All Entries in the "Designer Profile" Category
Designer Profile: Rachel Gilbert
Who: Rachel Gilbert
Where: Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia
What: Luxury embellished dresses, party favourite outfits and timeless glamour.
Rachel GilbertThe Feel: Rachel Gilbert’s collection stirs up images of old Hollywood glamour. All of her pieces reveal LA influences from when she worked on Nicky Hilton’s handbag line ‘7’ and of course her Australian design training.
The History: Rachel studied at the Whitehouse Institute of Design, one of Australia’s most coveted fashion colleges. After graduating Rachel must have been spiking her protein shakes with rocket fuel because her career took off fast. From Lisa Ho, to Nicky Hilton, to Morissey and then starting her own label it’s been quiet a career journey.
The Present: Now based in Surry Hills the self made designer’s future is looking bright. Her dresses are becoming a regular on the red carpet with stars like Taylor Swift and Natalie Bassingwaighte requesting Rachel’s dresses for their paparazzi moments.
Stand Out Pieces: The embellishment on Rachel’s cocktail dresses is what gives her brand a stand out edge on the clothes rack. The detailing of the sequins and sparkles is mesmerizing.
Wear Rachel Gilbert…:To your high school formal, your ten year reunion, your ex boyfriends weddings or any other occasion where you need to stand out of the crowd.
Online Stockists: The final stamp of guarantee on Rachel’s collection is the fact it sits next to Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs on the coveted site Net-A-Porter.
Taylor Swift in Rachel Gilbert
We love to support Australian fashion designers here at An Australian Wintour. Rachel Gilbert is worthy of every ounce of praise we give her. We can’t wait to see what’s next Rachel!
Designer Profile: Agua Bendita
Agua Bendita caught my eye online the first time I spotted their vibrant swimsuits. I rushed to my nearest swimwear outlet and couldn’t believe how well the editorial pictures translated into real life. The cuts were real, the colours were real, and the fabrics were just as quality as they looked. Catalina Alvarez one half of the South American design trio took the time out to speak to An Australian Wintour about their current collection heavenly delights. This whole interview has been translated from Spanish and I have tried to preserve the orignal text as much as possible so please be patient, but it is well worth the read. Be inspired by Agua Bendita.
Agua Bendita began when Mariana Hinestroza and I (Catalina Alvarez) were studying fashion design at the Colegiatura Colombiana de Diseño University located in Medellin, Colombia. It all started when somebody gave us some textiles and we decided to make a few swimsuits to sell to our friends during the holidays. We never thought at that point of creating a brand or a company, things just naturally grew from this small beginning.
The South American influences in your collection make your swimwear stand out on international shelves; did you always plan to take Agua Bendita global?
Agua Bendita is made with lots of love by many campesina women, who guided by us and using their traditional handicraft skills create a product made in Colombia for the entire world. Each piece has the Latin influences that characterize us! Our swimsuits are about bright colours, appealing textiles, and cuts that enhance a woman’s figure.
We want to support and help our country to grow by doing what we love by making Agua Bendita avant-garde, special and commercially viable to take it to the whole world.
When putting the Heavenly Delights collection together, where did you look to for inspiration?
Heavenly delights!! Comes from all those things that excite us. All the sweet and delicious things in life! The pieces in the collection resemble those types of desserts you just cannot resist. This collection has the perfect mix of all the ingredients that characterize Agua Bendita, the colours, feminine feel, maximalism, and unique textiles that create versatile pieces.
Have you always designed apparel, as well as swimwear, or was it a natural progression?
At University we discovered a taste for garment design but gained our experience through daily practice at Agua Bendita. We do everything and we know how to manage every aspect since we started from zero, just us and a lot of dedication. Creating Agua Bendita day by day is what has nurtured our experience and knowledge in the field of design.
Do you follow general fashion trends when designing collections?
We travel a lot and follow closely catwalk trends, magazines and what’s happening with fashion around the world. But we don’t like to follow trends, we like to propose them and this is why Agua Bendita is such a success.
What do you think makes the perfect swimsuit?
I believe swimwear is mix of many things quality materials, textiles that make it appealing, cuts that fit well, bright colours and the most important thing is you feel comfortable enough in it to show it off.
Can you offer any advice for women looking to get involved in swimwear design?
First of all to be a designer is not only design and drawing… be a designer is to be present in the whole creative process from the idea to its development and obviously never to abandon the product that you have created until it is finished. And for this, you need to work, work and work tirelessly and without stopping !!! hahahahaha 
Designer Profile: Flamingo Sands
Who: Flamingo Sands by Jane Hages and Nicky Rowse
Where: From the Sunny Side of Australia
What: Delicious Bikini’s and beachwear designed to keep Aussie girls look fresh all summer.
The Feel: Flamingo Sands have based their fun flirty label on the typical swimsuit and then making it stand out with wild prints, bright colours and a fierce feel.
The Look: Lots of colour… wait… LOADS of colour. The ‘IT’ bikini to be wearing this summer. Their Spring/Summer 09/10 collection is bold and quirky yet sexy and cool.
Prints: Prints this summer include French Nautical, Black Paisley, Diamonds and Pearls, Charcoal Lace, Teal Owl Wings, Zebra Floral, Fruit Cocktail, Fluro Leaves, Navajo Feathers and the Land of Sunshine…
Stand Out Features: A sexy Brazilian cut in a few swimsuits for those who dare. Also Flamingo Sands have catered for ladies with bigger busts with C/D cup sizes with underwire for extra support (without taking away the glamour of the swimsuit!)
Wear Flamingo Sands with: Denim cut offs, mini’s for lazy lunches at beach cafés. Pair one of the one pieces with a gold ruffle skirt or the likes, for summer cocktails after dark.
Online Stockists: birdmotel.com.au, aussieswimstore.com, stylepalace.com.au
