I have been following Sara Phillips since her label was conceived and thought it was about time to pick her brain to find out what makes her creative mind tick....
1. Describe yourself in a sentence.Quiet, ambitious & a self-confessed homebody!
2. What is the first thing you ever designed? A man's style shirt when I was 14 in a design and technology class. From memory I dyed it blue in my washing machine and then drew graphic blue lines all over it. An instant classic.
3. How did you get to where you are now?After growing up in the industry I went to fashion school and was lucky enough to pick up stockists from my graduation collection. In my family there has always been a focus on women being in leadership roles, so I feel very lucky to have come from such strong European stock! I've always thought it natural for women to be independent and self sufficient, it's just the way it has always been for me.
4. What inspires you? The people around me, memories and my muse at the moment,
Iris Apfel!
5. What is your aesthetic? Clean, softly tailored and fresh. The way I dress is very simple, a very neutral base colour pallette with splashes of colour here and there. The label definitely reflects this. It's about a very strong clean look, feminine yet edgy and always with a strong print focus.
6. Tell us about your SS10 collection. “Ultrasound” experiments with structure by layering combination's of sheer silks, ultra-light jerseys and chainmail. We took inspiration from the different layers of the body and the sonic interaction of sound and light, creating a collection that feels fresh and polished. Unusual fabrications and soft tailoring are key elements of the garments.
7. What is the best thing about what you do? I get to do what I love everyday and work with a great team of people. I love being my own boss and shaping my collections. It's very exciting being able to come up with new ideas and having a fresh start every 6 or so months.
8. What are you working on right now? We are currently finishing up our Winter 2010 collection, working with the idea of dressing in your memories, focusing on a more tailored way of putting an outfit together. Think menswear with a uniquely feminine twist.
I went to the Sara Phillips show during fashion week and I have to say it's even more beautiful in person. Check out Sara's website,
Ultrasound is now available online + she has a cool blog worth a read.
Sydney based artist and designer Elke Kramer has just released her latest offering titled Look Twice which explores the notions of secrets, deception and trickery through her clever use of materials.
