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Kin Ying Lee

Madewell Creative Director Kin Ying Lee Interview
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Two Minutes With: Madewell Creative Director Kin Ying Lee

>> Madewell creative director Kin Ying Lee spends her day dreaming up cool things for her customers, so it's no surprise that she buys cool things for herself.
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>> Madewell creative director Kin Ying Lee spends her day dreaming up cool things for her customers, so it's no surprise that she buys cool things for herself.

We caught up with Lee for a quick chat in advance of the Madewell Denim Roadtrip, a styling tour that will make stops in 14 cities across the country and at Coachella. The tour also marks the beginning of a nationwide expansion for Madewell; the brand plans to open 15 more stores by the end of the year. Read on to find out a bit more about the creative mind behind the brand.

What's a surprising talent you have that's not related to designing clothes?
"I can carve a chicken. Like a raw chicken, no problem, blood and raw meat don't bother me. I used to work in a restaurant with my parents. Whenever I am at a friend's or family dinner, like at Thanksgiving, I am always the one to carve the turkey. I can dismantle it perfectly. Everyone is always amazed."

What's the last cool thing you bought?
"A hematite heart from Love Adorned. I never buy tchotchke stuff, but this is so beautiful and crushed and sparkly. It's on my desk."

Above: The hematite heart from Love Adorned on Lee's desk.

Madewell Holiday 2011 Interactive Choose Adventure Video
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Watch Madewell's Interactive Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Holiday Video

>> Fashion videos are a dime a dozen these days, but Madewell takes the concept a step further with their new holiday video.
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>> Fashion videos are a dime a dozen these days, but Madewell takes the concept a step further with their new holiday video. The choose-your-own-adventure video — which employs user-directed technology — gives the viewer five seconds to make choices like tea with Dree Hemingway vs. coffee with stylist Marina Munoz; shoes vs. purses; and sparkles or confetti. "What makes the video so amazing is that you control it," says Madewell’s head of design Kin Ying Lee. "You choose every direction the video takes — from what pieces she wears to which party she goes to — the options are endless. It's completely addicting." [The Moment]

Photos of Madewell Fall 2011 Collection
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A Peek at Madewell's Fall 2011 Collection

>> Fall 2011 is all about “Madewell goes to work,” according to the brand's head of design Kin Ying Lee, with equal parts Mad Men and menswear thrown in for good measure.
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>> Fall 2011 is all about “Madewell goes to work,” according to the brand's head of design Kin Ying Lee, with equal parts Mad Men and menswear thrown in for good measure. In today's presentation — which included double-buckle boots and carryall bags organized on chairs nailed to the wall, a vending machine full of goodies, and office desks doubling as display tables — black and white spotted Doc Martens, a wool blanket poncho and slouchy oatmeal thermals particularly caught the eye.

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A Peek at Madewell Spring 2011
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A Peek at Madewell Spring 2011

>> Madewell transformed their New York showroom into a newsstand yesterday, serving up free coffee and doughnuts, gum, and lip gloss during their Spring 2011 presentation.
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>> Madewell transformed their New York showroom into a newsstand yesterday, serving up free coffee and doughnuts, gum, and lip gloss during their Spring 2011 presentation. Why? "We’re absolutely in love with street style in New York," Kin Ying Lee, head of design for the label, explained, so she wanted to set the same stage for the collection.

While the label is pushing forward for Spring with high-waisted trouser denim and longer silk skirts, Lee also noted that she didn't want to push too far ahead in the manner of fast fashion — brand identity is important, too: "We have a couple of things that we go back to every season: the striped t-shirt, the chambray shirt, and rugged looks but in new ways that they can be incorporated into individual wardrobes."

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