This Young Queer Designer Is Ready to Dominate the Fashion Universe

It's no secret that Parsons School of Design is basically synonymous with the best of the best fashion talent. There's a reason why top designers like Marc Jacobs and Zac Posen are on the alumni list. One new star that's bound to join that ranking? Menswear designer William Stautberg from Forsyth County, Georgia, who is graduating with a BFA in fashion design and just showcased his first collection at the Parsons Exhibit in New York City.

The queer designer used his own talents, along with knowledge he gained from Parsons and internships at Thom Browne and Zana Bayne to launch his collection that features expert tailoring, glorious knits, and leather accessories--all exuding that idea of "masculine confidence," but with a humorous nod.

Click through to check out some of Stautberg's designs--and keep scrolling here for our Q&A when we got to catch up with the designer.

OUT: Tell us about the inspiration behind your collection?

William Stautberg: I was really inspired by mid-20th century making in the home, specifically with Vintage cut-and-sew sewing patterns. I love this individual process of making clothes for yourself or for a family member because that is often the sentiment or process behind my designs. I took a curated group of these vintage sewing patterns and I subverted them all into men's jumpsuits. Jumpsuits are very special to me and very relevant within my brand because I loved the way that they can really capture a full-concept all in one, and I think as a guy they are super easy to wear and put on. I combined that system with my love for Ivy League culture and masculine guys who really own what they are wearing, and brought it all together in a pretty humorous way, a way that represents what I feel are the staples of the man's closet (dress shirt, trench coat, sweater, underwear, raincoat, etc.) A lot of the visual inspiration for the collection came from Luke Smalley photos ... He focuses a lot on adolescent men in rural, rather po-dunk areas and the mundane, yet interesting and whimsical lives they live within their growing masculinity.

What is your goal post-graduation? Is it to immediately launch your own line, or would you prefer to work with an established designer initially?

WS: I want to work and learn for a while before starting my own endeavor. But I want to work on a men's design team somewhere where I would fit nicely, or go into knitwear production and work at a sweater factory.

If you could design for any celebrity, who would it be and why?

WS: No longer living: Freddy Mercury. Present Day: Evan McGregor

How do you think you're changing the menswear design landscape?

WS: I think the first thing is that men are not dressing up as much anymore. I like to keep things pretty dressy and pretty much in the sartorial world for most pieces. But even though it's dressy it's never really pretentious, more just a lot of attitude. And I think the industry is so serious and sometimes menswear is so run-of-the-mill when it comes to silhouettes and details, so I try to add a lot of humor to my pieces and poke fun at the key concepts of menswear. I always try to follow the sentiment of "people take me way to seriously, and yet not seriously enough" when thinking about design and dress. I think people should laugh more!