By Jason Perez-Dormitzer
All the items at Philip Sawyer Designs in Newport are produced in a renovated mill on Providence’s West Side. The aim is to produce locally crafted, eco-friendly clothing that looks good and, as importantly, honors the intricate relationship between a design and the complexities of the human form.
“Good design embraces life, period,” Philip Sawyer told Tribe. “Clothes should be put together in ways that feel right.”
The Newport location, Sawyer’s first, opened in June of 2011. Sawyer operates the business with his wife Anh Vu Sawyer, author of Song of Saigon, the account of her escape from Saigon as the Vietnam War ended in 1975.
“She is my muse. She inspires me in so many ways,” Sawyer said of his wife, adding that when it comes to the business, “if she says a design works for her, I know it will sell.”
Anh’s Asian roots and Philip’s study of Asian religions, a component of his philosophy degree at Wheaton College, are experiences that they adapt to create clothes with a “Western understanding.” Together the couple collaborates to create products that combine her sense of style with his design ideals. Aside from clothing, there are numerous pieces of art and jewelry created by friends of the Sawyers, artists they’ve met over the years.
“We like to support our artist friends,” Sawyer said and added that self-promotion can be challenging. “With our store we can help other artists overcome this.”
Philip compared his design sensibilities to what he sees at restaurants. He’s said there are a lot of what he calls “overdesigned” spaces where the chairs, for instance, don’t match the tables, or there is an emphasis on pretty pieces without attention to why they are there.
“I don’t think that’s the way to address the uniqueness and wonderfulness of a space,” he said. Things should be put together in a way that you are not forcing a conscious design.”
This concept is analogous to the clothing he designs. The “space,” in this case, is the human body, a complex arrangement of curves and lines that Sawyer says demands clothing that respects its wearer. Sawyer saw the relationship as intriguing, more intriguing than the sculpture class he took while attending Wheaton College. That was the point at which he became solidly interested in designing clothes.
“I’m interested in the real-world constraints of creating clothes. It’s a challenge.” However, he said he would be deluding himself if he ignored the pulse of the fashion world.
“I have to pay attention to trends. We’re fish in the same sea. We are subject to the same culture and arts as any other designer,” he said.
Sawyer describes his pieces as updated versions of classics. The store is filled with nature-inspired pieces like a dress inspired by a seashell. Sawyer revels in the craftsmanship that goes into his pieces. His “Holy Grail” of men’s jackets, an older-style garment he says fits shoulders just right, is seamless and features precisely placed pockets.
“It floats on you,” he told Tribe, and that’s what he’s looking to offer clients—pieces that they can wear every day for many years as opposed to just a single season.
Sawyer said he tries to make his store as eco-friendly as possible and currently is ninety-five percent “zero-waste.” He donates all of his scrap materials to other artists and hopes eventually to use only organic silks, linens and cottons and work solely with natural dyes. Sawyer said that switching to natural dyes is challenging. “A lot of them fade after a number of washes.”
The design elements, workmanship and emphasis on being green means clothes at Philip Sawyer Designs will not be competing with Walmart’s prices any time soon. The cost of a men’s shirt starts at $150. The Sawyers are currently expanding the business to include wedding dresses and home décor.
Philip Sawyer Designs | 233 Spring Street Newport, RI 02840 | (719) 649-5424 | philipsawyer.com
