A DJ and Fashion Designers Keys to Success

Music inspires Christina Mannino with everything that she does. “It’s so invigorating!” Her creative work is all heavily inspired by music. “I can create an entire collection from a song on repeat.” Ironically, though, she never actually intended to become a DJ. Her career began back in 2011 when she casually replied to a Craigslist post asking for “women who had a love for fashion and music.” Fortunately for her, the person who posted it liked her vibe and the next week she was trained to be the resident DJ for a new store in Soho. 

Two hours in, her DJ career was officially launched. “Performing at a busy store on Spring Street exposed me to so many people - many who worked in PR or nightlife - so I was able to quickly gain a clientele of fashion and beauty brands and DJ their parties and events!” Christina’s taste is extremely eclectic, from hip-hop to classical to sugary pop. She loves most music, though, which makes it easy for her to diversify as a DJ and cater to different clientele. 

MANNINO 

 Shot by Kathleen Bily

Two years ago she had another bout of luck while she was DJing a charity event for a friend pro bono, where she met her now agent. "Having representation has allowed me to focus on the music and atmosphere and not have to handle the booking details so I'm very thankful for this good karma! Falling into DJing was quite serendipitous but it has been such an exciting part of my life in New York City and I will keep it up as long as I can!”

Christina is also a designer and says that being a fashion designer was her real dream. “It’s so thrilling to live in a city like New York that has allowed me to live that reality and experiment with multiple brands.” She thinks that there is something so special about New York that really does make you believe you can do anything you want and she has really thrived in the city’s energy. 

She has a women’s luxury label, MANNINO, which is her dream baby. It is exactly who she wants to be as a designer. MANNINO is bold and dreamy, colorful and electric. Prior to its launch, she purified her taste and focused her aesthetic to ensure that what she was creating represented a cohesive glimpse into who she is and illustrated the qualities the MANNINO woman embodies. “She’s sophisticated, charming, and otherworldly; she dresses for pleasure and purpose, believing that every occasion, from drying her hair to ordering pizza at Scarr's to galavanting the globe, has a perfect, corresponding outfit. Right now MANNINO is exclusively curated and I design one season-less collection a year available by custom order only. In the future I'd love to expand the brand and reach clients via my favorite niche retailers (Far Fetch, Kirna Zabete, Dover Street Market, and Moda Operandi), so I’m excited for those next steps!”

Shot by Brook Diaz

LØVE MEANS NØTHING® is a newly launched tennis-inspired streetwear label. “I’m particularly excited about LØVE because it's so opposite my MANNINO collection. The simplicity of streetwear is part of its appeal - clean lines; basic silhouettes; minimal, logo-driven designs, so I really had to restrict my usual design tendencies while creating this brand. In tennis the score "love" signifies zero, so in tennis love actually does mean nothing. LØVE MEANS NØTHING uses that play on words to bring an edge to the affluence of the tennis world and make tennis culture something everyone can relate to.”

Launching with a small collection of logo-centric pieces, DROP 1 is an assortment of fleece crewnecks, tees, and branded tennis balls. “I adore Bjorn Borg - his look, his regimen, his talent - and I wanted to bring his cool meets buttoned-up vibe into this collection. Every three months I'll drop a new assortment of limited edition styles to keep things fresh. I've already nearly sold out of DROP 1 and plan to have it all unavailable by DROP 2 which goes live on April 17th!”

LØVE MEANS NØTHING is a universal brand - it can really resonate with every type of person, and a wide range of age groups. “I love that about it. I love making something so relatable to such a broad audience and observing how each person makes it his/her own. I also love that MANNINO is such a stark contrast. The MANNINO woman is so niche.” She envisions powerful and sensual women with attitude wearing her hyper-feminine designs. She believes it takes an edge to pull off something so campy and overt, and the MANNINO woman cruises around nonchalantly in her feathers and crystals. “I want people to feel confident and glamorous and special when they rock my designs.”

MANNINO 

 Shot by Kathleen Bily

When she was seven years old, she knew that being a fashion designer was something she wanted to become. “I would always watch "Don't Tell Mom The Babysitters Dead" with Christina Appelgate and was hooked. She played Sue Ellen, a high school student turned corporate fashion designer, and that movie coupled with my adoration of Cindy Crawford and Calvin Klein made a career in fashion all that I wanted!” 

She grew up designing and studying art and throughout the years have accumulated so many pieces of advice that have helped shape her as a designer. “A mentor once to me, “The key to success is knowing when to stop and scrap it all and start over." She had a different collection the past called DEIVIE, that she admits had some great moments but overall didn’t work. “It wasn't truly me and I stopped enjoying creating it because the brand image wasn't in line with my identity anymore. Once I had the courage to scrap it and admit defeat, I immediately began to love designing again. Three years later I debuted MANNINO, a label that oozes my personality and presents a cohesive brand statement. Don't be afraid to start over. Things can and will only get better! Pace yourself and do it right, and pivot as needed.”

The advice Christina would give to someone who wants to design clothes or make their own brand would be to execute. “You can't succeed until you start! Start small and get a brand together. You don't need to start with 20 pieces. Make three and start from there. It's better to create a small collection than create nothing at all, and quality always beats quantity in the luxury brand world.”

In five years, Christina’s dream is to have expanded MANNINO and to get to the level of being recognized by the CFDA, the upper crust of fashion peers. “I want to either have my own custom boutique or sell to the boutique retailers I admire. I want LØVE MEANS NØTHING to go global and spread across the world, providing people with casual off-court and on-court apparel reminiscent of the chic tennis wear of the 70s.”