Spotlight on Steph and Rose of Crywolf Clothing

Designer Spotlight on Stephanie and Rose of Crywolf Clothing

Crywolf Clothing is the brainchild of two longtime friends and art school graduates, Stephanie Drabik and Rose Chang. The Toronto-based artists launched themselves into the independent fashion scene with their first label, p0isson.

By September 2008, they had graduated from art school and started Crywolf Clothing, a new and improved clothing label with a strong DIY attitude and unique designs.

Steph and Rose design and hand-silkscreen T-shirts, clothing and other accessories with their original art. Crywolf's style ranges from cute and whimsical to strange and fantastic, and they offer something for everyone!

In their words, "The name Crywolf of course comes from the famous fable of the boy who cried wolf, just one too many times. Rose and Steph are notorious to their friends for telling little fibs and playing elaborate pranks, exemplifying the spirit of the boy who cried wolf."

You chose the name Crywolf in honor of the classic fable; how did each of you earn reputations as pranksters?

R: Growing up, I had always enjoyed scaring my brother when my parents left us home alone. I always enjoy joking around and seeing looks of shock/horror on my friends' faces - only for a split second though. I never let the pranks go longer than a few seconds - it's priceless.

S: Yea, I was always kind of a goofball when I was younger. Middle child syndrome? A cry for attention? Probably both. It's great to have a partner in crime though, we're like double trouble. The pranking can reach whole new levels of hilarity.

After leaving art school, how did you decide to make the jump into the independent fashion industry?

R: During school we both decided to start the business as a hobby to see where it led us. We eventually decided that we needed to either quit it altogether or pursue it full time, so this is where we are at this point. We both decided to make the jump and do it full force.

S: When we started seeing a positive response from our first clothing venture, p0isson, we knew that we had something special and we could take it further. That's when we decided to really buckle down and channel all of our energy and time into what is now called Crywolf!

What inspires your designs the most?

S: We get a lot of inspiration from each other, seeing as how both of our art and design styles can be quite different. I think we've learned how to sort of incorporate both of our personal styles and ultimately that is what defines the Crywolf aesthetic.

Instead of seeing two very different and distinct styles where you can clearly distinguish which of us does what, we've taken inspiration from each other to create one style that people can recognize. We both love all types of art, and I think people can't help but get inspired by the things that float their boat.

R: What she said!

What do you like best about being in business with your friend? What is most difficult about it?

R: I really only see positive points about working with my friend. We just get along so well and share a lot of the same tastes and interests. We also both trust each other and can basically read each other's minds.

S: I concur. It's funny how often people warn against getting into business with a friend. Hopefully we can be an example of how it can be a good thing.

Each of you brings something special to Crywolf. What do you admire most about your partner and why?

R: I admire Steph's sense of style and fashion; she's always a head above the crowd (lol) and good at spotting what's hot and what's not. I also admire her level-head and creative mind. I think we complement each other well.

S: Rose has good intuition, which has landed us in some good positions and resulted in good decision making. I love her spontaneity and willingness to try new things; it's really refreshing and reminds me that it's important to take chances.

Who are your favorite indie designers and why?

R & S: As a general whole, we have a lot of respect for indie designers. We wouldn't say that we have any favourites. We respect people who have talent and appreciate the hard work that indie designers put into their products.

Anything exciting or new on the horizon?

R: We are exploring the world of plush soon. Keep your eyes and ears peeled. Also, Halloween is soon approaching, and we will have a special Halloween shirt release!

S: Also, we'll have some art prints for sale soon!