Behind The Seams

For several months last year, Mirgun Akyavas, 45, worked as design director for the junior collection of JLO by Jennifer Lopez. TIME talked to Akyavas about her experience:

fall fashion How To Make A Statement Angela Lindvall tries on eight looks for fall  celebrity style The Next Calvin? Celebrities are fashion's new powerhouse designers  inside fashion The Business of Imagemaking TIME looks at 10 top imagemakers  timeline The Role of Race Minorities and modeling from 1960 to the present

Q. What was she like?

A. She is a woman with a lot of ambition, and she has the energy and the courage to achieve her goals. She's not my taste in music or films, but I respect her for what she's achieved.

Q. How was the job a challenge?

A. Jennifer would bring us tear sheets from fashion shows and hint that that was what she wanted. For example, she likes real fur. But department stores like Federated don't buy real fur for juniors, so we would try to incorporate faux fur into the line so it would fit our price point.

Q. Will this celeb-designer trend last?

A. It's great as long as the celeb is hot. But in the end, it's a business, and regardless of the celebrity, the line should be selling in the correct market and be on target with trends. If the brand keeps its integrity in this respect, there is potential for longevity. But we don't know for sure yet. It hasn't been that long since celebs started co-branding with fashion.