At Phoenix Fashion Week, the leading fashion industry event in the Southwest, fans experienced the works of Travis Ross of The Lost Cove Co., a contemporary lifestyle brand influenced by the diverse subcultures that mold the Southern California way of life.
Follow at: @thelostcoveco
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Your first fashion job: Tilly’s as a sales associate.
How would you describe your style? Personally, I feel my style is very diverse. I pull garments from all over the fashion spectrum and love to mix and match. As a brand, I think we’ve really started to find our niche.
When did you know you had a passion for fashion? Around 2002-2003. When the rap group Dipset came out, Travis Barker had just started to gain steam with his brand, Famous Stars and Straps. I was a huge fan of both and started developing a taste to put together different outfits that resembled all my favorite subcultures and sometimes blended them together. Even as a kid I was drawn to a very broad style that was influenced by musicians, music, skateboarding, pop culture and more. At the time, I was also very heavy into basketball and we had players like Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant that were leaning more and more into fashion.
Your biggest fashion accomplishment so far and why? My biggest fashion accomplishment has been this journey with Phoenix Fashion Week through the bootcamp leading up to the runway show. To be on the runway with this brand is a dream come true. I was also able to finally develop and produce the first-ever cut-and-sew line for the brand. I’ve been wanting to venture into cut-and-sew for years. Everything from multiple trips to the DTLA garment district, to getting back samples has been a journey and an accomplishment that won’t be forgotten.
The biggest obstacle you overcame? Being homeless. I was able to maintain multiple jobs while living out of my car and eventually was able to move in with a coworker. It remains one of my biggest fears to date.
A designer who inspires you and why? Mike Amiri has been a go-to for inspiration as of late. His continued design and aesthetic maturity has been very impressive to watch with his brand Amiri. He’s been able to tell his LA and background story in a very fluent and creative way. From runway shows in Paris to teaming up with hip hop legends, it’s been a treat to watch and continues to inspire me to push boundaries with The Lost Cove Co. and my designs.
Phoenix Fashion Week advice for someone pursuing a career in fashion as a designer? Find a concept and run with it. Try new things, try new styles and silhouettes until you find what works best for you.
What did fans see in your collection? A love letter to Southern California subcultures and workwear. The cut-and-sew line was heavily inspired by some classic West Coast silhouettes that have aged timelessly. I’ve approached these with a more current and tailored fit. Exploring these classics and finding ways to make them look fresh was a lot of fun and very inspiring.
Photo credit : KJ Media Lab