The model on the making of her capsule.
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How does it feel to be MOTHER’s favorite? We sat down with model turned designer, Paige Reifler, to learn how one photoshoot sparked a decade-long relationship that led to the limited-edition capsule. In an interview with our art director Jay Steiner, Paige dives into the unique the process of creating The Reifler by MOTHER jean, from her initial connection to the brand to calling on friends and family to bring the vision to life. Sprinkling in her best modeling tips and even teasing a secret project, this ultimate cool-girl will make you want to start a business and jump into a lake in your favorite pair of Reiflers.
JJ: Hi. How are you doing?
PAIGE: I'm good. I'm exhausted. I am off of a Red Eye, straight to work.
JJ: Oh, where'd you come from?
PAIGE: L.A. Now I'm in New York, but I've made the official move to L.A.
JJ: Well, welcome home. You got a nice few months ahead of you. February's low-key. Do we still say low-key? Is that a thing? Did I age myself out of that?
PAIGE: I say low-key. Maybe I'm aged.
JJ: Maybe. I don't know. That would bring us right into our first question of how long we've worked together.
PAIGE: I know. I was thinking about that today and I was talking to my boyfriend about it, and I was trying to reflect on when our first shoot was, and I honestly can't remember.
JJ: I can tell you I don't remember, but I know the first time I laid eyes on you. I remember looking through the Lion's book and there was an image of you. It's burned into my mind, but it's a picture of you in front of what I believe is maybe a Mel's Diner.
PAIGE: I remember that.
JJ: And I said, that's her dude. That's the girl. I'm like, she's special. So anyway, that's my first memory of Paige.
PAIGE: The first time I worked with you guys must have been like, eight years ago. I mean, it was a long, long time ago. Yeah, I was a freshie.
JJ: Yeah. It's so funny. I feel like, as you get older, people stop aging. Not to be like fucking Matthew McConaughey, but it seems like I’m the only person around me that gets older and everybody else I know is still the same. But you guys have also grown with Anna and stuff, which is just funny.
PAIGE: I know, I was thinking about that. I was like, wow, it's this sort of amazing, beautiful thing to watch MOTHER grow and change as a company. And then at the same time, that's happening with myself and you guys are getting to witness, it feels like this very familial sort of experience.
JJ: Yeah, it was great, seeing you in that image and thinking – that's so perfect for what we're about. I felt like that image told the story of MOTHER in one shot. Then, getting to work with you I thought, this chick's fucking rad. She's hilarious. For all of you out there reading this, modeling ain't just looking pretty. It requires comedic timing. I feel like it requires understanding the attitude of the shot, right? Like, this should feel melancholy or tough…
PAIGE: I think it's also understanding the brand you're working for, the people that you're around, and how that makes you feel. It's all very emotional and I try to mirror that in an authentic way. But then, obviously, that doesn't always work. I feel like we got really lucky where we all just kind of saw eye to eye. It's like, oh yeah, of course this worked because we're creatively aligned in some sort of way – having worked together for so long and just as human beings. We just all get along. That's why the relationship has been so nice.
JJ: We're collaborating now in a physical way. But I have felt, working with you, that it's always been a collaboration.
PAIGE: For sure. I've always felt like that. Obviously, I'm not going to take control on a set, that's not my role as a model. But for sure it felt like…
JJ: We would feed off each other and have a good time.
PAIGE: Yeah, I mean, we've never not had a good time.
JJ: So, what inspired The Reifler collection and how did the 70s, 80s and 90s influence the design?
PAIGE: I think to me, jeans are the most timeless thing. They're a staple in everyone's wardrobe. So when we were thinking about this idea, we wanted to use video as the medium because MOTHER is so L.A.-centric… So we wanted to use the idea of cinema…
JJ: I was just going to say, there's something very cinematic about you. I don't know if you're a huge movie buff necessarily, but…
PAIGE: I mean I love movies, but I wouldn't say I'm a buff.
JJ: There's this great David Lynch vibe that I'm into, and that's what's so cool. It's so atypical as opposed to just pulling something vintage together. And surely, vintage is hugely inspirational. Of course.
PAIGE: And I think that's the same with my life – how I exist and look at fashion. I feel like I'm always referencing, and I think that's totally the same with MOTHER. So this seemed so easy. It made sense for MOTHER because of all those reasons. And yeah, obviously Max could speak to how each short clip sort of paid homage to the cinematic aesthetic of each era.
JJ: I didn’t have any doubts or anything, but I remember when we got them in, it was like, “Wake up babe, new Paige video dropped.” And I rushed to the computer and was like, holy shit. This.
PAIGE: I mean, yeah. I think, as a model, my eyes are open to so many different aspects of the industry, but not really from conception to launch. There's a lot of in-between that I don't know about. So in doing this, I was learning about all of the other parts that go into making something come to life.
JJ: In the process, was there anything that you found particularly interesting or was there something you didn't really realize before?
PAIGE: I mean, yes, for sure. But in my life right now, I'm trying to participate in all of these different parts of the industry. There’s costume design and I'm thinking about opening a shop, so I’m just trying to learn new stuff all the time. So yeah, this was crazy and I learned so much and a lot of it was difficult, but I feel much more open to it now.
JJ: What's the Paige store going to be called? Do we have a name yet?
PAIGE: It’s a bud of an idea. At the moment I’m focusing on modeling, costume design and creative direction but when I stop moving around so much definitely be in on the lookout — exciting things to come!
JJ: Well, that's great. I'm so excited too because we’re also opening a store. All of our friends are opening stores, it's like this serendipitous moment in L.A. and we're so excited to be a part of it.
PAIGE: Yeah, I think L.A. needs more of that. It needs more walkable human interaction. I'd love to go to MOTHER and have a coffee, hang out with a friend and buy a pair of jeans. That's a cool thing that New York has that L.A lacks. I’m excited about the MOTHER store.
JJ: There’s Silverlake and there's the West side and everything, but things are starting to get a little bit more interwoven together and I think we are doing it.
PAIGE: Totally. I think that's the stamp I'd like to leave in L.A. As a New Yorker, I have that desire for community and making it happen in some way.
JJ: What was it like working with the MOTHER design team?
PAIGE: It was amazing. They're all the best at what they do. I worked most closely with Hannah. She's incredible. And she definitely took me under her wing. It was such an incredible process down to choosing the thread that's used in the inseam and then on the zip, and she taught me how you measured denim. I was going to a masterclass. Jimmy was obviously incredible and Vincent – I would email and be like, “Can I come back? I think the jean is an inch too long.” And everyone entertained me. It was the best working with the design team. They were the loveliest, so talented and genius… It’s the thoughtfulness thing, that was the most important part of the project.
JJ: Looking back, was there a defining moment in the collaboration that stands out to you? What's been the most meaningful?
PAIGE: Just the process itself and how it really opened my eyes to all the moving parts of making something from start to finish. From pitching the idea to you, the design process, and then the making of the campaign. I really have to give a big shoutout and thanks to the team we got together. Max is an insanely talented director, Audrey the DP, Rebekah who shot the campaign, Emma who did all the BTS, my sister Kelsey did the branding and Coco our producer. Too many more to shout-out but really I just feel so lucky. I’ve learned that I just really love working with my friends. It feels so much more comfortable. None of this could have happened without them.
JJ: The Early Blue and After Midnight washes have distinct vibes. How did you choose them and what do they mean to you? I personally just want to say I love them both. I will be buying them both and I'll be wearing them every day.
PAIGE: I've been living in mine and they're changing in such a beautiful way. I've swam in lakes in them. I've fallen in dirt. I've walked many miles, sweat in them, washed them and dried them. So, they're really becoming even more beautiful. When I was thinking about having two washes, I wanted it to be sort of part of this story. The whole concept is storytelling. I wanted the first wash to be this perfect vintage blue that you're always searching for and it's got this amazing slight wear. But then I wanted the second wash to be as if you had worn that first jean for 20 years and gotten gross in them and did all those dirty things.
JJ: And that's what we love about denim, the storytelling that's in them. When you get vintage and you can realize, in some cases, what the person that owned them before you might've done for a living, depending on where the whiskering is. Like, this person had a job where they were sitting down all day, or something.
PAIGE: Oh, yeah, what was in their back pocket? One of the ideas I had was to have the shape of a classic Bic lighter in the back pocket. We tried that and it kind of looked weird, but it was about creating an identity behind the jean.
JJ: Having worked with you for so long, you’ve always had the ultimate “cool” style. That timeless cool.
PAIGE: Thank you. You know I wanted the jean to reflect both sides of my personality. I can wear The Reifler under a dress with a stiletto but also wear them with a flip flop or a cowboy boot and a hoodie. Anyone can wear the jean.
JJ: The collection feels carefree and rebellious. Does that align with your approach to fashion or life?
PAIGE: I mean, we can't always be carefree in life, but yes, I think that's a lovely way to be.
The model on the making of her capsule.