Brian Wolk and Claude Morais have never played by the rules of the fashion capitals. While the industry looked to Paris and New York, they chose Los Angeles—not as a backdrop, but as a foundation. Here, they’ve built Wolk Morais into a distinctly Californian fashion house: cinematic, intentional, and unbothered by trend cycles.
Their vision isn’t rooted in nostalgia—it’s shaped by clarity. A commitment to craft. A belief that sustainability and storytelling aren’t separate pursuits, but part of the same design process. They work with deadstock, upcycled materials, and reclaimed elegance—not as a statement, but as a standard.
Brian and Claude aren’t here to reflect—they’re here to rewrite. The duo behind Wolk Morais sat down with TINGS to talk building a fashion house in LA, dressing generational icons, and why slowing down is their most radical move yet.
What does it mean to build a fashion house in Los Angeles—not despite the city, but because of it?
Los Angeles isn’t just our home—it’s our muse. The light, the architecture, the mythologies of Hollywood—it all seeps into the seams of what we create. LA is freedom, both literal and spiritual. We didn’t come here to escape fashion’s centers; we came to build a new one. This city is a patchwork of reinvention, where a designer can be both auteur and renegade. For us, that wasn’t a compromise. It was a calling.
Has being based in LA ever felt like a disadvantage in an industry still obsessed with Paris and New York?
In the beginning? Of course. There were raised eyebrows, the subtle—and not-so-subtle—“Why LA?” But the thing about being underestimated is that it gives you room to exceed expectations. Now, we see our distance from those fashion capitals as an advantage. It gives us clarity, space to experiment, and an opportunity to write a distinctly Californian narrative—one that's cinematic, unfiltered, and uniquely ours.
What did launching at Harrods represent for you—not just as designers, but as storytellers?
Harrods is hallowed ground. To see our work in that context wasn’t just a career milestone—it was a moment of resonance. As storytellers, it affirmed that the worlds we build in our collections—the characters, the moods, the whispers of nostalgia and rebellion—can transcend borders. Harrods understood the poetry of it. That was everything.
You’ve dressed some of the most recognizable names in Hollywood—what’s been your most memorable collaboration?
It’s like asking us to choose a favorite film—we can’t! But dressing Oscar-winning icons like Cate Blanchett, Julia Roberts, Viola Davis, Sandra Bullock, and Jennifer Hudson were moments that crystallized our journey. They all embody strength, grace, and generational excellence. Watching those leading ladies step on the red carpet in Wolk Morais was like watching the credits roll on a film we’d dreamed of making. Goosebumps. We would be remiss not to acknowledge the critical role of Elizabeth Stewart in our journey in Los Angeles. From our very first week in town, she took us under her wing, showed us the ropes, styled every collection, fashion show, and film we have ever designed, and has been a guiding light and mentor for each step we take on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
You’ve worked with deadstock, upcycled materials, vintage beads—what does sustainability actually look like in practice?
It looks like patience. It looks like saying no to convenience and yes to intention. We’re in constant conversation with the materials—Where did they come from? What story have they lived? What story can we help them tell next? Sustainability isn’t a buzzword; it’s a choreography of ethics, craft, and curiosity.
Is sustainability the starting point or the outcome of your process?
It’s both. Sometimes a bolt of forgotten fabric sparks a silhouette. Other times, it’s the final lens we edit through. Either way, it’s embedded. The romance is in the restraint—in finding beauty not by adding more, but by reimagining what already exists.
Cashmere has long been a symbol of quiet luxury. What does it mean to make something timeless in a moment obsessed with trend?
Timelessness is a rebellion in itself. In an age of algorithms and micro-trends, creating a garment meant to last—emotionally and physically—is a radical act. Cashmere carries history in every fiber. It’s intimate, enduring, soulful. It whispers, when the world is screaming.
The fashion cycle is faster than ever—what made you slow it down with cashmere? Was that a creative or philosophical choice?
Both. Slowing down wasn’t just a shift in pace—it was a return to essence. Cashmere demands time. It teaches you to listen—to the fiber, to the wearer, to yourself. It was our way of pushing back against the urgency and noise. In slowing down, we found clarity.
How do you navigate creative authorship as a duo—where does Brian end and Claude begin?
We joke that we share a brain, but in truth, it’s more like a duet. Sometimes one of us writes the verse, the other the chorus. Sometimes we’re improvising in sync. The magic is in the merge—when you can’t quite tell where one voice ends and the other begins. That’s where Wolk Morais lives.
Does luxury still mean exclusivity—or is it about something else entirely now?
Exclusivity used to be about access. Now, it’s about intention. Luxury is the ability to choose thoughtfully, to cherish, to slow down. It’s not just about rarity—it’s about resonance. The most luxurious thing we can offer is meaning. And maybe a little mystery.
