Dresses, bodysuits, and bottoms with cutouts and hardwire accents are all the rage as the fashion industry rapidly introduces new, inventive labels with fresh trends. Vixen Society has everything you need to look your best this summer, and the styles of the post-pandemic era are as exciting and varied as they come.
Launched in July, designers Piper Lyons and Anna Woods met while studying fashion design in Los Angeles, eventually becoming best friends afterward. “Our goal is to celebrate everyone in their individuality and femininity and make them feel as beautiful as they can possibly feel,” they share. Embracing the uniqueness of every woman, the label creates clothes that can be worn from day to night and aims to provide an atmosphere of refinement with a dash of provocativeness.
Vixen Society’s debut collection, titled “PARADISO,” draws inspiration from the resort and party culture of Ibiza and Y2K glam. It introduces an array of garments, including several dresses, a two-piece, playsuit, and swimwear. Standout pieces include the Jade Playsuit, featuring a center front cut-out and detachable rhinestone chain, as well as the Pink Cosmos one-piece bikini which arrives in a playful mixture of pink, orange, and red hues. It’s complemented by a sarong that can be styled both short or long to the wearer’s desire.
We had the chance to speak to the label’s founders, Anna and Piper, who have recently launched their inaugural collection, to learn about the inception of Vixen Society, how they navigate the world of fashion, and more. Read our full interview below.
How did the two of you originally meet and eventually become close enough friends to launch a fashion label together?
We met while studying fashion design in Los Angeles at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 2019! We sat by one another on the first day of orientation and instantly clicked! After a year of attending school together, being best friends as well as roommates, we both knew we wanted to embark on the journey of starting a clothing brand! Our ambitions and aesthetic were very similar, and we worked excellent together so we thought that uniting to create a brand would guarantee success! After a little over a year of planning, we finally launched our shared fashion label, Vixen Society!
When did the idea for Vixen Society come about and what does the brand name mean?
We did a lot of creative brainstorming activities such as concept maps, and used websites to generate random names and new words based on the words we had previously picked and liked. We eventually came up with “Vixen” which represents a fierce and spirited woman and incorporated “Society” into our name because we valued that our brand be more than just an online retailer. We wanted to build a welcoming community for our customers which aids in the discovery of inner fearlessness and confidence. Our goal is to celebrate everyone in their individuality and femininity and make them feel as beautiful as they can possibly feel.
In terms of creating a brand that reflects modern fashion, who is the ideal person you’re designing for?
The girlies, gays, and baddies who strive for a glamorous lifestyle and love to dress up for a night out or a special occasion. We design for the client that has a passion for fresh and fierce styles with a touch of provocativeness that can mirror their power and beauty.
Tell us about the “PARADISO” collection. With it being your first, what are some elements and design features that you want to emphasize?
PARADISO was majorly influenced by the resort and party culture of Ibiza, as well as Y2K glam. Our collection has a mixture of everything, from chic swimwear to be worn poolside to stylish maxi dresses which may be worn in the evening. Every garment incorporates jewelry-like elements, which makes it easier for our customers to style so that they are able to think less when it comes to accessorizing. These jewelry elements are also removable/detachable and adjustable to our customers’ liking!
Vibrant hues such as pink and orange appear in pieces like the Sorbet Dress and Pink Cosmos—what inspired the color scheme of the collection and its accompanying photoshoot campaign?
As Paradiso is a summer collection, we wanted to incorporate bright and vibrant hues to encapsulate an energetic and playful feel. We wanted a powerful and attention-catching color palette to offer our customers pieces that go against the grain and contrast other options on the market. We are all about having our customers stand out and be unique all while in their own individuality!
Barbiecore is also the ultimate trend of the summer 2022 season and one that helped to influence parts of our color scheme and photoshoot campaign as well. Barbiecore celebrates all things pink which aided in our decision to include such vibrant eccentric shades. Along with Barbiecore, trashy fashion inspired some of the design elements in some of the pieces as well as our choice in props for the photoshoot from pink guns to raunchy Playboy magazines!
Can you walk us through what your design process is like?
We usually save loads of images and videos we see online for fresh inspiration, whether it be Instagram or Tiktok, anything from model poses, fabrics, trims, colors, new and unique silhouettes, and even unique graphics or aesthetic locations. We also love to look at vintage photographs to get ideas. We then usually do quick hand-drawn concept sketches, where we mess around with how garments may be draped and formed. Finally, we make clean-cut illustrations of the approved sketches using digital software in which the final garment idea is formed!
Using both of your social media followings certainly helps pivot into fashion, although what are some of the challenges that come with starting a fashion brand?
Everything has been a learning curve so far, but we’ve been enjoying it! Some of our biggest challenges were finding great manufacturers to work with and ensuring that the process went smoothly and on schedule as planned. One important thing that we learned is that timing is everything, especially since fashion trends change ever so often with each season. Organizing shoots have also been an entire learning experience since we had to deal with how to manage an entire crew from photographers up to the models.
If you could have one celebrity wear something from Vixen Society, who would it be and what would you have them wear?
Right now we are obsessed with Chloe Cherry, the iconic actress and model from the popular tv show, Euphoria! She has very peculiar features as a model, and her style speaks trashy but in the most fashionable of ways. “Trashion” or “trashy fashion” is another trend we are currently obsessed with and one that she executes so well! Think sheer tops without a bra or letting your thong hang out of your pants. We think she would be jaw-dropping in all of our garments, but definitely could see her killing it in our lime dress!
What can we expect from the brand in the coming collections?
You’ll definitely be in for a surprise! With our upcoming winter collection, we are incorporating lots of metallics, fun prints, faux leathers, as well as jewelry trims! The collection is characterized by a grimy, chaotic mishmash of hipster fashion, and ’90s grunge glam incorporated into a range of unique silhouettes!
