Metro Vieve team member Temperance Williams caught up with fashion designer Stoi Phillips-Galindez in her atelier following the largely successful Jour de la Mode fashion event this Spring. In an intimate interview, Stoi shared some insights on her process, inspirations, and perspectives on industry standards.

Story by Temperance Williams; Photography by Jacob Zambrano and Allie Maciag; Creative Direction | Tayja Strickland

Temperance: Your company not only stands for high fashion but also fashionable living. What made you decide to stretch out from styling the person to styling their home? Stoi: When I studied at the art institute in Los Angeles (LA), I did both because I wanted to do fashion and interior design. Temperance: For Fashion Week in 2021 in Charlotte, you showed the collection called “Black widow” which was inspired by the underground gothic and vampire scene. A lot of the clothing was obviously very dark and sheer. Can you elaborate on why you chose these particular designs? Stoi: Yes, I did that collection because it mostly reflects how I dress. I love a black sheer anything. Black is my favorite color that's the only color I wear. If I wear color, that means hell has frozen over!

Temperance: You’ve done quite a bit since your company has started and it appears to be flourishing. What made you want to start a design company, where did that deep love for design begin? Stoi: My love for design stemmed from a woman I worked for in LA who knew I was studying at the art institute. I started designing for her and she was the one who pushed me to do my own fashion line.

Temperance: One thing that is heavily noted about Stois Design Company is diversity and inclusion. In an industry that is known for leaning towards a certain look and structure for models, it cannot be easy to go against the grain. What made you want to step outside of society’s norms for models? Stoi: I had an experience during one of my fashion shows in LA. One of my friends asked me to step back and look at my models. My model lineup was not diverse, and it wasn’t my doing. I was letting someone take over my brand and pick the models for me. Once my friend pointed that out to me, from that day forward I said “No, I can’t have that. I want all types of women – with shapes, heights, tattoos, and piercings.

Temperance: Was there any backlash or hardships that stemmed from others about your decision? Stoi: Yeah, you know I participated in a fashion show, not going to mention where, and a person was very nasty to a curvy model on my team. I didn't appreciate that behavior and I decided to no longer participate in that fashion week going forward. I believe every model should be treated with respect because, at the end of the day, as designers, we cannot have fashion shows without our models.

Temperance: What would be your best piece of advice for a model new to the industry and searching for ways to improve? Stoi: Just be yourself. Know your worth and always be honest with the designer.