Walking up to her apartment surrounded by concrete I pressed the button to the 19th floor. Uneven and odd. Fitting for the abstract I was about to speak with. As I entered her apartment, I was hugged by her silky black hair. I could already smell the Margiela spiced candle that hugged me just as warmly.


JULES KALITA was dressed casually but still had an air of night sky beauty that trailed around her face and posture. I took a moment to just stare at her as I do every time we meet. She's got a Victorian elegance that’s blessed by leather and lace and is unmistakably Her.


Small candles were around her place like tiny altars of light. I followed her to the bedroom and began to get comfortable. Notably in the room there was this oversized mirror that I couldn’t help but look at. I was getting more excited to start our chat. So as I sprawled out in Jules’ low-lighting space I started sipping her hard kombucha and ‘queening-out’ about clothes and our moments spent among them.


This interview is a reflection of refined and stylized living following the journey to create a truly memorable collection of clothing. Here’s a peek into the way a woman who has devoted herself to the altar of design has found more than just meaning in her closet:

ABOUT JULES

JH: Welcome back to the pod…as two of our favorite voices on the internet like to say. Let me introduce the darker shade of proto-punk, the girl wrapped in webs of corporate goth. A curated collection of subversion. This is Jules Kalita.

JK: (laughs)


JH: To start out, we can begin simply and I'll ask you this - if you were to describe your style and aesthetic, what words would you choose?


JK: I'm already freezing up -- I'm gonna give the technical description. Cuts and colors. I like to push my limits; if I can, a little nip showing. Boob tape is definitely my Friend.


JH: But you don't give off Major Slut. It's quite controlled.


JK: Lots of what I own is about bodies. Like the Freudian Slip sitting next to me. There's another layer to it that shows that I’ve thought about something more. I’m not selling sex. I'm selling art.



JH: It’s not about sex at all, it feels about the body embraced with clothing.


JK: Yes exactly- you’re definitely pushing the edge of your body’s canvas. I have this canvas with me and I’m putting objects on me rather than me myself becoming the object.


JH: Continuing with more about you, I'm really interested in this mirror in your room. Knowing that your dad made this and how it's such an important part of getting dressed and an important part of your life.


JK: I’ve never had a big mirror like this. I remember asking my dad if he could make me a mirror as a gift for my 18th birthday. He spent many years as a carpenter, so it was totally in his wheelhouse. He didn't end up finishing it until I was like 19 and moved out. My body could have created and birthed a child by the time I got it. Patience is a virtue and waiting for that mirror was leading me on a path to Sainthood.

It’s such a staple to my room and it wouldn't be complete without it. He made it all - came up with the proportions and cut all the pieces for it. It’s something people who have everything can’t get. It’s not just a mirror but a gift of labor and love from my dad. I helped a bit too - mostly just the sanding and painting. It will follow me anywhere - I’ll pay the damn cargo fee.


JH: The memories attached to this are similar to the handmade clothes you buy. They not only have the memory of the designer but now they hold the memory you've created with it too.


JK: Nobody really asks about the sentimentality of furniture. It’s just kind of There. Looking at the mirror it is just a mirror. You are most likely looking at it to look at yourself. It's beautiful when things hold a meaning to you deeper than their function. And it’s not like it's anybody’s business… but it holds significance to me.


JH: It’s part of your personal history.

THE TRANSFORMATION

After this first moment together in conversation, it was clear that clothing meant more than just fabric and cuts to Jules. There was something swimming beneath that neutral toned surface. There was a thought out web of inspiration and reference that had to come from somewhere. I wanted to find out how this closet of hers developed. 

JH: So before the Tabis, before the curation, what was your style like and how did it transform?


JK: Honestly… Brandy Melville. Brandy Melville had my fucking back. I was like a Brandy girl and it was easy. Nothing was over $40 and I did not havea 90s Margiela budget then.


JH: Well, did you even know about that kind of fashion back then?


JK: I didn’t immediately know my style at first but I was always interested. When I got to college and started making income - I knew what I liked. It probably started on Twitter from seeing people post runways - and then I’d go on Vogue, firstVIEW - and I think that’s how a lot of people start to get to know designers.



JH: Who were you first drawn to? Who was the first designer that you were like “oh I need that”?


JK: Um.. Hm. Maybe not “I need that” but from the moment I realized what his deal was, it was Margiela.


He brought such a new perspective to fashion. Inspired by what was always there, like the iconic Semi Couture form dress form bodice. He took inspiration from the canvas that was right in front of him the whole time.  That’s what inspired me to see that there are so many different meanings to fashion. Yes, it's about the materials and the clothes but there's so much more than that.  It’s the - literal and metaphorical - peeling of the layers.

Fashion as an art form. It’s like the mirror - you don’t know the full story until you ask or do the research.

JH: This is why I view you as a curator and a collector. Nothing that you are wearing or buying is unintentional. There's depth behind the visage. I very much believe style is based on repetition and consistent, intentional choices that align with one another and I think that you are a reflection of that belief.

JK: When you develop a style it becomes a base for your choices. There’s the beginning of it all, where you question “I don't know if this is me” but that’s what becomes your base for the rest of your style. There’s people that try and adopt entire styles without having built a foundation and that’s where microtrends and fast fashion thrive. When you don't have those moments of self-development, the intentionality is lost. So much of style is only seen as certain pieces or trends and less so a true reflection of self.

THE CURATION

So transforming from a Fashion Twitter and Vogue Fanatic to a True Collector, Jules started by developing a sense of self, a sense of identity. She wasn't always so delicate and deliberate with the garments draping her body. But not everyone is blessed with such a style and formative closet inspiration. This is where I got to really hear about what she’s thinking when buying and dressing as an art form. 


JH: So let's get into it now. The big “Why.” Why do you have all of these curated pieces of clothing, what’s the point? What does it mean to you?


JK: It's a whole process. I don't just see something and buy it. I’m not an impulse buyer. (Other than from before I got banned from The Real Real). I let things marinate in my head, I dig around every resale site and try to get the history and story behind pieces. It’s a whole process of curation - is this something I want to wear, does this fit for me, is this something that fits alongside everything else in my closet?


JH: I love that this is a whole process for you. It’s not just random internet shopping. So, getting more into designer influences, what about Ann Demeulemeester drew you in?


JK: I don't wear a lot of colors, and I find her scarce use of color to be very intentional. It's more focused on cuts and femininity but not over-feminine or gauche. It's a timeless design. It's almost Victorian. That's not even reflective of my style but it's all very linear and it's never too repetitive.

Which is why dressing yourself is so fun. You’re making art from the art. Everything is inspired by somebody. Patti Smith influenced Ann and Ann has inspired me, and I’ll and I’ll probably influence someone else to dress themselves in a different way. Maybe I won't, but I’d like to hope that I have some inspiration on the way some people dress themselves, even if it is by simply allowing themselves to Overdress in a situation when they know I will also most likely be Overdressing. Sometimes you have to wear leather flares to the grocery store. The beautiful thing is that nobody really cares.


 
JH: Well you’ve definitely influenced me. Especially as I’ve moved away from earth tone fashion. Seeing you have a closet full of the neutrals that I love, has made me want to know more.


JK: People always say blacks and whites are so easy to style. First of all, it is not, and even if it is easier to pair things, it gives more room to be free with the shapes and materials without the restraint of color.

Blacks and whites feel more free. By restricting myself I give myself more freedom.  It goes into knowing what your style is. If you have everything - you aren’t going to know who you are. What you're attracted to says something about you. I know what I'm attracted to, I know what I like and it’s the cut, it's the materials, it's the way it feels and how everything works together.


JH: Those decisions and choices [Ann Demeulemeester] makes are all following the same guidelines - no matter how far away they are from the design language she has - the repetitive nature of those decisions is what makes the iconic representation of her style. You can literally tell it's her.


JK: In person, you can see the little details that you miss on the runway. I love the way it feels on my body, I love all of the belts she uses. The way she makes clothes - the amount of materials and little details- is something that’s lost on fashion with just how it ‘looks.’ This is for the presence of it and is where it feels like art. That's why it feels so good on your body. It's because there was that thought put into it.

You can’t just develop your style right off the bat. It’s like growing up. There’s a lot of pressure to know who you are very instantaneously and it's the same thing with style.


JH: What are the most important repetitive elements of design that bring your garments together? What are the constraints you put on yourself to create your style?


JK: For styling, I love anything low-rise. Even if it's loose, I get it big enough to become low rise. I like the shapes that it creates on my body. In terms of design, it’s cuts. Knowing what shapes work with you and each other.


JH: From a third person perspective I see a lot of constraints and angular shapes.


JK: I would agree, since I do like the focus of cuts and the way things fit on me.  My body is the organic shape, so even if the piece is angular or the boot is super chunky there’s still this human aspect. There's a lot of humanity in my clothes. Creases, stains, and fading are Life. It's all the little flaws and things that add meaning to me.

In the sense of the design, I don't want you to only look at the clothes but also how I work within the clothes.

Humanity in terms of bodies. The body is the canvas. You're dressing in terms of your body anytime you put on clothes.

CONCLUSION

JH: Give me a few tips on how to curate a closet. If you were to help someone curate a closet, where would you tell someone to start?


JK: Well everyone has clothes to begin with. I would say how can you level up what you have now. If you have this favorite pair of pants, what could you add to make it more? What would you style with it? Get pieces that pair with other clothes you already have. When pieces go super well together you can pair them with a bunch of different pieces. It’s leveling up an outfit you already have. Something I started playing with was undergarments. Something you can throw on to another outfit. Layering is the answer. I’m super into a good pair of tights right now. Good Lingerie is dying but we can bring it back. Playing around with what you already have.



JH: What's your dream piece and worst thing you’d do to get them?


JK:The Margiela Semi Couture piece. I just want to put it on my body so bad. It’s just the perfect symbol of a blank canvas.  That put over anything paired with anything - that is a staple piece. In terms of my style and styling philosophy - I would say that. Final answer.

And what I’d do to get it - I’d break into the MET. I’d get super famous to have an excuse to borrow it and go off the grid and live in a cave. But I’d be living in a cave with my Semi-couture dress. And I’d die in it. Bury me in it.


JK & JH: See you in hell…. (As they say)

END