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Welcome to 2014

17/1/2014

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So 2013 came to a slow and painful end...queue 2014...Oh wait! We’re halfway through January already!

In the middle of a heat wave and I've kicked of winter production. I get light headed every time I have to try on a sample to make sure the fit is right or to check if the length needs adjusting. This is always the tricky part; staying ahead of the consumers’ demand means I need to think at least three months ahead. That means shopping for boiled wool and heavy weight knits in the middle of summer, convincing your wholesale clients to, just quickly, slip on this long sleeve hooded dress. It takes some getting used to, but I guess its part of the job.

This week I also had to book my time slot at SA Fashion Week (SAFW) for the spring-summer 2014-15 collection. I personally love winter and find designing summer collections arduous. It’s weird; most SA designers tend to prefer summer and only do a minimal winter collection. Summer tends to be a more commercial season and as great as that is in terms of being able to pay rent on time, it makes designing for a fashion show harder.

As the owner-manager-designer-financial-and-HR-departments of my own business I tend towards trying to streamline all processes as much as possible. In the design process this translates to designing one collection per season that I can show at SAFW and, six months later, send to my retail outlets. Most large fashion houses have the resources to present a fantastical fashion show, then has a team of designer translating it into a commercially viable collection. As much as I wish I could, I simply can’t operate like that.

I started designing my summer collection last week; merging the most successful elements from this summer into fresh silhouettes. I've approached it from the same angle that I usually reserve for my winter collections; adding textured knits and layered detailing. So far it looks like my least summery collection, yet I’m more enthusiastic about it than I've ever been for a summer collection. I feel like designing and experimenting, playing with new techniques and generally having fun...strange how it shows in my work when I’m passionate or when I've lost the love...oh well! Here’s to creating from a happy place.

May 2014 rock your socks off  xx 

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2 Comments

October 09th, 2013

9/10/2013

2 Comments

 
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Images courtesy of Jacquin Botha
Fashion week always amazes me. Even thought this is the ninth show I've participated in as SIES!isabelle, with the South African Fashion Week (SAFW) each event is still so different. This season I decided to do an installation rather than I runway collection. In hind sight I don't think I was quite aware of what I was letting myself in for... Creating a whole environment and clothing, that needs to withstand up close scrutiny; eeeeek! panic! To have that amount of freedom -- "Here is your 150 square meter space... PLAY!" -- is scary. But all said and done... I think we pulled it off.
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Images courtesy of Ivan Naudee

...so who are "we"?

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Scarlet is a design house focusing on unique, contemporary jewelry. 

Sisters, Talia and Alexia, drew inspiration from fairy tales and enchanted forests to add a magical element to the show. Their style is both clean and minimal, but also has the most beautiful, intricate detail. 

Designing a collection on my own is quite an isolated task, but collaborating with such enthusiastic creatives was an amazing experience. Their jewelry complements my clothing beautifully.

Thank you, absolotely love your work xx

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RedOker was born though the vision of using our God given talents, skills and life experience to make a positive difference in those around us.
"We are nation builders, designers and creators of authentic handcrafted products. Our products are proudly made by skilled and committed craftsman in awesome South Africa. Our desire is that every owner of a RedOker product will form a special sentimental and emotional bond with their product that will last a lifetime."

Dankie Casper, Maretha & Lucas; the floating bags made our forest fantastical. You add such a positive energy, its a pleasure to have you work with you.

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At Peter’s hair studio we provide our clients with the latest in hair design, care and maintenance. Choose from our world leading professional brands. We care about how you look and feel. We strive to ensure that each client departs looking beautiful and feeling extraordinarily cared for. Rodney and Nikky at Peter’s studio have been passionately involved in the hair industry for over 23 years and are dedicated to providing superior customized care and updated product knowledge.

Visiting Rodney and Nikky is always the most fabulous experience.. so much more than just "getting your hair done". I always leave feeling my best. I'm so happy that we finally got to work together on a fashion week event. The girls looked amazing, each individually styled to suit her look inside my story. It is so wonderful to work with hair stylist that understand me so intuitively. Thank you <3

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TALK SHOP is a unique Public Relations consultancy specialising in representing creative individuals and businesses in the fashion and design industries in South Africa. We aim to represent South African designers and other creative professionals in order to increase their visibility in the media and to showcase their talent and product to their target consumers. Through extensive experience in the local fashion industry, TALK SHOP has the ability to assist these businesses to  increase their brand recognition and further establish their names in the fashion and design industry. The long-term strategies and personalised efforts at TALK SHOP aim to result in consistent positive media coverage and in turn allow for business growth.

TalkShop has transformed PR from a luxury into a necessity. Dankie Hannah & Suzanne, without you I wouldn't have had anybody at my show! It is such a pleasure to work with you. And Savannah...you are just the best <3 you took my crazy dream and helped make it real, giving me guidance and encouragement. Thank you.

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And lastly, but in no way least, to the most amazingestest, bestest helpers EVER!  Thank you for "foliage thievery", for spray painting shoes, for knitting the most amazing pieces for me to play with, for jumping in exactly when I needed you most, for constructing weeping willow lights, for making notebooks, for baby sitting, for being Rodney's assistants, for climbing on ladders, for running around, for loading and unloading, for taking responsibility, for fetching coffee, for being enthusiastic and, most importantly, thank you for keeping me sort of sane :)
Louis, Christel, Lorelei, Adiel, Betty and the most fantastic interns Kuschke and Tenisha

2 Comments

Anja multiple wrap dress

24/9/2013

5 Comments

 
The Anja wrap dress is one of my most successful draping experiments. The 100% Viscose is hand screen printed and requires six A1 size prints per dress. I've found that personalised prints contribute positively towards enhancing a brand identity. 
Even though the dress consists of almost 3 meters of fabric, it is light and cool on a hot summer's day. It can also be worn over a basic vest dress, for the less daring. Or over your swimming cozzi for the lucky ones on a beach holiday.
Here follow a few ways to wear this amazing dress...and if all else fails; wear it as a scarf!
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Halterneck, crossover and tie under bust

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Halterneck wrap with low back

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One shoulder Grecian wrap

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One shoulder with empire tie

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5 Comments

Relativity of fairy tales to my design technique.

22/9/2013

3 Comments

 
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I would like to explore the similarities between fairy tales and what I do. I’ve been labeled a fashion designer even though I try and stay far, far away from “fashion”. I am a creator of clothing. I studied with freaks and poppies and worked as a minimum wage retail slave. The start of my happily ever after began when I was mentored by an amazing creative with a strong academic interest. She nurtured my love for sculpting and diverted it from clay to pattern making.

While working in a factory that produced high end, ready to wear clothing, I started my own journey. With a bottle of red we christened it SIES!isabelle. Initially it was slow going; trying to find a path leading deeper into the woods, and I passed the “don’t quit your day job” marker a good couple of times.

After four years of skirting the perimeter I dove in and launched my collection at SA fashion week, a year later I quit my day job and I haven’t looked back once. It’s been a rollercoaster ride ranging from huge orders to begging for breadcrumbs.

Currently I supply over 30 stores nationwide and internationally (if you count Namibia), own a small studio/factory and produce around 120 units of clothing each week. I employ 5 fulltime staff members and provide part time work for another 10. SIES!isabelle is a regular on the SA fashion week circuit and is starting to get noticed by the glossy media and general public.

At the moment I’m busy with the dregs of winter; sales and markdowns. I’m launching my summer collection next week. And I’ve started designing for Winter 2014; which brings me to the original topic; exploring the similarities between how I design and fairytales.

My inspiration became real when I found this quote by Angela Carter. “Ours is a highly individualized culture, with great faith in the work of art as a unique one-off, and the artist as an original, a godlike and inspired creator of unique one-offs. But fairy tales are not like that, nor are their makers.”

The basic concept that I found appealing, other than wishing to create clothing that is magic and fantastical, is that I’m not creating “unique one-offs”. Everything in wearable fashion has been done at some point. What fashion designers essentially do is tell the story in a new way. As Roger Zelanzy said:

“Editors believe they are buying the stories, but they are not. They are buying the way the story is told”

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    Isabelle Lotter

    Isabelle Lotter; clothing designer with a passion for sharing ideas

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