Can you introduce Cryoflesh to our readers?
We started Cryoflesh because we have always been interested in innovative design and we have made costumes for various performances we have done in the past. Throughout the years prior to starting Cryoflesh we were always involved in several different scenes and traveled all over the USA to enjoy the events. We would buy clothes from all over the world and for the most part experienced extreme difficulties in getting them from the stores that carried them. Sometimes we would have to wait a year and half just for 1 pair of pants. Others would just take our money and we would never hear from them again. This was very frustrating and a completely unacceptable way to treat customers. We almost felt it our responsibility to change all of that and treat people how we would like to be treated, as well as offer them a wide variety of innovative designs, so we started Cryoflesh.
So you started making costumes for yourself and then decided, why not make for other people as well since you came across many problems. Is different to make clothing for yourself and then start a business, suddenly you have to think about things as marketing? What was the biggest difference?
Yes, it’s very different making costumes for yourself and then items for a wide variety of people. For yourself it doesn’t have to be perfect. You can fix it as you go. A design that’s sold has to be perfect and made for many different sized people. This is much more difficult and time consuming.
Who are the people behind Cryoflesh?
There are two of us, Crystal & Derek.
How did you come up with the name Cryoflesh, where does it stand for?
The name was just to represent something cold, dark and futuristic. The 2 words that the name is comprised of are cryogenic and flesh which became Cryoflesh.
It has a real cyberpunk sound, is the cyberpunk scene one you like in particular?
Yes. However, cyberpunk is a very diverse term. It seems there are many variations in what cyberpunk means to the individual.
Did you always wanted to become a designer or did you have other dreams as a child?
Both of us have always been interested in something interesting, fun & dark. We have known each other for half of our lives and have always been into photography, art, modeling, special effects, theatre, music, writing and poetry. Cryoflesh became our outlet for everything we enjoy doing.
So in your dreams Cryoflesh will become much more than the clothing, what will Cryoflesh stand for in your dreams?
Hopefully it will become a movement capable of unifying all scenes and people. It’s kind of frustrating sometimes when a group of people from one scene express hatred towards another scene when they obviously have so much in common that they could create a much bigger and more diverse scene if they could appreciate each others differences and come to terms with them.
How did you become a designer, did you study for it or learned all while doing it?
We learned by doing it and making costumes & props for performances in the past.
So this was a long process I guess, taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back, did you ever had moments you wanted to stop or was the passion for designing always stronger?
It’s mostly the constant reproduction of a design that gets exhausting, not the creation of new ones. That said, sometimes prototyping can be extremely difficult and make you want to give up on a design altogether because it’s not working no matter what you try.
Everybody has role models in their lives, which are yours?
We don’t have role models that we can think of as we don’t base anything we do on anyone else and what they’ve done.
Role models doesn’t necessary mean you have to copy them, also in attitude or vision there can be people you admire a lot?
I see. There are a few people we admire and respect such as: Clive Barker, The Dalai Lama, Zecharia Sitchin and many others too numerous to list.
Your clothing seems to be really popular in the so called cyber Goth scene; do you personally feel connected to it as well and in what way?
Yes, we definitely feel connected to the “Cyber Goth Scene” as well as many other scenes. We like any movement that is progressive, innovative & fun.
Do you still have time to keep track of all things going on, new bands and so on?
To a degree. We can’t devote a whole lot of time to finding new bands as Derek has his own music projects as well which consumes most of the spare time outside of Cryoflesh.
You have many items in your catalog, on which one do you keep special memories or are you the most proud (and why)?
Whatever we create next. We don’t tend to dwell on the past as we are always busy looking forward into the future.
How do you get your inspiration for new designs?
From our appreciation of creation itself and all of the unknown elements of the cosmos.
How do you transform the ideas into the actual designs?
Working out the ideas on paper first and then painstakingly transferring them into physical prototypes.
What are problems or challenges you across while doing this?
Each item is different. It depends on what we’re working on. When you work on something for a while thinking it will work and then it doesn’t it can be quite frustrating. Some things simply don’t work at all and never make it past the prototype stage.
How does a normal working day look like, do you work every day at the same hours or does it depend on the orders?
We basically work every day. Some days are busier than others due to the amount of orders.
What are your goals for Cryoflesh? For what should Cryoflesh stand?
Our goals are to continue on our current path of growth and evolution. Cryoflesh stands for innovative and progressive futurism shadowed by the dark unknowns that await us on our journey forward into uncharted territory.
Any last words for the readers?
We hope that everyone can learn to respect the differences in all of us and develop the ability to appreciate diversity rather than hate it. Life would be boring if everyone was the same.
Check us out at www.cryoflesh.com