THERE'S A LOT OF RISK WHEN YOU'RE STARTING SOMETHING NEW. THE WAY I DEAL WITH IT IS I JUST FOLLOW MY HEART AND MY INSTINCT AND I GO ON THAT.

Very few people start out with a singular vision of who they’re supposed to be. Most of us, like wardrobe stylist and accessories designer Christian Stroble, try on many different hats (or in his case, leather bags) before figuring out what we truly love to do. Christian studied interior design, modeled, studied fashion design and had his own clothing label before establishing himself as a wardrobe stylist. All of this eventually led to him launch Stroble New York, his own line of leather bags made with vegetable-tanned leather and made in the USA.

So many different careers already packed into one young life—and, thanks to his natural fearlessness, there are probably more down the line. “There’s a lot of risk when you’re starting something new, and that can be really stressful,” he says, “but I just follow my heart and my instinct. As long as I’m prepared and organized, and have the right structure in place, then it just moves.” In that sense, Christian embodies the traits necessary for any creative committed to living life on his or her own terms—adaptation, diversification and reinvention. That kind of freedom means you have to roll with the punches of an uncertain world. Luckily, when the chips are down, Christian knows how to do just that.

His creative career started when he began studying interior design, followed by six months living in Paris, where a friend introduced him to the haute couture scene. There, his passion for fashion was ignited, and he returned to New York to study fashion design at Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduation, he launched his own line, Eventide, with a friend. The whirlwind of creating seasonal collections, while juggling press, sales and production, helped Christian hone the multitasking skills that serve him to this day.

When the economic recession hit in 2008, Christian used the lessons learned from his first business as a springboard for the next stage of his career: wardrobe styling. As he rose through the ranks styling editorials, he found himself inspired to start Stroble New York, focusing on men’s accessories.

“It started with my leather jacket, this beat up old motorcycle jacket, and that really inspired me to start creating bags that had that same drape, stiffness and history,” he says. Now that he’s designing bags, he has a new appreciation for styling. And, branching out into design again has allowed him to look at his day job with a fresh pair of eyes.

Bag design is the most recent expression of Christian’s boundless creativity, and trial and error remain his greatest allies. “I’ve worked in so many facets of the business, and the mistakes I’ve made in the past helped me grow and change and fix things so that the next venture can move smoothly.” The greatest lesson of all, he says, is to trust his instinct, no matter what. “I just follow my heart,” says Christian, “and it just leads me to the right place.”

www.stroblenewyork.com

Stories & Surroundings

"This [stuffed owl doll] was a gift."

"Detail shot of the messenger bag."

"Crystals and a cleansing stick. This is for cleaning out energy fields."

"This is my shrine to bring good fortune to my brand. You have to visualize to materialize."

"A photograph taken by a dear friend of ours, Vera Comploj. Matthew Brookes and I lounging after a Halloween party we hosted at our old apartment in the Westbeth building."

Christian Stroble

Stylist + Designer

Stories & Surroundings