Chrissie Miller on designing SOPHOMORE

Chrissie Miller's SOPHOMORE is taking off and expanding in her direction as a once strictly T-shirt company into a full blown line of clothing reminiscent of the old lower east side. This is not a line for hipster-ism. There is a very contemporary vibe to what she is doing. To think this all started as one big happy accident. Which is why I always try to push the idea out there to just do your art. Get it out there not 100% perfect. But expose yourself. And who knows what will happen next?!

-From what I understand you where a graphic artist who accidentally spawned a line of kitschy pop culture T shirts meant for friends only and voila it just blew up from there. Tell me a little bit about your beginning, and was it way overwhelming?
The beginning was the best part!

We made 72 t-shirts for Charlotte Ronson's store, then Daily Candy wrote about it and then we got orders from tons of stores including Bloomingdales! We didn't even have a company name yet! I thought I was going to be a graphic designer, but couldn't find a job. Then when our t-shirts starting doing well, it gave me a job! I love clothes and had so many ideas, it just felt right.

- For a few years now I've noticed you how you have a quirky sense of humor when it comes to the sayings that are printed on your T's ie ( The New York Crimes)... Currently Just Another Rich Kid is doing the same thing. Are you 2 friends that have happened to influence one another? If not what do you think of his work?

I've never heard of "just another rich kid"... We were inspired by the whole NY underground t-shirt culture. Brands like aNYthing, Danucht, Fuct, Ssur. None of those lines were really doing womens clothes so i wanted to put great graphics on good bodies.

- I love Cory Kennedy's style and would have loved to be in her shoes at that age (Hell this age too)... Lately she's been name dropping SOPHOMORE all over her high profile blog. How where you 2 introduced and has this really expanded your business, is the Sophomore fan base growing???

Ha!! I LOVE Cory, she is the most photogenic person I know! We met because she was dating my friend Wade (from the Virgins). She's a Pisces, I'm Pisces... She likes fashion, I like fashion it just works! I do get a lot of emails from her fans and now that I'm on her top friends on myspace my friend requests have tripled!

- When you are designing at your showroom what are you listening to these days musically? And what is the Showrooms atmosphere like?

Good question! I ALWAYS listen to music when I work. Right now I listen to The Virgins, Radiohead's In Rainbows and Amy Winehouse!

- Is your company involved in any charities, if so please tell us a little bit about which ones?

There are a few I am interested in getting involved with but nothing officially.

-You know there is kind of a soft spot I have for your line, it really reminds me of X-GIRL in the late 90's when Kim Gordon started this little brand of clothing, and had Chloe Sevigny sporting it around town as well as Kathaleen Hannah from Bikini Kill flaunting it in her video's. Not sure if you grew up around that era while "KID'S" the movie came about. But were you associated at all or into X-GIRL, and have you ever thought for a second "I take after that a bit coincidentally?"

WOW! That is a huge complement!!! Thank you so much! I think the 90's are in the air right now so I think for sure that came out in the clothes. I love the idea of being nostalgic with without looking vintage. Staying contemporary is key.

7 I get the feeling you and Charlotte Ronson are friends with Similar career paths. Did you always know each other, and do you ever plan to collaborate with one another?

Charlotte is one if my best friends! We have known each other since high school. We collaborate all the time, we did that Vote Ronson t-shirt together. (I think it was on your blog right?)

It was I thought is was way clever!Well thank you for your time,and I look forward for years to come with SOPHOMORE, what can we expect in the future from you?

Thank you! I'm a big fan of denim and I have yet to find a great line (even though there are tons) So maybe we will do a denim line some day..

-Kristen May Anastasia