Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Maret Paprosky.
Nicole Maret, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had particularly exacting demands for things that don’t exist: calorie-free cheese, magical creatures with golden scales, the ability to stop time…. the list is boundless, with very few opportunities for satisfaction. One thing in particular, however; was always especially troubling: I found it impossible to find the clothing I wanted to wear, whether a costume for a special occasion or the perfect black pant.
This flourished from a regular complaint to a daily mission, which began as cutting/re-assembling various pairs of leggings with scissors and safety pins as a child, graduated to highly detailed (although poorly assembled) collegiate Halloween costumes and eventually became the reason I was always late to my graphic design job as an adult.
Gradually, I began to take heed of where my excitement was directed, and I went back to school to learn how to properly design and construct garments. As my senior portfolio came together, the three aforementioned tendencies conspired to bring THE ORDER to life. The line is ultimately a synthesis of that which does not exist merged with costume and graphic design, yielding a powerfully-branded umbrella under which I can create garments that are not required to fit within a specific category.
THE ORDER was officially established in December 2013, and the seventh collection has released this March. Each piece is designed and fabricated by (my!) hand in my Pilsen studio/showroom, and I host several experiential launch/trunk show events throughout the year. Every day is a challenge, but I truly adore what I do 🙂
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As an independent business and a one-woman operation, I find myself perpetually explaining that THE ORDER is a “constant experiment”- there are no proven recipes for success. The driving force behind the company is the exploration of the unknown, which continuously re-surfaces both in the creation of new garments and the ever-evolving and ever-experimental business of fashion. Nothing is ever definitive.
I love the craft of clothing construction itself, but as an extreme perfectionist, I rarely let anything out of my own hands. This creates a challenge with regard to efficiency, and puts a strain on progression and creativity- every time I stop working on something new to fill an order, I fall into the purgatory between the satisfaction of creating something someone loves, and the stress of spending time on something I’ve already made a dozen times.
I also struggle with the eternal question of art versus business: I perpetually tread the line between creating what I love versus what will sell, trying not to go too far in either direction and lose authenticity. My intuition has been my guide, but the further I go, the more I learn what people desire- and as my competition increases, this becomes increasingly difficult. The advice I always receive is to “trust myself,” which is simultaneously visceral and intellectual.
Please tell us about THE ORDER.
Aesthetically, THE ORDER is known for jet-black, made-to-order, “goth-glam” separates that appeal to an unexpectedly wide range of women: my customers include everything from artists, stylists and musicians to real-estate brokers, lawyers and medical professionals. Even my mom wears it…and she does so beautifully!
Conceptually, THE ORDER is premised on honoring the unknown and on the defiance of expectations. Each collection is bound to the next by a personal narrative that extends these notions, with a deep connection to my own contradictory nature. A positive person who is happy almost all of the time, I also possess a fascination with the darker elements of life- I love that these things don’t typically coincide, and have curated my life in a way that perpetuates that divergence.
This is the driving force behind THE ORDER, and something I’m incredibly proud of: each piece is created with specific intention, and is designed not to be typecast into the expected “dark” context: despite its visual and conceptual flirtation with the macabre, the line is truly for every woman.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memories consist mostly of either dressing up in some absurd manner or tormenting my younger sister, so naturally, my favorites are a combination of both! One that comes to mind is as follows:
My mother is a mastermind when it comes to hostessing, and she used to throw beautiful parties for my father’s work associates. For extra entertainment at one party, in particular, she had hired a fortune teller whom I decided to revisit throughout the evening- but each time I returned in a different outfit (borrowed from both parents’ closets) to determine how “good” she actually was.
I conveyed this information to my sister, emphasizing the fact that she had no idea who I actually was, which meant that we could do whatever we wanted as long as we dressed up as someone else. For the rest of the evening, from chasing frogs in the bushes to flush the toilets ever 5 minutes, we were invincible in our “disguises” until we got caught… which I of course blamed on her, and succeeded!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thisistheorder.com
- Email: nicole@thisistheorder.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/thisistheorder/
Image Credit:
Mark Griffin Champion, John Khuu
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