Meet Christopher Holland Brandt: Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christopher Holland Brandt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christopher, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I was exposed to art, music, and film at a young that made me curious and excited about the world and t also exposed me to the idea of being an artist as a career. The curiosity and excitement for designing and making has been a constant in my life as long as I can remember. Growth with that curiosity has kept me going as well because I learned to love the processes of making things by hand and planning and following through with a full project. I am at the beginning of what is hopefully a long career and I am grateful to be able turn the opportunities and hard work I’ve done into a creative life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Right now I am most excited about my most recent capsule collection “this Alien Flower needs a VACATION”. I have been dreaming of a real vacation for a long time since the first week of the shut down in 2020 when I was supposed to be on a trip to Mexico City. In such a long year of hardship and anxiety I wanted to make pieces that were fun, elegant and perfect for a tropical trip vibe.

This latest collection demonstrates my dedication growth of design and quality I have strived for with each new release. I am designing, patter making and constructing all pieces so I am excited to be making the best quality work I each time. This past year my making skills have grown exponentially and I ma grateful to have had this time to grow my skills.

I continue to deal with challenges that many creative entrepreneurs have with reaching the right people tp wear and buy my work. I am extremely grateful for everyone who has bought pieces from me because I know what I am making is not standard and can be seen as a bit experimental. I know theres an uphill battle for clothing that asks the wearer to change the way the buy and wear their clothes but I believe in the unique, inclusive, ethical and sustainable aspects to my garments and hope to encourage more people the trend setters who will change how we all look at clothing.

Along the way I’ve learned to continue to believe in the vision while many may not quite understand yet. That also means finding new ways to adapting strategies and being willing to rethink how things are presented or even move into different markets for different and specific pieces. For instance I am working to offer a second brand which is focused on sustainably and hand made stuffed animals which is an entirely different market than my clothing but makes sense for my personal brand as a whole. In the near future I will have a specific shop for the plushies but there will be some crossover between the brands since I make stuffed animal puppy purses, plushie keychains and pins which are accessories to the clothing.

I would like the world to know that I am fully dedicated to the vision of making unique and whimsical art/fashion pieces to be loved and cherished for a lifetime. I am working on nearly all operations from design to manufacturing to marketing and sales on my own for now and a purchase from Holland Brandt is an investment in a pieces for you to love and in my growing brand. I also fitting session and complementary tailoring services to all customers in Los Angeles and anyone is welcome to reach out!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a friend in town to visit Los Angeles I would say food is the number one consideration on the list. There are so many good choices but one of my favorite restaurants in the LA area is called Painters Tape in Gardena. Everything they make is amazing from the veggies to the incredible fried chicken sandwich and it is all affordable and delicious. The best poke place in LA county, Jus’ Poke, in Redondo Beach and that is also a go to. Also getting some KBBQ is a good move, hoping more of that in the future when indoor seating is more regular. For some good ice cream gotta go to Magpies Softserve in Silver Lake.

Would probably take a trip to Malibu one day, I know a couple small public beaches that are often quite secluded and I prefer that to being at the beach with too many people. Also take some hikes or park days, would be good to go to the Pacific Palisades or hang out at Kenneth Hahn park and have a picnic.

I always enjoy going to boutique stores as well to check out the new seasons clothing so if my guest was into that we’d probably go by Sunset to check out H. Lorenzo and Fred Segal. Would probably also like to go to Maxfield, Union, 424, Dover Street Market, and Deparmento along with some others that may not be coming to mind. There also the Rodeo dr shopping day which can be fun as well to see how all the luxury stores are presenting their newest product.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shout out my family for always loving me and supporting me. My parents exposed me to so much amazing art and possibilities which made me excited to pursue creativity and artistic outlets. I’d also like to shout out some of my amazing friends and collaborators who have helped me realize my vision; Ashley Alexander, Antonio Vidal, Carson Fuetsch, Fanny Chu, Pinar Sener, Miles French, Nikki Kim, Lance Williams, Magdalena O’Neal, and Rhyan Santos. There are so many people I’d like to shout out and thank, I am extremely grateful for the people in my life.

Website: www.christopherhollandbrandt.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/by.holland.brandt/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-holland-brandt-20a427185/

Image Credits
first photograph by alex free all other photographs with white backdrop were by Ashley Alexander