After working in the textile industry for 10 years, what drove you to start designing your own clothes?

After completing my degree in fashion design at Esmod Paris, I initially decided to work in the fashion and textiles industries so that I could gain enough experience and maturity to create my own brand. I was only 21 at the time, and, in my head, I’d set myself the target of launching my own line by 30. Working with textiles gave me a real insight into the importance of materials and fabrication, but it was at Solstiss (a French company renowned for its production of lace) where my obsession with lace, which is central in all my collections, began.

Who or what inspires your designs?

My main sources of inspiration come from street style, classical ballet, the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, intricate lacework, and, of course, travelling. Above all though, I design clothes so that women can feel themselves in them; so that they feel both feminine and comfortable.

What sort of person do you aim your clothes at then?

Yes, the woman in my head is between 30 and 50, and not only appreciates fashion, but is willing to source out more exclusive pieces to mix in with her wardrobe staples. This woman could go crazy for a lace-infused sweater by me, for example, and then team it with a basic pair of trousers.

Which celebrity would you most like to see wearing one of your designs?

I’d love to dress a celebrity like Gwenyth Paltrow, Cate Blanchet, Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Eva Green, Audrey Tautou or Aung San Suu Kyi.

So tell us about this season’s SS12 collection. What do you love about it?

This season’s collection is heavily based on Art Deco architecture. All the pieces from the collection are named after a building, designer or painter of the Art Deco style, such as the Chrysler top, which recreates the triangulation central to Art Deco designs.

And how important are sportswear influences to your designs?

It’s ballet that most inspires me, but I don’t feel that I’ve fully explored all it has to offer yet. I started dancing when I was 6 years old, and carried on until I was seven months pregnant. I haven’t danced since I gave birth, and I do miss it… I just love the elegance of principal ballet dancers: their capability and the movements and expressions they use to tell us the story they’re portraying. That’s what I want to recreate when I design, a story behind my clothes that the person who wears them takes on and can mould to themselves.

Who are your favourite designers at the moment?

I really love Jean Paul Gaultier – there’s always a definite focus to each of his collections. You either like it or you don’t, but I like that he never leaves people indifferent. Also, Alexander McQueen’s Haute Couture collections completely enthral me.

And what plans do you have for the future?

I’d like to expand the brand’s presence in department stores and indie boutiques. And then perhaps open my own store, and create a range of shoes and maybe a childrenswear line.

Words: Samantha Southern

The post SARAH SUMFLETH talks Art Deco, lace and street style appeared first on Wonderland.

Current London print queen Mary Katrantzou sought a slouchier, and ultimately cooler, silhouette with photo-glazing of decadent gardens forming a lush canvas on her sculptural, slightly tailored cuts. Those more attuned to the harder winter season [unable to detract from long, oversized silhouettes] will revel in the multiplicity the trend provides: sports-infused bulky shoes (from trainers to Doc Martens to the silvery Rochas pair seen above) provide an edge to the ethereal all-white dresses. Indeed, it’s icy white – the colour of the season – lead by Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander and Versace that balances the sugarcane saturation of girls on horses at an idyllic fairground; following Coppola’s suit, this is a more voyeuristic, yet not less any majestic, walk across this season’s fairy tale park.

Photographer: Martha Boxley
Fashion Editor: Francesca Prudente
Words: Modesta Dziautaite

Hair: Klare Wilkinson using Kevin Murphy
Make Up: Emily Mergaert using Chanel SS12 and Hydra Beauty Serum
Fashion Assistance: Miguel Santos

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Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to be a designer.

The influence of my family has been important. Both my parents have regular jobs but they have always been into art and design. I also have two older brothers who are really into music. As a kid I got to travel quite a bit with my parents and go to exhibitions all over the world. This made me want to become an artist, but as a teenager I got really into clothes and fashion. Back then during the grunge phase I was buying all the clothes that I could. It was then that I figured out that design could be something creative – so I went onto study fashion.

What have been the key influences on your work?

Lots of different things. One of my first favourite designers was Vivienne Westwood. I am also influenced by punk and other subcultures from the nineties. There were also lots of movies, too, like Lost Boys, Blade Runner, Grease and Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan. Twin Peaks has also been influential.

What would you say to someone who hadn’t seen your work before?

The pieces are all handmade and knit from bamboo, cotton and wool. I dye most of the yarns myself. I have been concentrating mainly on the knits that have become my trademark.

What elements inspired you your latest collection I Know Why No?

It’s about aesthetic destruction and I take that to mean that things don’t have to be so perfect. I was looking for the beauty of imperfection where things are a little bit rusty and falling apart. It is also inspired by friendship and love, which came from my friends and the people I enjoy working with. Movies and music remain a constant source of inspiration. I had Waterworld, Mad Max, Lost Boys and the cover of the Velvet Underground & Nico album in mind for my latest collection. My friends and I meet up as part of a film club every week, where we watch lots of Jim Jarmusch, who I also find inspiring.

Some of your items have been worn by Finnish popstars like Jenni Vartiainen. What other celebrities have worn your clothes?

Mainly Finnish people at the minute. The popstar Manna, Finnish TV personalities Maria Veitola and street style photographers and fashion journalists like Liisa Jokinen and Sally Raeste.

Who would you most like to design for?

Anyone could wear my stuff, but have to have strong personalities to carry the knits off well. A lot depends on the styling, too, of course. I have already sent knits to Björk and Juliette Lewis – PJ Harvey, Patti Smith and Kim Gordon are also on my list. I’d like to see some men wearing my knits. Musicians like Iggy Pop, Dave Gahan and Thom Yorke would be good.

What can the fashion world expect from Aino Vainio in the future?

I aim to have a different and more commercial range and have my pieces knit by others. I would also like to collaborate with a bigger brand, such as the Finnish company Marimekko. I will be participating in the Helsinki Fresh show with other young Finnish designers in Berlin. I would also like to make more jewellery and do some costume design for films.

Words: Gareth Rice

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Where did the name Confezioni Crosby originate? 

Confezioni Crosby merges my Italian origins with the American history of the brand. Confezioni is an old-fashioned Italian word that means tailor-made, and Crosby is the name of the street in NYC where we live and work.

Can you define any aspects that are distinctively Italian or American in the collection? 

It’s difficult to separate the two as they are so simultaneously connected in the garments. Styling and colour-palette are predominantly Italian, while the silhouettes and mood of the collection are more American. The Italian origin of the design emphasises attention to detail and adds a certain flair to the brand. In contrast, the American manufacturing heritage conveys a know-how of solid construction and durability synonymous with work wear.

Confezioni Crosby is the brainchild of you and your partner Jonathan Joory, how do you strike a work/life balance? 

Confezioni Crosby has grown so naturally that it’s now part of our everyday life; that’s probably why we don’t feel like it’s work. Although, sometimes you do find yourself talking about the collection when you shouldn’t, that’s when we have to look at each other and say “this isn’t the time” [laughs].

We’ve spotted an essence of WWII style – are we on the right track?

The WWII reference was fairly intended. If you want to find inspiration for women’s work wear, then there’s no better period of history to look at than the 1940s, when a great deal of women went to work in factories; it’s a natural consequence to find reference in that aesthetic.

Did you enjoy working with Fanny and Bill Gentle on your SS12 Look Book?

Bill and Fanny are a very talented and creative couple. We started working with them when creating the first collection and have remained friends every since. This look book was shot in Montauk, a place that we all love. Hopefully we’ll collaborate again in the future.

Would you ever consider a menswear line?

Yes, I would absolutely love to design a Confezioni Crosby line for men. We started designing for women as we enjoyed the challenge of transforming something apparently masculine into something very, very feminine. The challenge with menswear would be transforming original workwear into something accessible for everyday life.

How do you strike a balance between functionality and fashion?

When designing, I start with original workwear pieces and try to understand their essence. I take what I think is fundamental about the garment and translate it into a fashionable shape, whilst keeping the presence of the original idea.

One final question – are uniforms really that sexy?

I’m glad that you’ve asked this question. I honestly don’t focus on the sexual appeal of uniforms, but it’s surely a strong component that emerges spontaneously. Uniforms are appealing because they’re simple, smart and give the wearer an immediate distinction.

Words: Charmaine Jade Ayden

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Charlie’s icons:

David Lynch

Biggie Smalls

Marcello Mastroianni from Fellini’s 8 1/2

Julian Schnabel in his pyjamas

D Double E

What is it about textures and lightness-of-touch that intrigues you? How have you incorporated this idea into your SS12 collection?

It was a gut reaction to the minimalism of colour blocking that has been so prevalent in the last few years, and I think minimalism in general. We are interested in making a purposeful shift away from the idea of reduction towards contrasting textures which create a discordance.The signature patchwork polo’s a good example of this, made up of several different textural sporting fabrics – from towelling to pique, mesh to rib and Aertex to interlock. It was important for us to retain a sense of modernity, which is where the idea of lightness of touch came from. So we explored the idea of a superlight weight patchwork summer silk quilts as well which like the rest of the collection we developed in Japan.

How do you feel juxtaposing textures reflects your cultural outlook? The press release mentions how you’d be interested in exploring ‘singularity over uniformity’.

My father and I have always been interested in the influence of cultural uniforms and social signifiers on fashion and personal identity. Particularly in London where, you’re open to a world of cultures just walking down any high street. We call the mix ‘transculturalism’, and it’s about bringing together disparate elements from different cultures, we try to reflect this each season and for SS12 our main process was through texture.

Why did you chose the Savile Clifford Mill to develop the fabrics? What do they offer that other options don’t?

Savile Clifford is one of a number of English mills that we develop exclusvie fabrics with. We work with them because although the company was established over a hundred years ago, they strive to produce modernist fabrics and therefore highlight our brand ethos of innovation through tradition.

Comparing your last two collections, how do you feel your work is developing – how has it evolved through the years?

It has definitely become more relaxed as we expand on the brand’s DNA. I guess it’s a reaction to a cultural shift where our customers have gradually become more interested in the idea of luxury sportswear than when we first started. The essence of the brand has always been about making relaxed masculine clothing combined with a genuine passion for craftsmanshp.

What has the reaction been like so far?

The reaction is always really interesting to us, in part because we are father and son, the collection seems to have cross-generational appeal which is something we strived to achieve from the beginning. The mix of sportswear with satorial details has also created a new langauge that our loyal customers appreciate, we have been very fortunate to have some really positive supporters who feel they can relate to the statement we are making.

What ideas are your playing around with for your next collection?

An Englishman abroad and a foreigner in England.

Text: Jack Mills

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Yves Klein and navy blue palette form a base for expertly cut blazers, layered over silky nylon anoraks that come with pegged carrot trousers in neutral beige and browns, finished with dashes of leopard-print footwear.

As ever with Smith, it’s all in the detail – sliced-off crew neck cardigans compliment angular ends of sky blue ties, intricate stitching on horizontal denim stripes, and inverted collars on varsity jackets.

Timeless yet modern, the collection boasts hybrid-clothing sculpted to seamlessly fit the contemporary male’s wardrobe. Finally, prismatic rainbow-bright prints and orange paneling neatly tie-up the quintessentially English collection.

Photographers: Andrew and William Ho.
Fashion Editor: Alexander Harley.
Set Design: Eoin Dillion.
Hair: Mitsu using Murdock London.
Make up: Holleigh Gallon using Laura Mercier.
Model, (Wonderland’s own) Joe Fleming at Premier Model Management
Words: Modesta Dziautaite

The post PAUL SMITH SS12 appeared first on Wonderland.