During Vancouver Fashion Week, I had the pleasure of meeting Sini Moilanen of the fashion label
Tramp In Disguise. Now one of my 'designers to watch', I thought I'd share a little more with you about this talented woman!
Sini is based out of the UK, where she also went to University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art. Her spring/summer 2013 collection named
Lost City had me swooning over its unique prints and flowing details on the runway. Her collection first showed at London and Paris Fashion Weeks, before coming to Vancouver to showcase her designs. Tramp In Disguise's designs are fun, youthful, modern and edgy, and are quickly gaining popularity with celebrities and the press. The collection features a mix of structured and draped designs in an array of fabrics: I loved the sultry textures of silk and chiffon used.
The Lost City collection left me very intrigued about the inspiration and ideas that goes into making the designs. It's really interesting to get a sneak peek into the mind of a fashion designer and see what sparks their creativity. Luckily, I got the chance to send Sini a few questions for her to answer about all these things:
Q: Do your London roots influence your fashion?
A: I think my bold colourful clothing is very much influenced by London. People in London aren’t afraid to be different. Most people like to have their own style and like to show off more than fade into the background.
Q: What made you decide on the name of your brand 'Tramp In Disguise'?
A: Tramp In Disguise name comes actually from what my friend called me when we were still studying fashion. I thought that was a funny name for a brand and it can be interpreted in many ways.
Q: What criteria do you have for a spring/summer collection? (Cuts, colours, prints)
A: I like to make summer collections colourful and use light and airy fabrics. The cuts come from the research I do for each collection. I do recycle popular shapes from season to season adding some new details and twist to them to make them a bit different from the previous collection.The SS13 collection ‘Lost City’ is inspired by Atlantis, the legendary island which is presumed to have sunk into the ocean in a single day. According to Plato, the city of Atlantis was known for its naval power which conquered many parts of Western Europe and Africa and according to myth was ruled by Poseidon, the God of the sea, earthquakes and horses. The theme is reflected in the collection in the vibrant and bold pattern work, that’s sparked by the infusion of underwater creatures, priestesses, archaeological Greek art and Greek fashion. The collection carries an ocean-based likeness, conveying connotations of the beautiful salt water nymph Salacia in the distinctive colour palette of blue, sensitive light greys and dynamic greens, all silhouetted by black outlines to create shape and structure.
Q: How did you choose to translate the inspiration of Atlantis into your Lost City collection? What do the details and prints signify?
A: I have used watery blues, greens and grays in the colour palette inspired by the colours of the sea- according to the legend, city of Atlantis sunk into the sea in a day.The prints are inspired by Greek artefacts, pottery, jewelry, architecture and the corals of the sea. The shapes for the garments comes from my research of the historical Greek costume and architecture with a modern twist, for example the Thexilope skirt is inspired by Greek warrior costume and the strips on the arms of the garments are inspired by the arm bands the Ancient Greek used to wear.
My favourite aspects of the collection? The arm bands and the chiffon details. What do you like best?
~Britta
