In an exclusive interview with MEGA, Aria shares the beauty of how an artist’s eye sees and seizes the opportunity to interpret and create art in every medium
Binaries, to individuals, make their digestion of concepts easier. By dividing them into one or the other, we draw a line to simplify ideas. Of course, art is no exception to this delineation with the roles of making and responding—an interpretation that is either personal or anchored on aesthetics, and a side for a societal, political perspective. Luckily, each is called to experience both creating and reading art. However, not everyone does it with much interest and consciousness like Aria Clemente.
As an artist of her own right, Aria has lived her life living for the production and perusal of pieces ranging from music, visual art, and fashion. With a life built upon the devotion to these things, she gives MEGA a glimpse on how she sees and seizes the opportunity to interpret and create art in every medium.
Fashioning into an artist
One’s deep inclination to the art, according to Aria, is rooted from a childhood of exposure to it. “I’ve always been a naturally curious child. I took piano, modeling, ballet lessons, et cetera. I think I just love learning, but I get bored easily. I learned to sing, and then it wasn’t enough; then I learned the ukulele and suddenly, it’s too small; I learned the guitar, and [when] it wasn’t enough, I learned the loop pedal,” she recalls.
The certain recall that her name carries actually stems from her singing stint from Little Big Superstar in 2007. Following suit is a World Championships of the Arts (WCOPA) win the same year. Since then, she became a constant presence in Philippine television as a singer and actress.
Explaining her love for music, she explains, “Music’s always been my first love. I feel like I retired early because it was so important to me and that I wouldn’t be able to cope if I failed in it. Acting was something I wish I took more seriously when I had the chance. It was my gateway into learning about production and what it took to produce shows and create movie magic.”
Eyeing as Aria
If one asks Aria what continues to fuel her pursuit for her passions, she will answer it with one word: curiosity. She supports this by giving loaded definitions of art, ranging from it being a broad subject to separating it from design. Aria even coins “professional dot connector” to describe herself, a term her boyfriend describes her with.
“We’d go to see an exhibit and I’d be like ‘Oh, I’ve seen the other part of this painting in 2016 when I went to New York for the first time.’ Or I’d cry in front of a painting and check the date and be like ‘Oh, She painted this in 1972? It must have been the same year her partner died. I remember reading this in her biography a few years ago,’” she explains.
With figurative images and ideas forming through her head to make sense of things, they finally became elements she assembles tangibly with her current profession in the world of fashion—a visual merchandiser.
Designing her space
It was in pursuing Interior Design that Aria first heard of visual merchandising. “Growing up, I [went to] malls all the time, but never really stopped to think who was behind all of it. As an outsider, I guess you never really have to think about those things. It’s like magic—you visit the same mall or store a few weeks later and everything’s been moved.”
With her knowledge on reading floor plans and doing mock-ups along with retail being an accessible and easy job to apply for in Los Angeles, Aria gravitated towards her current career. As of writing, she has worked with brands like American Apparel, Vans, Madewell, Acne Studios, and now with H. Lorenzo.
“I like VM (virtual merchandising) because it’s equal parts strategic and creative. The reality is that, as a visual merchandiser, your work will never be truly about you. It’s always about balancing what the company wants and what the clients need.”
The visual merchandiser manager also emphasizes the behavior-shaping effect of space both in the eyes of the curator and the consumer. “You’re a visual narrator, but you’re also a silent seller. You think about the weather, the events within your region, the marketing campaign that’ll launch the same week. Yet, in many ways, my work reflects so much of me. It’s very paradoxical. I get to be creative with windows and events and installations, but with the actual product placement and merchandising, it’s more strategic than creative.”
In a nutshell, Aria described the two kinds of visual merchandising as well—single and multi-brand. “I think merchandising for one brand is more nuanced and it’s more focused on storytelling. Merchandising for multi-brand is more problem-solving and thinking about brand-adjacencies.”
Curating as Aria
While Aria’s sartorial side is mostly prominent in her job, her affinity to fashion runs deeper. Growing up in the industry was her prelude to the nitty gritties of forming her style. She tells MEGA that versatility ultimately screams her—that and an injection of pieces and designs that reflect her personal taste. Case in point—chunky footwear, strategically cut tops and bottoms, and oversized layering.
Delving more into the specifics, the artist mentions Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga. “I collect it, especially Fall/Winter 2016. She also drops a list of her favorite brands and designers: Kusikohc, Airei, Vaquera, Hoda Kova, Avavav, Jean Paul Gaultier, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Y/Project, Maison Margiela, and Undercover.” In fact, CDG has appeared on her Instagram page in different iterations with the Shox TL sneakers and front cut trousers, collaboration pieces with Nike and HOMME+, respectively.
Indeed, there are people like Aria who take their love for fashion seriously, strongly enough to take on a career from it. With this, this is her friendly advice: “Research! This is a multi-billion dollar industry. Fashion design is an obvious choice, but it isn’t the only career path available. You can be a stylist, set designer, nail tech, makeup artist, pattern-maker, public relations officer, visual merchandiser, buyer, fashion journalist, [or] photographer.”
Take your time and try different things. Not everyone needs to be a designer. Find your niche and run with it. Also, be kind. Have a strong work ethic. It’s super easy to lose your way and get distracted by the scene, but keep your eyes on the prize. Be patient and be kind.
Aria Clemente on making it into the fashion industry
Photos From ARIA CLEMENTE (via Instagram)
The post Aria Clemente on the Evolution of Self and Perception of Art appeared first on MEGA.
Aria Clemente on the Evolution of Self and Perception of Art
Source: Insta News Pinoy
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