of fashion.

For more information on FFLUENZAA’s projects: @ffluenzaa