Interview: Lucy Archibald, POPLIN

Inspired by the high quality fabrics and craftsmanship of bespoke men’s tailoring, POPLIN pajamas are the ultimate in elegant loungewear, combining much need comfort with a heavy dose of chic… so much so that I wouldn't be able to resist wearing them for day! Whichever pin up you choose from, be it the endlessly elegant Audrey (classic navy silk with white piping) or the queen of eccentricity Iris Apfel (pink candy stripe), there is something here for everyone’s style doppelgänger. I caught up with Poplin founder, Lucy Archibald, to discuss sartorial sleepwear and breakfast in bed!

Where are you and what are you doing right now? I’m tapping away on my iPad in my favourite cafe- Lowry and Baker on Portobello Road, just round the corner from the POPLIN studio. They do the best breakfast in London.

How did you get into design? I read English at Oxford, and while I was there I designed costumes for plays, which I loved.  So after Oxford, I went to the Courtauld Institute of Art in London and did a masters in the History of Fashion. We had a lot of our classes in the archives of the V&A museum, which was incredibly inspiring. Looking at garments up close, almost archaeologically, was a design training in itself, and has given me such a broad frame of reference.

I got my first proper job with WGSN in London, working on their Arts and Travel directory which meant travelling to interesting destinations, spotting fresh talent in the art world...

But then wanderlust struck and I moved to India, to live in Bombay- a city I’d never even visited! In Bombay I worked as a freelance fashion and travel writer, and did some consultancy for a fantastic local boutique called Bungalow 8. I collaborated closely with the head-designer there, Mathieu Gugumus-Leguillon, and that experience really confirmed for me that I should start my own label. India has such a sense of possibility and the access to craftsmanship is so much more immediate than in Europe, so that really helped too.

Why pajamas? As a freelance writer I was working a lot from home, so I wanted something I could wear in my private space that made me feel great; relaxed yet chic clothes.

I loved the sort of classic men’s pyjamas you find on Jermyn Street, but I wanted them to be cut for a woman, with feminine detailing, luxurious fabrics and original, understated prints. That wasn’t something I could find and so, POPLIN was born: a uniform for the simple pleasures of cooking at home, lying in bed reading the Sunday papers, watching a movie with your boyfriend...

How would you describe the poplin aesthetic in three words? Eclectic, English, Effortless

Tell us about your most recent collection. Our Classics Collection was the first collection, and I really designed things that I wanted and couldn’t find- the perfect white cotton pyjamas with navy piping for instance.

SS13 developed on from that, and was inspired by summer escapes and the glamour of the F Scott Fitzgerald novels.

POPLIN is all about ease and comfort, so the collection includes light cotton loungewear to throw in your suitcase and sleep in, wake-up in, wear for breakfast and even layer over a swimsuit as a cover-up. There are also more glamorous silk pieces- pyjamas and kimonos, inspired by vintage finds and featuring our wonderful Indochine banana leaf print.

What piece has been the most popular this season, so far? Both the Iris Classic Pjs and the Bardot Short Nightshirts have been sell-outs!

What do you look for in the materials you use? POPLIN is always about a balance between function and form, so the materials we use are really important. They have to look and feel amazing, like our customer actually!

I know all our fabric suppliers by name and we work very closely to make sure we source the softest cotton and the most beautiful silks. It’s such a luxury to make our products in India where the textile tradition is so rich! Sometimes we have to look further afield though to get exactly what we want- the satin for the trims on the classic cotton pyjamas comes all the way from Japan for instance. 

What’s your favourite fashion era? My taste is very eclectic, and I think one of the great things about how fashion has evolved to incorporate vintage style, is that the best designers draw elements from different eras and create something completely contemporary and fresh.

I love Edwardian lace and broderie anglaise- beautiful white garments that instantly evoke a kind of Howard’s End, strawberries and cream mood. The silhouettes of the 1930s were also wonderful, particularly for lingerie. I’ve uncovered some incredibly womanly silk dressing gowns from that era in my vintage-hunting travels. Ossie Clark’s designs are another favourite of mine and they definitely reference the 1930s. That’s the beauty of fashion- it’s an endless web of references and inspiration across the eras. 

Are you limiting your brand’s vision to pajamas or will you be expanding into other garments? For SS13 we’re offering our customers light dresses, kimonos and dressing gowns, alongside our core nightshirts and pyjamas.

We have also collaborated with a young London-based milliner called Laura Cathcart on a capsule collection of summer hats to wear while lying in the sun in your POPLIN dress or nightshirt.   

What’s coming up next for Poplin? We have collaborated with a fashion illustrator on a limited edition Christmas design, exclusive to Avenue 32. It’s inspired by The Nutcracker ballet which I went to see every Christmas as a child. The perfect present to find under the tree! The SS13 Collection is launching on the site and with retailers in February.

What’s been inspiring you recently? The Pre-Raphaelite exhibition at the Tate. The colours and textures were so rich, and because it was such a nostalgic movement, they had a vision of timeless beauty that feels very relevant for POPLIN. My favourite images from the show are at the heart of our AW13/14 mood board...

What are looking forward to? A holiday! I’m getting married next June and day-dreaming about honeymoon destinations is my main distraction at the moment. I’m going to Paris in a couple of weeks. I’ll be packing my Bardot Pyjamas and I can’t wait to wear them for breakfast in bed- I’ll have a chocolat chaud and a croissant, s’il vous plait.

See more of Lucy's work on her website and check out her blog here.
Poplin PJS are available to buy here.

Interview: CALLA

Toronto born designer Calla Haynes is the creative force behind her eponymous label CALLA, a Parisian based label built on the founding principles of relaxed luxury and wearability. Since the line's debut in Spring/Summer 2010, Calla's strong print designs and experiments with colour and texture have gone from strength to strength, earning her two ANDAM nominations and a prestigious collaboration with the house of Lemarié, one of Chanel’s metiers d’arts. I caught up with Calla to discuss what it's like to be a young designer in Paris and the ultimate capsule wardrobe.

Hi Calla! Where are you and what are you doing right now? Hi! Right now, I’m in my studio wrapping up all my Spring/Summer 2013 orders and launching production.

How did you get into design? I always knew that this was what I wanted to do but as a kid I never thought that I would wind up living in Paris. When I was in high school I made a lot of my own clothes. I made my formal dress and graduation dress. I applied to Parsons School of Design and studied there in New York for 2 years and then 1 year at Parsons Paris.

Tell us about your past jobs. What lead you to your current position? After my year at Parsons Paris, I interned with Olivier Theyskens at Rochas and then went on to work closely with him for almost 5 years at Rochas, and then Nina Ricci. After that, I worked as a freelance textile designer and collaborated with a lot of amazing people like Jeremy Laing and Erin Fetherston.

You’re based in Paris. What’s it like being a young designer there? It’s really exciting! There is so much history and savoir-faire here to inspire my work.

How would you describe the Calla aesthetic in three words? Relaxed Luxury + Prints

Who and what influences your designs? Art, nature and texture influence my print designs, and the ‘creative woman’ influences what kind of clothes I design.  I like to imagine her in a certain job, like a painter, or an actress, or an interior decorator, and then think up the kind of wardrobe she would need in her life.

Talk us through the design process. I do a lot of textile research to find interesting, special things.  Then I start on the print designs, which are done mainly on Photoshop but have some hand-made elements as well.  Separately, I design the silhouettes of the collection and at some point the prints and the silhouettes marry.

Prints are your signature. How do they evolve from season to season? They relate directly to the themes of the collection so it depends on how I’m feeling that season. I try to push their complexity and their beauty further each season with new techniques or new ways to mix them but I think they always stay a ‘Calla’ print:  abstract, poetic, romantic, feminine but twisted.

Who is the Calla girl? She’s a girl that works in the arts and at least appreciates them. She’s looking for unique, special pieces that make her feel special but that are easy to wear and work for her in her busy life.  She’s a bit of a ‘coquine’ – for me that means she has a shy side but also a wild side!  She’s really in control of her femininity and lets it come out to play when it suits her, but she also loves a jean and t-shirt.

How would you describe your personal style and how does that manifest itself in your designs? I definitely have a tomboy side that’s juxtaposed with my love of high fashion and addiction to cocktail dresses. Because of that, it’s really important for me to create a true wardrobe.  Separates are as important as dresses. My favourite pieces (t-shirt, skinny pant, boyfriend jacket) are well represented in my collection, as well as a sexy dress and a romantic floor sweeping skirt.

What’s your favourite fashion era? I don’t really have favourites, but maybe mid-60s London.  I love me a vintage Laura Ashley dress…

What are your 5 wardrobe essentials? Ha ha, I think I already answered that!

Printed t-shirt with a cool special detail, printed skinny pant or jean, boyfriend jacket in a cool tweed or jacquard, a sexy dress to convince my husband that maybe accompanying me to another fashion party won’t be that bad! and a dramatic evening look like my long printed skirts with a train.

Any beauty rituals? I’m so basic! But I do have a New York ritual to do a manicure / pedicure whenever I’m there.

What’s coming up next for Calla? Getting my new denim collection in stores. And I better get started on Fall 13!

Describe your perfect day. Getting out of the city, a nice long walk with my dog, lots of good food & wine, and laughing with friends. Discovering something new that inspires me like a great documentary or art expo.

See more of Calla's work on her website.
Calla is available to buy here.

Interview: Momo Suzuki, Black Crane

Alongside her husband Alexander Yamaguchi, Japanese born Momo Suzuki is one half of the creative duo behind the ultimate lesson in laid back simplicity: Black Crane. Inspired by her Japanese heritage, Momo mixes minimal and relaxed silhouettes with playful textures and exaggerated proportions to create a range of garments that are both hugely comfortable and covetable. 

Where are you and what are you doing right now? I live in Los Angeles with my husband (Alexander Yamaguchi) and am currently working on my clothing company with him.

How did you get into design? My parents were both huge influences. I grew up flicking through their interior design magazines or digging through my mom's amazing clothing selection whenever I had the chance.

Tell us about your past jobs. What lead you to your current position? I started out working in interior design and architecture. After that I started making hand made leather goods but as I watched the growth of my husband’s clothing line, I started wanting to design pieces which would relate more to my sort of life style.

Tell us about Black Crane. How would you describe the Black Crane aesthetic? Super simple. I wanted to create clothes that you can wrap yourself up in without effort. I want my clothing to make you feel cosy and relaxed. The Black Crane aesthetic reflects my lifestyle as the wife of surfer who likes to drag me to the beach in the early morning when I’m sleepy and I don't have a time to dress up...

What influences your designs? The world around me.  It comes from everything: my interests in hiking, films, history books and people I see on the street.

Has your Japanese heritage influenced your designs in any way? Yes, very much so. I was fascinated when I learnt about the construction of the Kimono.  It's such a simple geometric pattern. You can fold it into a perfect rectangle whilst at the same time playing with variations of the neck curve and how it falls on the body.

Black Crane is a collaboration between you and your husband Alexander Yamaguchi. How do you reconcile your respective interests when coming up with the idea for a collection? Do you each have assigned roles? We used to design together when we started the line, but currently I’m designing the whole collection since he has his own line too. But he always helps me with pattern making - he has great instinct for creating curves and for fit.

What inspired the name Black Crane? The crane symbolizes happiness in Japan and I think it is simply elegant.

Who is the Black Crane girl? Everyone! I love seeing ladies of all ages wearing Black Crane. My mom looks amazing in the Aladdin style balloon pants and we always share stuff.

What other brands inspire you? There are so many great brands I adore. Boessert / Schorn, Isabel Marant & Céline are some of my favourites.

What are your 5 wardrobe essentials? Colorful trousers, basic tees, cozy cardigans, flats and sunglasses.

Any beauty rituals? I don't wear make up but I love a manicure in a rustic color.

What’s coming up next for Black Crane? I would love to introduce some knitwear for fall.

What outside of work has inspired you recently?  Last week at the beach I found some beautiful shells with amazing patterns. They immediately caught my eye and lead me to think about patterns for knits. I love that kind of moment...

Describe your perfect day. Dinner with my friends.

Black Crane is available to purchase here.

Interview: Melissa Coker, Wren

This week's interview is with designer and founder of Wren, Melissa Coker. After stints assisting Alex White at W and André Leon Talley at Vogue, Melissa turned her hand to fashion design, starting LA based label Wren in 2007. Since then Coker's youthful and carefree aesthetic gone from strength to strength, proving a firm favourite with the likes of Leith Clark, Gia Coppola and Clémence Poésy to name but a few.

Where are you and what are you doing right now? In LA, working on wrapping up Spring 13.

Did you always dream of being a fashion designer? Not at first. It kind of happened by accident! I have a background in editorial and through a twist of fate I ended up designing. There were a few things that I wanted and couldn’t find in stores, so I had some friends set me up with pattern makers and I started making things for myself. I made ten pieces and realized that I basically had a small collection. Wren was born.

Tell us about your past jobs. What lead you to your current position? I worked in the fashion departments at Vogue, W and Details and was recruited from there to provide design direction for corporate brands. That brought me onto the apparel side of things and eventually led to my role as a designer.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your designs. My inspiration comes from a mix of things. I draw ideas from films, art, travels, and books. Also friends and girls I see on the street.

Describe the Fall 12 collection in 5 words. Classic, feminine, quirky, smart, cool.

What inspired the name Wren? "Wren" is named after Jenny Wren, a winsome little creature from the Dickens' Novel "Our Mutual Friend" who makes dresses for her dolls.

Who is the Wren girl? The Wren girl is bookish, but still very cool; feminine, but also not afraid to be a little bit of a tomboy too.

Does your personal style influence your designs? Almost everything I design is something I'd love to wear or fills a hole in my own wardrobe.

Do you have a favourite material to work with? Vintage sequins and tarnished shine, plush velvets and luxe brocades. I love mixing textures and pairing shiny with dull, soft with hard 

Do you have a favourite Wren piece? There are certain dresses that I wear constantly.  It's a real illness.  A few friends seem to be suffering as well.  I've shown up to meet both Leith Clark and Tennessee Thomas and we were wearing the same dress.  I find that cute.  It's like we're in a gang and the baby doll dress is our uniform.

You recently collaborated with Tavi Gevinson, Leith Clark, Maximilla Lukacs and Sarah Sophie Flicker on the film “Beware of Young Girls”. Tell us about a bit about this. How did the collaboration come about? Leith and I have worked on many projects over the years together, including the Spring 12 film we made with Gia Coppola.  Tavi and I have been in communication for quite some time now about this and that. She is such a smart, interesting, and grounded person - a true inspiration. When we were developing the project, the directors, Maximilla Lukacs and Sarah Sophie Flicker, had the idea that she should star and sing the Dory Previn song"Beware of Young Girls". Needless to say, I was over the moon on the idea. 

Any other dream collaborations? We collaborated with Minnetonka this Fall and that was a dream come true for me. I've been wearing MInnetonka mocassins my whole life so that was a very special collaboration.  We also have a dream collaboration cooking presently, more on that soon.

What other brands inspire you? Chanel, APC, Beams Boy, Charles Anastase and Lulu Frost.

What are your 5 wardrobe essentials? Printed dresses, colorful cardigans, full skirts, flats and a sun hat. Can't let the sun eat me alive here in LA!

Any beauty rituals? Less rituals, but maybe signatures. I nearly always have red nails and wear bright red lipstick for evenings out.

What’s coming up next for Wren? Spring 13 is wrapping up and we're going to be moving right into summer.  It's going to be very California inspired, which I'm looking forward to.  We have a collaboration with Lake & Stars in the works for the season -- our first foray into swimwear. 

Describe your perfect day. Would probably involve time spent with friends, staying up very late, having lots of fun.  Or, since it's my perfect day, it would be that but in Tokyo.

Wren is available to purchase from wrenstudio.com

(Photographs courtesy of Wren)

Interview: Christopher Kane

Sorry for the distinct lack of posts, updates coming very soon but in the meantime take a look at a recent interview I did with Christopher Kane at the Scottish Fashion Awards for Dazed and Confused Digital.
(Image credit: Christopher Kane S/S 2012 from Style Bistro)

Interview: Amélie Pichard

Another of my interviews featuring young designers in their studios is up over at Novembre Magazine. This week features vintage inspired shoe designer Amélie Pichard. Go check it out!

(Photographs by the very talented Pauline Magnenat)

Interview: Jacquemus

" I imagined the story of a lonely women, tired of men, who dedicates her life to dogs." - Simon Porte Jacquemus on his new collection, Le Chenil.

Go and take a look at my recent interview with Simon Porte Jacquemus for a new series of posts I'm doing on young designers and their studios over at Novembre Magazine's blog!