Becca McCharen-Tran, Creative Director + Founder of Chromat
Becca McCharen-Tran, Creative Director and founder of Chromat
What moment has defined your journey the most?
Collaborating and concepting ideas together with artists, scientists, florists, choreographers, engineers, architects, musicians and so many more is definitely the highlight of my work and life.
One special project was creating a 3D printed dress that expanded and contracted based on adrenaline, detected through embedded sensors that we created with a team of engineers from Intel.
It made me realize what I love most is dreaming of ideas at the intersections and overlaps between disciplines. Coming from an architecture background and now working in fashion, I love working with people who don't know the rules.
What drives you?
Collaboration
How are you paving the way for people in your community to succeed? Or opening doors that were once closed?
Fashion has historically upheld a very narrow definition of beauty that centers white, thin, cis, able bodied, young models as the ideal.
This narrow beauty ideal is damaging, dangerous and destructive. And we need to explode it immediately.
As fashion designers, we have a responsibility to utilize our platforms to explode the historically narrow view of who is considered beautiful.
In my own work as a fashion designer, I started a line called Chromat and we are committed to empowering women, femmes and non-binary people of all shapes and sizes through perfectly fit garments for every body.
Swimwear has been a huge focus for me, because of the power that this single garment can have over how people feel about themselves. I wanted to take my focus on celebrating all body types to a garment that’s fraught with insecurity.
On our runways you see curves, cellulite and scars worn proudly. We are a runway show, yes — but we are also a celebration.
However, Inclusivity means nothing if it’s only surface level.
Behind the scenes, from the photographers to the casting director to the interns, it’s imperative to include diverse decision makers in the process. It’s always better to collaborate with different communities rather than trying to speak for them.
This is an important piece of the puzzle that many young designers may not think about in the beginning of their career. Hiring a plus size or transgender photographer or a woman of color as your casting director or a black makeup artist who intimately knows how to work with all skin colors is essential to create a more holistically inclusive output.
Most meaningful project to date?
The Chromat Pool Rules campaign
Advice or a mantra you would like to pass on?
Issa Rae- networking sideways (vs just trying to network to those in higher levels of leadership) is so important.
I've found this to be true, it's really the people in the trenches with you that will help you so much more than people at the top.
