The Rong Idea. Pt. 1
Moments often drift without notice; but, not for RVA's most fashionably eccentric. After RVA Fashion Week 2013 Designer Showcase at Plant Zero, I met James 'Rong' Williams, a featured designer whose striking garments refused boundaries by silhouette, textile, or composition. He assured me that we'd chat later about his motivation in fashion. So, Saturday May 18th, we met and took some shots (pun intended).
nococeo:How do you view the current state of RVA after RVA Fashion Week? How do you feel about the overall scene?
Rong: My perspective is always coming from an outsider coming in... I don't really shop in stores. The shirts I wear everyday are shirts I designed... I wear pretty much the same thing everyday. When I look at Richmond's fashion perspective... it's definitely taken a shift. It's not an individual shift. Everybody wants the newest thing out... once I have to think about it too much, I say f*ck it! You know? I'd rather be comfortable.
nococeo: I can see Rong as a minimalist. What are you plans for the future being in Richmond?
Rong: Rong, for one, is my alias as a designer. That's the thing. Rong isn't a brand. It's a mentality, a lifestyle. I was at one of my clients shows... they were arguing about pictures on the wall... one going for $200. I made a comment that I wouldn't pay $200 for that... long story short I ended up walking away.
nococeo: How long ago was this?
Rong: It's been a year since Rong was started.
nococeo: Seems like you have a lot of emotion and passion that kinda propels you into becoming an individual and carving out your own style. You said you wanna design toys?
Rong: When I was younger the only other thing I wanted to do... was fly planes, then for a while a fashion designer, being someone who doesn't cut or sew.
nococeo: When did that ambition start ... to acquire the resources necessary to make your own garments?
Rong: To start sewing?
nococeo: Yea.
Rong: When I first got to VCU, when I transferred from ODU, I told Complex Modeling Troupe about my stuff. At the time, I was working on No Sense Clothing line... on the backburner now. They told me about their stuff, so I was like should I go about it from a tee-shirt standpoint or should I actually do what I always was trying to do? That's when I started formulating... maybe if I got my hands on the right tools; I can do it.
nococeo: Okay.
