Before I sat down with New York based designer, Mina Stone, I knew little about her aside from two things. First is that her flowing, stand-alone pieces make a strong statement despite their cool simplicity. The second is that she may have done the unthinkable–stopped designing and relocated abroad to become a chef. Both these things intrigued me and so I was happy to have the chance to find out more.

Our meeting takes place in the intimacy of Stone’s apartment. As though we are long lost friends she greets me with fresh coffee and chocolates from Greece—which I would be crazy to refuse. She answers my questions as we sip the caffeine and nibble sweets.

JW: I read that you spent three years in Greece.

MS: That was wrong!

She corrects me matter-of-factly.

Already I can tell Miss Stone does not fit the cliché definition of a fashion designer; for her there is no need to brandish an over-the-top personality. Her grounded, quiet self-confidence is immediately apparent.

JW: So did you go to Greece at all?

MS: I did go to Greece; I did stop my line and I moved to Greece. I wanted to see if I could live there and work from there. I went because I was feeling like my line was doing well, but I felt like if I didn’t stop then I could sort of keep doing my line and all of a sudden be like fifty and…

She trails off on the notion of spending most of one’s life doing one specific thing. For many designers 20+ years of designing probably sounds ideal. Despite the success of her line however, Mina Stone makes it clear that she is thirsty to experience more than fashion design.

JW: What’d you do while you were there?

MS: I took language courses, intensive language courses and I cooked a lot. I learned a lot about food over there.

JW: What I read said that you were a personal chef.

MS: Mhmm. I always really liked to cook and when I started my line I knew that I would have to support myself somehow and so I started cooking. I sort of built up a client base and started cooking more and more. I started cooking for Gavin Brown’s gallery and then cooking for some of the artists in that gallery and still do. I do their events every month.

It’s definitely a part of my creative process. Fashion to me is really slow and sort of tedious, you work on it forever and then six months later, does it sell well? Food is this very quick and tangible thing. You can do it and you can give and you know if it’s okay or not in the first hour.

JW: So what do you cook?

MS: I would say Mediterranean, Greek, organic, peasant food.

JW: It’s the best kind of food and it’s the most affordable.

MS: And it’s the healthiest stuff. People always ask me this and I do believe in organic and I believe in local produce, but I also just believe in like lentils and vegetables.

JW:  As a designer where do you draw your inspiration from?

MS: I usually answer this question by saying I’m inspired by periods of time, but I don’t really work in a, “I’m going to research the forties and be inspired by military wear” way. Usually I’ll get really into something or get inspired by something and then I’ll realize that it’s more of an emotional thing. When it comes time to design my next collection I find myself looking from the past six months and pulling from an emotional place for the most part. I’m sure it doesn’t translate to anybody else but me, but that’s how I work.

JW: Describe your personal style. What would be an everyday outfit for you?

MS: This other magazine asked me about my personal style and they were like, “you’re pieces are flirty and feminine is that how you dress?” My gut reaction was to be like “Of course I don’t dress flirty and feminine!” There’s something that seems really cheap about putting it in that category. I didn’t really know how to answer because I definitely am feminine, but I wear things that are big and baggy with lots of cloth. I dress like an eccentric sixty year old woman-that’s how I describe my personal style. I wear big jewelry and I like wearing caftans and tunics. You’re catching me in an exception–I’ve had this since I was fourteen.

The exception the designer sits across from me in is a navy maxi dress with big, brightly colored flowers covering it from halter neck to floor length hem. The dress has clearly stood the test of time, as well as, managed to remain current years past its sell by date.

I like wearing loud things too, like really bright prints or something from head to toe that’s all the same color. I like my lipstick to match my dress to match my nail polish to match my shoes; I am interested in one day being able to dress monochromatically.

JW: Do you have any particular designers that you admire?

I really love Dries Van Noten for all the fabrics, Marni for cuts–I wish I could do that, she humbly confesses, but my “whatever” realm is somewhere else. My very favorite designer is Elsa Schiaparelli because her sensibility to me is something that you don’t see today. Her infusion of fashion with humor and surrealism and having it be really cool but also have a sense of humor is really hard to find.  She’s my top not even specifically for her clothing as much as her whole idea.

When she’s not creating food or fashion Mina Stone enjoys drinking wine with friends, going to Greece, learning about food and “just putzing around.” She is truly herself and this is the heart of her work. Her line is available through various stockists in New York, San Francisco, and Portland, as well as online at Domahoka.

Photos by Joanna Totolici