Imitation of Christ

founded by

Tara Subkoff

belongs to

Josh Sparks

about

Named for a fifteenth-century spiritual text (and also a Psychedelic Furs song), the downtown label from actress-designer Tara Subkoff had its day in the sun from 2000 to 2007. Now defunct, IOC experienced several reincarnations. For its first year, Subkoff and her pal Matt Damhave (also enlisting Chlo� Sevigny as creative director) reproduced vintage pieces, showing them at an East Village funeral parlor. But after Damhave�s departure, Subkoff started designing original collections, showing feminine, soft pieces one season and an all-denim collection (with Scarlett Johansson on the runway) the next. Editors were intrigued, although the theatrics that played out at shows�including a mock auction at Sotheby�s and having models take seats while editors were forced to walk the runways�also puzzled and infuriated them. Subkoff showed her line rather unexpectedly at Paris Couture in 2005, and the reception was warm. But in 2007, Subkoff sold the label to Josh Sparks, the former chief executive of the Australian label Sass & Bide, for a reported $2 million. There was speculation as to how Sparks and new designer Kasia Bilinski would reinvent the wheel with both Imitation of Christ and the label�s secondary line, Imitation. Without much time to execute, in 2008, the label�like the economy�went kaput.