It was about late 2011 when Brian “Scoop” Nemeth came into Fashion Denver’s boutique sharing his idea and drawings for his line of swimsuits that he wanted to create. I’ve seen him work relentlessly on his dream and it has been amazing to see it come to fruition. We are honored to feature Scoop at our fashion bonanza on June 16th!
Besides being an innovative designer, Brian has raised awareness about people living with autism and aspergers and he does it through taking action in his passions.
“Even though I have asperger’s/autism, it has not limited my ability to be a productive citizen and contributing member of society,” says Brian.
He’s got a GoFundMe campaign running to raise money to continue his dream in fashion. Check it out here…
What was your first memory of fashion inspiration that you can remember?
Dress code back in high school, which inspired me to think of a way to balance between (a) following the dress code and making females comfortable and (b) enjoy what I love seeing on a woman
When I was in my sophomore and junior year of high school, I took a swim class, which was a requirement for graduation. A few female classmates wanted to wear bikinis, and we male classmates wanted to see them in two-pieces. But again, with the dress code, our swim teacher suggested either one-pieces or long t-shirts. Then, when I looked at summer swimwear issues, I saw one-pieces with belly cutouts. I thought that would be awesome for females in swim class. The only thing I would add is the speedo racerback in the back of the suit. That’s just what I did with the ONEderkini.
What motivated you to start your own fashion business?
As a transfer student at Metro State College of Denver, I need a backup plan in case broadcast journalism doesn’t come to pass after graduation. But that’s not the only reason for starting a fashion business
One motivation is offering a less-degrading alternative to the garments that show cleavage, buttocks, under the hood.
I designed garments like primetime newscasts, consumer stories and morning traffic reports…save her time and money. Suppose if a female banker wants to go clubbing after work. How it saves her time is that she won’t have to go home, and change from business suit to clubbing clothes. She can beat the traffic in a blazer, lowrider dress pants with a crop top.
But the big motivation…offer an alternative to what the media thinks looks great on a woman…counteracting the media’s portrayal of beauty. Not all women are built like tall skinny supermodels, nor are women comfortable wearing in-your-face scantily clad attire
Tell us one of your fashion icons or designer influences?
Chuck Hagel, former Secretary of Defense
https://www.buzzfeed.com/hayesbrown/farewell-chuck-hagel-fashion-icon?utm_term=.xvZ9JeBkx#.qcqK9EeYl
As you can see, Hagel’s way of dressing was more outside-the-box, like I am.
What inspires your designs?
For one thing, women are not all built like tall skinny supermodels. I’ve grown to like women showing some skin, no matter what body type, breast size and body height. I’ve got to cater my designs to their bodies.
I’ve got to keep children in mind. First off, children should be learning in school (even overseas), not working in a sweatshop. That’s why I want to make assembly local here in Denver. Secondly, children are impressed by what they see in the media, and parents don’t want their children exposed to anything scantily clad at a young age.
Looking for a way to save time and money. Suppose she is a banker wanting to hang with friends after work. Imagine she is at a phone booth changing from one outfit (business clothes) to the next outfit (clubbing clothes), and she is ready to rock-n-roll like Supergirl.
Saving time and money with one outfit, thinking about children, and catering to her figure…those are what inspires my line. That, and being able to give the female customer what she wants, instead of what’s thrown at her by the media (magazines) through my clothing surveys.
What are your thoughts about the fashion industry here in Denver?
New York, LA, Paris and Milan had their moment to shine fashion-wise. Now, it’s Denver’s turn, seeing that work and play cross paths everyday.
What is one of your favorite pieces that you have ever designed and why?
The ONEderkini, which is a one-piece center cutout swimsuit and leotard. Several reasons why it’s my favorite. One reason, like I said, the dress code for high school swim class. Second reason, a woman might want to show off her belly ring; not all one-pieces offer that feature, nor would a woman be comfortable in a two-piece. Third reason is saving her time going from gym to pool. That’s because the ONEdekrini works like a leotard, competitive swimsuit, workout shorts, workout tanks…all-in-one. While I use swimwear fabric on the outside, I use wickaway fabric for lining. When she wears the ONEderkini lifting weights at the gym, the wickaway lining blocks out sweat and eliminates odors. When she wears the same suit form gym to pool, wickaway also withstands chlorine, and all she has to do is rinse off the sweat in locker room showers.
3 Things if stranded on an island?
- Supply of food and drinks
- Big tent and sleeping bags
- flares to signal a plane or boat