A PASSION for Life
Paul Ropp's colourful clothing and accessories reflect his passion for living life to the fullest and a marriage of creativity and practicality.
Paul Ropp's life has been anything but boring. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up as a ward of state and, with no interest in school, got his education on the streets, although his love or art and music ultimately found him studying art and design. Thriving in an era of free-thinking and nonconformism, he has lived a free-spirited life.
Before basing himself in Bali, he lived in India for several years. The colourful creativity, vibrant daily life and natural beauty of both places inspired him, ultimately leading to the establishment of his clothing and accessories brand, which has been seen on supermodels and in leading fashion magazines.
Q: How did your clothing business start? A: I was making my own clothes because I didn't have very much money. People would ask where I'd got them, so I started making a few pieces. Then, while I was living in India, I needed to raise some money and decided that colourful t-shirts printed with Asian art and spiritual motifs would sell well back in the States, so I had some made up. They sold very well and some are in textile museums now. Q: How did that lead into your iconic designs of today?
A: I became interested in materials, the hand-weaving process and how to create beautiful, eye- catching fabrics that feel incredible to touch. As I learned, I developed great respect for this traditional skill and started to meld this tradition with what I knew would be popular in the western world, so we melded the two cultures and created something different. Even today, we create and design our own fabrics, such as handwoven cotton, silk and chiffon.
It was a matter of taking these traditional techniques and skills, utilising creativity from both cultures, then adding business acumen to create a viable business that could thrive for many years.
Q: Are you involved in everything? A: Yes, from the beginning to the end! I learn from doing, and that goes from the fabric, to the designs, the actual creation and running the business.
Q: I've heard your clothes referred to as wearable art. Do you agree with this? A: Yes, I do. I create fun, sensual clothing that people find irresistible, something they wear to express their individuality. These are hand- crafted items – hand- cut, hand- stitched, with hand- crafted detailing.
In addition to our main workshops, we have thousands of people involved in our cottage industry creating all kinds of details, including buttons, and making accessories out of the leftover material. I am proud to be able to have an impact and help families become financially independent.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
A: Be where you want to be, do what you love, don't listen to naysayers, work hard and if you're good, they will come to you. My business is thriving, despite the fact that I don't do trade shows anymore and haven't employed any salespeople for many years. Our sales are driven purely by word of mouth and people seeing real people wearing our vibrant designs. We continue to do the best that we can. The results speak for themselves. paulropp.com