“We were friends in High School of Art and Design and then we parted ways,” explained Scott Chester. “We went to different colleges and didn’t see each other for 15 years,” Evelyn Luna adds, completing her partner’s sentence perfectly.
Scott and Luna beamed on the red carpet after the completion of their show which presented the summer/spring collection from their clothing line ACID at Nolcha Shows.
The business partners turned couple spoke in sync and completed each other’s sentences as they explained how they reconnected after 15 years before deciding to build a brand together. Scott studied industrial design during his college career, while Evelyn stayed in NYC to study fashion at the Parsons School of Design; before beginning a 13-year position on Diane Von Furstenburg’s design staff where she became Director of the Textile Department.
“Somehow, we ran into each other again,” Evelyn says. Scott recalls, “Two days before 9/11. I remember when it happened, all I could think about was her and her parents. When we got back together it was more about us working well together and taking advantage of that.”
Evelyn concludes, “We started out working together and eventually that lead to more.”
ACID stands for Arielle Chester Industrial Design, named after Scott’s daughter, and was originally a company that specialized in designing custom furniture in 1990. Clothing came into play after Evelyn reached out to Scott to help with a graffiti project under DVF. After continuous collaborations, the two began to create their own vision.
“We didn’t want to design prints that everyone else did, we wanted to look outside the box. One of our mottos is ‘beauty in our surroundings,’ they’re the things you see but don’t acknowledge to be something you could wear,” Evelyn says. She continues, “They are statement pieces but if you look at the make of them, they are classic pieces you could wear for a very long time. It’s taking a classic piece and adding the prints.”
The prints being referred to range from plant cells, a reflection in a puddle, a transmission print from a car, and so much more. Scott and Evelyn are able to capture these prints through photography and zoom in or flip the images any which way to create the design they desire for a piece of clothing.
Sony Records artist Nick Hissom, known for his music promoting equality, approved this seasons collection. “I think it’s important to stay cool and current when it comes to your fashion, your image, and your styling,” Nick stresses, “the designer took a lot of risks and it paid off. It was colorful and exciting. I really enjoyed it, it was fun.”
Head to the ACID website to check out the latest pieces from the SS’18 collection, and be sure to use your 10% discount for first-time orders.