Who's Christian Joy

If you have seen or heard the band called the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, you might know who’s Karen O. She is the lead singer of the band with an eccentric and creative sense of style, as seen live at the band’s concert in Monterrey, which happened on January 23th. Karen O, sure knows how to rock every piece of clothes she wears, but who is responsible for her fashion?

The answer is Christian Joy (real name Christiane Hultquist) born in December 22, 1973. She’s an American fashion designer, and creator of Karen O’s costume designs for most of her live performances and music videos. Her fashion is influenced by punk and DIY (do-it-yourself). She started with no previous training in fashion design by re-designing old prom dresses and hand-painted t-shirts that grabbed the attention of many people. She met Karen O in 2001 where the singer gave her a copy of her band’s music to listen. Uninterested at first, Joy gave her a chance and was impressed by the music. Soon she started making clothes for Karen O and she became Joy’s favorite model, making outfits for live performances.

As soon as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs got the public’s attention, so did Christian Joy, when she got the opportunity to make her own show at the 2002 New York City Fashion Week, a huge event in the fashion world, especially for aspiring designers. Soon, designing became a full time job for Joy. Her designs and collections have been part of several important exhibits.

Recently, Christian Joy has made five monster costumes for the Where The Wild Things Are Pop-up Show (based on the book and movie of the same name) in Los Angeles, CA. She has also set up an Etsy page where selected pieces and accessories are available for sale to the public. Joy has also appeared in many magazines, such as Nylon and ELLEgirl.

Over her time as a designer, Joy has gained It-girl status. Her costumes are not only colorful and creative, but eye-catching as well. With heavy amounts of sequins and lycra, Joy is able to project her imagination into her clothes, even by making Karen O’s look ready to rock the stage, in any place and time. Joy can surely express her art in her costumes and clothes, and has truly made an impression in the fashion world.

For more information on Cristian Joy visit the following links:

■Website: http://www.christianjoy.us/
■Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Joy1222
■LiveJournal: http://christianjoy.livejournal.com/
For more information on Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs:

■Official site: http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com/
■Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/yeahyeahyeahs

Estephy Larsen