Heyne Bogut

Heyne Bogut
Producer: Michael O’ Reilly

Founded in 1999, HEYNE BOGUT is an independent company based in Philadelphia. Married couple Paul Heyne and Karen Bogut make up the core partnership of the company. While HEYNE BOGUT has clients in New York City as well as all over the world, it continues to be run from Philadelphia. One of the techniques used when starting out was to go into big-name stores, in New York, with little more than the self-designed clothes on their backs (literally). Invariably, the fashion professionals working there would notice them and ask about the designer. The answer – “I designed this myself” – invariably got them a trip upstairs to the buyers room and a request/order to deliver more of the same style in a week.

This is one piece of the many pieces of advice that Paul and Karen now give to students at Philadelphia University as an adjunct and consulting instructor. Philadelphia University used to be known as the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science, and was started after the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, to improve “the quality and variety of American textile products”. It is no surprise then that the winner of the first season of Bravo’s PROJECT RUNWAY was a Philadelphia University student.

Often surrounded by interns and hires from the many Philadelphia fashion colleges and universities, one feels like the designs of HEYNE BOGUT are channeling the vitality of these youthful workers, in a building that was at one point, in its long life, also a place for the creation of textiles. Paul and Karen, as they say, “tap into new trends in music, art and lifestyle choices” to inform their design choices. But in their studio and with these schools and students, without really realizing it themselves, they have strengthened the long lineage of Philadelphia fashion and secured their place in the fashion history of this city.

 
Web Extra: In the Studio with Heyne Bogut
Produced by Michael O’Reilly
Edited by Joy E. Waldinger

This video shares Heyne Bogut’s story and creative process through words and visuals. They share their love for Philadelphia and why they decided to have their business there and the importance of collaboration with other creative individuals who: live, work and go to school in Philadelphia. Their process of textile manipulation transforms their fashion into art.