Lizz Wasserman is the kind of girl with whom you instantly want to be friends. Bi-coastal and eco-friendly she had worked as a fashion designer all over the country before finally starting her own green fashion line, Popomomo. Hustling between projects inspired by L.A. film noir, pulling inspiration from '70s-era cults, and all while finding sustainable fabrics for her line, it’s hard to put Lizz in a box largely because the box hasn't been crafted yet that includes driving around in a veggie powered Mercedes and quoting manifestos from The Source.

Your website describes popomomo as post-postmodern. What does that even mean?
popomomo stands for post-post modern movement. The idea that we used to have relative perspectives, but that the collection works towards something new and true.

Say I bump into a popomomo girl at a party, what’s she like?
She's the type to wear heels while riding a bike, drink wine all night and wax poetic on politics, philosophy and gossip.

You were born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which happens to be the setting for my fave show, "Laverne & Shirley." Was it hard being interested in fashion while living in the Midwest? 
Growing up in Milwaukee was great for fashion, because there's a lot of weirdness. It’s not quite gotten swept up under the rug of "coolness." And the vintage shopping is amazing in the Midwest, I think, because people invested in pieces that will last.

You studied sociology at University of Wisconsin. That gives a lot of college students who might be studying something different from their passion a lot of hope. Was it difficult being pulled in another direction from your major?
I actually think that my understanding and excitement about sociology really informs my design work. If you want to work in design, understanding the world around you and how it's changing is paramount and sociology really helps me do that. I do understand what you are asking: It was kind of strange to think I was going to be a sociologist for six years, but I love fashion. I think college in general gives you time to figure out what you love and use the tools you gain there to go after it, no matter what those tools are.

How hard was it breaking into the industry at first?
I got a job working at the Urban [Outfitter] home office in Philly as a Design Coordinator. I wanted to see what happened on the design floor to see if I wanted to go back to school to get a two year design degree. I think if you use what you have to learn as much as you can about the field you want to be in, you can really benefit. In my senior year of college I wrote for a New York fashion district newspaper. Same thing with the first job at Urban, I got my foot in the door, and basically was prepared to observe and learn as much as I could.

You were designing collections for Urban Outfitters and Free People for a while. How was working with them?
It was great, such a creative company. I learned so much all the time. And, having left, I really understand how much creative freedom they gave their designers.

I’ve heard horror stories where working with chain companies can be stressful for the designer due to conflicts in creative directions.
I think if you take a mass market job, you have to understand who you are designing for and that your ego doesn't matter at all. Some girl in a retail store doesn't care if you’re the shit, she just wants a cute top.

Where did you start selling your own designs in Philadelphia?
I first started selling one-offs at Sodafine. Sodafine is now in Brooklyn, and I still sell to Erin, the owner. When Sodafine moved, I started selling with Vagabond, in old city, and they still carry the line as well.

You moved from Philly to Brooklyn to L.A. Surely, there must have been a little culture shock. Any challenges with the East coast/West coast fashion contrast?
L.A. fashion gets a bad rap, and in general, it deserves it. There are a bunch of small designers working hard here and making good work, however, they aren't celebrities or self-aggrandizers, so they don't get as much L.A. press as some Lauren Conrad barf or Christian Audigier BS. My line has definitely changed since I moved to L.A., but primarily through inspiration. L.A. is a weird, magical and tragic place, and I've found that really inspirational.

I know you’ve made a conscious effort to continue using eco-friendly fabrics. What other aspect of having a specific clothing line requires extra effort that people don’t realize?
All the dyes I use are low impact and I try to make sure that popomomo is almost paperless, and that the line is tight: not too many pieces, and never trendy. If H&M were 'green' it would still be wasteful. There’s a lot that goes into a green company, and I feel like I have to keep constantly learning more to try to continue being as positive a company as we can be.

Do you ever grow weary of all the press attention towards specifically the environmental aspects of your collection? Do you ever think that that aspect overshadows your talent or designs?
It is a hard balance. I get a lot of press because popomomo is a green line and I have great support in the community. At the same time, though, I think some retailers and press kinda disregard the green movement and the lines within it. For example, I had a large L.A. retailer say, "I totally hate green lines" and it was like, seriously, what is wrong with you? First of all, I hope the view looks great with your head in the sand, and secondly, look at the line design on its own. There's good and bad eco lines, just like everything else.    

Your collection was even the inspiration for Peter Shanel’s new film right? It made me want to wear goat masks and go on adventures.
I asked my good friend, Peter Shanel to do a video inspired by the ideas behind popomomo's fall 09 collection. I told him it was inspired by L.A. Film Noir and also Nancy drew, and I told him to go off of that and do his own thing. It was so fun to watch him and his team work.

Your collection was inspired by the Source family, a bunch of beatnik, nature-loving cultists who had completely retroawesome names like Galaxy and Electricity. What about their lifestyle drew you to them?
I was into the idea of Aesthetic Utopia and the Source was a great example of that: a cult that was positive. They had a cool restaurant, a cool band and drove Rolls Royces while dressed in long robes. They were totally L.A. in their contradictions. I'm doing collaboration tees with the author of the Sources’ foundational book, Isis Aquarian, that I'm really excited about. She told me stories about her time with the source and I did drawings inspired by her words (www.popomomo.com/thesource).

What would your name be if you were a source family member?
Father Yod picked the names, but maybe Sky Aquarian. I like that the sky changes. That's so cheesy. Ha.