Meet Christiane Hultquist: designer of the Brooklyn-based label Christian Joy and sidekick stylist to Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ front woman Karen O. From the look of the lead singer’s ensembles, you might think that Hultquist is an over-the-top rocker with a faux-hawk and a penchant for slinging beer on stage at YYY concerts. Well, maybe the beer thing actually is true, but, you might be surprised to find that this Iowa native lives a relatively quiet life in Greenpoint with her newlywed husband Jason Grisell (of Harmony and Pollution ), listens to the kitsch-pop sounds of the Everly Brothers, and enjoys the company of little children.

And the paradoxes don’t stop there. While her styling may evoke a sense of uninhibited flamboyance, her own self titled ready-to-wear line, which made its debut in 2005, focuses on minimalism and well-tailored design. So, while Hultquist may have her hands full being the exclusive force behind Karen O’s look and launching her new CJ collection (set for release in spring 2008), she recently managed a break to discuss her inspirations, the challenges of running a one-woman operation, and keeping it all in the family:

Do you see yourself more as a stylist, designer, or artist?
I feel like it’s a mesh. I make all of Karen’s costumes, but a lot of those can become more than that. There are a lot of different elements that goes into making her stuff.

Are there particular places or stores you frequent to find pieces for Karen or inspirations for your designs?
Not really. I make the patterns for all of her stuff now. I don’t think it comes from looking at clothes; it’s more of a feeling. For instance, I really like John Waters and characters that are really far out. So it comes more from a place like that.

You seem to have very minimal distribution for your designs, besides your website and a handful of boutiques. Do you have any plans to open a real shop?
Eventually, I’d like that. I now have a showroom, and I set up a webshop in Japan. It’s just so difficult for me to try to keep up with stores. Trying to get a store to carry my stuff takes up a whole lot of my time.

So, how do you manage to produce all of your designs and Karen’s costumes out of a Greenpoint studio that doubles as your apartment? For Karen’s costumes, I make everything start to finish, and I have interns that help me work on that. For the collection, I have sewers help me with that. Basically, I make the patterns and the first sample, and they do all the sewing that will make it actually look good!

Who is the target audience for your designs?
I think about my own style– it’s somebody who wants to be avant-garde, but not too extreme. I don’t want to make it too far-fetched. It’s for New York girls the most. I can make a giant T-shirt and they’ll know how to belt it and wear it. Eventually it’d be nice to market it more to teens, because I go back and forth between the two. I like making stuff for kids, because it’s more poppy.

Who would it blow your mind to know was wearing your pieces?
Yoko Ono - that would be pretty cool. Or, you know, some really rad artist. But, as far as actors wearing it, I’m like “Yeah, ok.” It just doesn’t do it.

Is there a reason you’re not interested in that kind of endorsement?
I feel like the way they dress isn’t that interesting, so I don’t really care. If Cate Blanchett wanted to wear it, I’d be stoked, because she has great style. But if someone like Lindsay Lohan wants to wear it, I don’t really care. They wear so much ugly stuff, and I don’t want to be part of it.

I know you recently got married. And I hear your husband actually performed on Star Search?
[Laughs] You can still see it on YouTube! It was 1987; he was 18 years old, totally belting out the tunes. It’s total new-wave 80’s kind of stuff, and he has really big hair. He’s 39 years old now, but Karen’s mom thought it was a spoof of him now.

What designers do you swear by?
I really like the label Zero a lot. She [Maria Cornejo] is a cool designer. Minimal with interesting shapes… We dress Karen in it quite a bit because it’s simple stuff but really well-made. And Earnest Sewn jeans. And I wear a lot of thrift-store clothes. I like really simple clothing; not weird drape-y shirts.

I noticed that your current collection, some of which is selling at Topshop, includes big graphics like ice cream cones, sailboats, and segmented donkeys. Where did these images come from?
I think it’s a lot of pop art if I see it. But it’s this idea of really minimal graphics, because it seems like there’s so much now where people think, if you put more lines on a shirt, it will make it cooler. To me, putting a really simple design on a shirt comes across more. That’s why I like really big shapes and color. And, the ice cream cone, it’s a little abstract. My husband actually made the sailboat, so he’s the genius behind that. He does really cool stuff, so I try to get him to help me out.

What’s inspiring you right now?
Kids, lately. I went to a little boy’s birthday party, and I was talking to some kids. They just say one hilarious thing after another. I’m teaching three classes in fashion design at the Spence School Visual Arts Camp , so I think that will be inspiring. But, mostly people in general. I’ve found a lot of people lately who are really genuine, and that inspires you to want to do well. So it’s the actual human being, not so much what they’re wearing or what they’re doing, more of what they’re saying and how they are acting.

What kind of things can we expect from you in the future?
I think it’s going to be graphic stuff like it usually is. But, I feel like I’m finally having the chance to elaborate on the collection, where it will be something I can say, “this is something I want do for a long time.” I think it will showcase my potential for making ready to wear. And, as for Karen, whatever crazy bug gets up my ass.

~Leann Peterson

First Photo By Eduardo Juarez and Marci Leiseth