16 Nov Johnny Come Lately
This interview was first published in FM Magazine (November 2011) – original article here
Winner of the 2010 Peroni Young Designer Award and runner up in this year’s Project Runway Australia, Johnny Schembri is proving to be a fashion force to be reckoned with!
Johnny Schembri’s Australian accent might fully disguise his Maltese roots, but luckily the island’s warm lure still manages to pull the young designer away from the glitzy world of fashion runways.
Alison Bezzina managed to meet up with Johnny, during his short holiday in Malta last month and delved into his world of fashion, success and designer glamour.
“My dad’s parents were born and lived in Malta until they were adults,” explains Johnny. “They moved to Australia after the war in the 1950’s. My mum’s mother was also born in Malta, and I still have many cousins here. I love spending time with them under the Malta summer sun and on my next trip I will be organizing my Summer 2012 collection photo shoot in Comino. Every time I visit Malta I notice new rising labels, and I would love to see more Maltese based designers make it to the world stage. In time to come, when I start selling to the European market, Malta will surely be at the top of my list.”
At age 23, Johnny has his own successful women’s fashion label, By Johnny, and his latest creations can be found online at www.byjohnny.com.au and in boutiques all over Australia. His latest achievement is that of having been chosen to dress Mel B from the Spice Girls for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice awards.
Johnny’s style is particularly original because it is influenced by his love for textiles and the particular lifestyles of his individual clients. “I start with examining the fabric at hand, and then create something that moves and works on the body in question, thus creating a silhouette,” explains Johnny.
Last year Johnny won the Peroni Young Designer Award which was set up by the renowned fashion designer Antonio Berardi. The Award seeks up-and-coming designers from across Australia who can successfully represent Peroni’s Italian heritage and brand values – namely, style, attention to detail, high quality, and of course the incorporation of Peroni’s signature – a blue ribbon. Antonio Berardi is one of the most important designers in fashion today and has worked with famous stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kyra Sedgwick, Victoria Beckham, as well as Jessica Alba.
Having just wrapped the PR and filming schedule for Project Runway Australia Season 3 – an Australian reality television series hosted by model Megan Gale, which focuses on fashion design, Johnny is now on his way to Milan to meet and work with fashion designer, Antonio Berardi in his studio. This was one part of the prize for winning The Peroni Young Designer Award last year.
Incredibly enough, amidst all this hype and limelight, Johnny has also found the time to design and produce the summer 2011 collection for his label, By Johnny, where careful attention has been paid to the wants and needs of his female market and where his pieces exhibit a great use of colour and texture that encourages the wearer to exude a level of confidence and attitude.
Based around three different prints, the collection is inspired by the use of colour and offers sexy and fun pieces that can be mixed and matched to take them from work, to beach, to play and to party.
“I feel that over the years I have become slightly more daring in my designs,” says Johnny, “in fact I’ve taken some of my favourite pieces from the past, such as my signature woven skirt, and made it new by turning it into a digital print.”
Taking inspiration from colour, Johnny had some fun creating his prints, by asking his four year old cousin Lola to paint a picture with her favourite colours and then using the youthful, feminine print that became the Lola Print Kaftan and Lola Print Mini Skirt. Always with the female body and figure in mind, the design has been printed on an amazing wet suit like base that holds the female form firm and tight.
“Lola was my nanna’s name” explains Johnny, “and my little cousin, who made the painting was named after her.”
“Over the years I’ve seen myself grow as a designer. I can see this growth even from season to season as I get more in touch with what my customer loves and feels good in. I like to keep my style very fresh each season as to keep the girls wanting MORE!”
“In my latest collect I kept all my shapes and silhouettes very clean and simple, so the prints really take over. All these pieces can go from day to night and were designed for the by Johnny girl to have fun in.”
By Johnny’s Summer 2011 collection is also available to purchase online at www.byjohnny.com.au.
Johnny Schembri studied Fashion Design at St. George TAFE. During this time, Johnny competed in numerous Fashion Design competitions, catching the eye of fashion industry insiders and influencers alike.
2008 saw Johnny crowned the official designer for the illustrious 2008 Golden Slipper Carnival, his duties as the ‘Official Fashion Designer’ included dressing all 2008 Ambassadors, Jewelry Designer Samantha Wills, Model Ali Mutch and Sports Star Lauren Eagle for all racing events and photo shoots.
After working in Public Relations and designing for one of Sydney’s High Street labels, Johnny took the plunge and decided to launch by Johnny, the label, at the young designer section of Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival in 2009.
The first capsule collection of 5 pieces was a hit, which proved that Johnny was going to make his mark on Designer clothing in Australia!
