Nong Phon AKA Andy South
Thursday, February 16, 2012
By Flavia Francesquini | Images Shot55 How much time did you spend thinking about what you are wearing right now? I've noticed three different methods people follow in order to get dressed each day. Some people gather whatever is handy, weather appropriate and somewhat clean, throw the whole thing together without the help of a mirror and run out the door. Others think carefully about colors, textures and nuances until the final ensemble can be approved for the cover of Vogue magazine. I belong to the third group; we don’t quite understand fashion as an art form but we own a mirror and have enough sense to distinguish between fashionably quirky and circus freak. What we have hoped for is that some nice designer would come up with something that we can actually wear out in public even if we are not walking down a red carpet. Luckily for us, our wishes have come true! If you weren’t lost at sea the last two years you will remember that our very own Andy South made a huge splash by becoming a finalist on the popular reality show Project Runway.
The first time I met with Andy he was busy developing the collection that took our breath away on the last episode of the show. He amazed me then with his calm demure and eloquence. He seemed like an old soul in an exotic new body. I watched how he moved around his studio and couldn’t help but think what great sensibility goes into turning pieces of fabric into something others want to wear.
Since then he has kept himself very busy creating and launching his own line of clothes right here in Hawaii! His designs are still clean, beautiful and clearly inspired by all things sexy. The best part of his collection is that you don’t have to be a super model to look good in it. Andy understands the female body but more than that, he truly gets the feminine power that comes from feeling sexy and confident. He inhales the beauty of his world and exhales wearable art that subtly says, “I am here.”
Part of his intuitive powers comes from his ability to channel Nong Phon, his alter ego and muse extraordinaire. Nong Phon translates to Andy what nature looks like through the eyes of a woman. She is the inhibited facet of his personality, as he puts it, “Nong Phon is just a part of whoI am, a side of me some people are familiar with and others are not. She is not all there is to me, but a part of who I am as a whole.” As for how his family and friends have reacted to Nong Phon, he responds nonchalantly, “People who are close to me know who I am and I have continued to receive support, especially from my mom who is still by my side every step of the way.” In fact, Phon is his mom’s nickname, which he chose because “she is my role model and I learned everything I know by observing her strength as a woman.”
With his Spring Collection on the way I can’t wait to see what visions he brings into reality. When asked about his inspiration for the new line he surprised me by saying that a lot of it came from images of the tsunami that happened in Japan last year. While most of us can only think of it as an overwhelming disaster, Andy explains that “Yes, it was terrible in many ways, but it was also a cleansing type of destruction, it was nature doing what nature does. Seeing the beauty in it helps me to understand and cope with the devastation, it reminds me that there is beauty every where if you are willing to look for it.”
The Spring Collection will be launching at Neiman Marcus February / March 2012 and Andy will be on location to greet those who come to say hello. Perhaps Andy’s designs will help you uncover a new facet of your personality. Unleash the sexy and bring it on!
Visit www.AndySouth.com
Reader Comments (1)
wow.... Andy... she's (you are) beautiful...