I recently interviewed Cody Ross, the American designer behind the label Priestess NYC, and discovered that one of the main influences that led him to fashion was discovering as a young child the hostess uniforms created in the mid-60s by Italian designer Emilio Pucci for Braniff International Airways. I’ve always had a fascination for these uniforms, I think their colours, prints and “Space Bubble” helmets were absolutely fantastic, and I was amazed when I found out that Pucci’s designs and wild patterns had captivated also Cody’s fantasy.
Born in Dallas, Cody’s background is actually in finance and statistics, he has indeed got a BSc from the London School of Economics. Having become a passionate fashion fan since he was a child, though, and considering fashion as one of his main interests, after working in Asia for several years as a financial analyst, Cody decided to dedicate his life to his real love. He took short courses in pattern construction and design at London’s Central Saint Martins, started experimenting a lot with Do-It-Yourself clothes and patterns and, back in the United States, he launched Priestess NYC in 2007.
Cody designs his creations out of his West Village house-cum-atelier, taking inspiration from cool girls, abstract art, his favourite designers and his current/future perception of the market. Priestess collections are sold at the moment in progressive boutiques and department stores all over the world and among the celebrities who opted for Cody’s designs there are also Björk, Juliette Lewis, Tyra Banks and the members of pop band Danity Kane.
The label produces both clothes and jewellery: the focus is definitely on practical urban wear with a provocative edge, but there are pieces such as sophisticated dresses in metallic colours and shiny fabrics, that would be perfect for a special evening out, while the textile jewellery pieces are extravagant, eccentric and fun, characterised by bold colours, rich textures and metallic reptile-like prints.
Cody likes to define his designs as “kitschy-freaky and super-cool” and Priestess’s Spring/Summer 09 collection as “part ‘80s revival, part futurism combined with a hint of goth-glam”, but his creations seem to have also a certain rock/punk edge about them. 
Though he likes vintage and thrift-store garments, Cody has quite a few designers and labels he admires, among them Walter Van Beirendonck, Jeremy Scott and KTZ.
If you want to know more about Cody Ross, you can read my interview with him on Dazed Digital or you can try and grab a copy of brand new Portuguese mag 1210 (more about it soon…) to read my feature article on Priestess NYC.
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