Label Love: Greta Constantine
Have you heard of Greta Constantine? What began as an idea between fashion-obsessed friends became one of Canada’s most avant-garde sartorial projects. Kirk Pickersgill – a stylist whose resume includes positions at DSquared2 and Neil Barrett – and Stephen Wong – a costume designer whose work was featured in American Psycho, Chicago, and Hairspray – together created Greta Constantine in Toronto, in 2006.
Named after Stephen’s mother and Kirk’s grandfather, it didn’t take long for Greta Constantine to hit the big time. In only six years, Kirk and Stephen have accomplished more than most designers will in a lifetime. The brand’s collections, presented during both Toronto and New York City fashion weeks, have been worn by celebrities such as Nelly Furtado, Angelina Jolie, Victoria Beckham, Yasmin Warsame and Naomi Campbell. Also, not only have Kirk and Stephen been featured in Vogue, Flare, Nylon, and WWDbut their designs have graced the covers of FASHION, Zink!, Azure, Spade, FQ, and Lush magazines. Wow.
What makes Greta Constantine unique? Their high fashion “society girl” outfits, say the boys. Their collections “appeal to the sleek, worldly, empowered and sophisticated woman and offer clothes with a modern sensibility for truly effortless dressing”. The designers also experiment with different styles and techniques. “We listen to our clientele – it’s very important for our designs to make a woman feel confident and beautiful,” explains Kirk. Judging by their clientele list bursting with celebrities and socialites, they’re dead-on.
After having made a fashion-media splash in just six years, Kirk and Stephen have been living in the fast lane. Their favorite part of working in the industry? “There are so many creative and innovative people in fashion – everyone we meet helps us to grow as designers and as people. And of course, we’re living our dream and doing what we love,” says Kirk. Finally, there’s one last thing to ask the boys of Greta Constantine: at what point did they feel like they “made it”? With utmost modesty, Kirk admits that both he and Stephen don’t consider that they’ve quite “made it” just yet. “There’s still so much for us to do and discover!”
