Serenastyle Blog

We met at Café Milano a week before finals back in December, and I had no idea who exactly I was meeting. I just knew she was looking for a web designer for her start up fashion line. I thought, I like entrepreneurs, I’ll take on the project. The voice I spoke to on the phone had a French accent, but the girl I met in person looked Asian.

I was born in Paris, France where I grew up with my two brothers. My mom is Chinese, and my dad is Chinese, Cambodian, and French.  They were both born and raised in Phnom Penh, Cambodia due to civil wars that were occurring in China at that time. My dad then immigrated to France early enough during his teenage years and was welcomed by a French family. My mom, however, succumbed to the Khmer Rouge regime and experienced hardships living in concentration camps for four years.

Today, I feel more connected to the French culture but the history of my parents in South-East Asia also plays a major impact in my everyday life decisions. After graduating a year early from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley in August 2008, I was eager to learn what the world had to offer—apart from classroom settings. I was considering a job in accounting or financial services, as did many of my fellow schoolmates. However, I also knew that I had to find more than a job—a career passion that would keep me motivated to strive for success every day.

We’ve met up at least three times since then, yet I never really knew the back-story to Caliber.59—I only knew of what I saw on the surface: a pretty cool logo and some pretty good-lookin’ models in grunge-y screen-printed T’s.

I have always loved fashion ads ever since my teenage years, but fashion to me at that time had no greater purpose than simply helping my walls look glamorous. As I was looking to get more involved around campus during my second semester at UC Berkeley, I heard about the Fashion and Student Trends club and decided to join. I designed seven women's outfits for the first time and started building greater interest for fashion. I considered becoming a buyer, but the current economy and my growing desire to start my own business after college held me from applying to corporate fashion headquarters.

Two months after exploring different career opportunities and researching the industry on my own, my mind was set to start my own clothing line: Caliber.59. My brand name simply came after a reflection on my life. After playing the piano for nine years at a music conservatory in Paris, I realized the importance of developing a talent. Therefore, I wanted to build a clothing brand name that would bring out the confidence, capacity and character in each and every one of us.

To avoid general misconceptions of associating the brand image with gun violence, I chose an unrealistic ammunition size number, "DOT 59". The number 5 symbolizes the five main historical French 20th century designers (Louis Vuitton, Coco Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent, and Christian Dior). The number 9 simply corresponds with my birthday (Jan. 9) and the year in which I am officially releasing the brand (2009).

I came up with a logo that connects all pieces of my life together: "Cal" stands for "Caliber"—Haute Couture style—and "California"—my new home. I am also using the Eiffel tower as an "A" in the logo to represent my hometown and to reminisce over sixteen years of my life spent in Paris. Caliber.59 is thus a combination of European and American inspirations. Healthy living and exercising also play a part, as I am designing mostly fitted and sportswear clothing.

I am lucky to have a few experienced mentors by my side for guidance and advice on the fashion industry. My family has been supporting me all along. I have also met and collaborated with great models, photographers, and designers in the industry. My friends have also been very encouraging. I am so grateful and I really want to thank everyone who has helped me out.

As designers, we always have someone we admire and look up to. Often times, our role models inspire and influence our own work, so I just had to ask…

My favorite fashion designer is Coco Chanel. No doubt. She is the only French female figure from the 20th-century who really had an influence on haute couture. I admire her modernist philosophy and entrepreneurial spirit. She designed menswear-inspired fashion to encourage women to dress for themselves and not their men. She persisted after her very first shop of raincoats and jackets went out of business—and she lived through two world wars. She never quit the fashion world and was able to design simple, comfortable yet sophisticated-looking clothing. As Chanel said, "Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance." Her determinism and talent are really what motivates me to strive for success.

Lastly, why men’s fashion, and what shall we anticipate for next?

I found more inspiration designing men's apparel, and started my collection with T-shirts because the cut is simple, yet the style is everlasting. Also, what’s sexier than a man in a fitted T-shirt?! In the upcoming months, I plan on generating more designs on 100% cotton, form-fitting shirts. I also want to produce unique cuts for Caliber.59 garments and expand the line to other products such as jeans, perfumes, and accessories. My dream and ultimate goal would be to open a Caliber.59 store on Fifth Avenue in New York City someday.

See you in New York—in the near future. I happen to know Virginie's line quite well, since I designed the website for her. You may view her collection and help a recent college student out by buying one of her T's online at: CALIBER59.COM. Here's my favorite T:

Virginie's having a launch party tomorrow night. Anyone want to hook me up with an ID?