Above pic: Designer Leeanne Garrett (middle) with Models at the Movida LGN Summer Soiree
What inspired you to want to pursue a career in the fashion industry?
I studied Textiles at school and have always been very creative and enjoyed customising clothes, shoes, bags and even light bulbs anything that I could paint I would. I have always enjoyed sketching clothing and designs and have a strong idea in my own mind of what I like so that is what has inspired me to make garments that I would like to see and wear. And the achievement of seeing a design go from being just an idea to reality is a real sense of achievement and great satisfaction.
What is your main source of inspiration when designing?
Anything deep and meaningful to myself. My last collection was very deep emotionally and was taken from childhood memories to adulthood and the emotional struggles throughout my life. I like to look within myself for inspiration and make a collection that is meaningful to me. For me I use the collection to express myself such as an artist would through their work. My collections are emotional expressions of art to me.
Tell us a bit about your current collection?
My current collection FAIRYTALE EMOTIONS, is a collection based on emotional struggles and repressing emotions and creating emotional barriers of protection around the inner self. I was inspired by my love of Disney classics such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. As a child I would repeatedly watch Disney fairy-tales and I had a very vivid imagination and daydreamed that life would evolve as the fairy-tales did. As in life real life is far from a fairytale and over the years I have sought comfort and guidance from Tarot cards that also greatly inspired and influenced me when designing this collection. The collection is built up of panels and barriers with a softer side throughout the collection. The panels and high collars are repressing emotions and throughout the collection the emotional barriers are being broken down using soft hand sewn fabric manipulation reflecting the vulnerable emotional feelings under the protective barriers.
How was the response like to your collection in London after the Movida showcase?I have had a great response since the Movida show and with several contacts that have requested to work with me on projects. Movida was an amazing venue and has greatly helped to promote my collection to press and buyers. I was really pleased with the response that I received after the Movida show.
You recently showcased at Brighton Fashion Week. Tell us a bit more about that experience?
Brighton fashion week was an amazing experience. It was my second show since my graduation show a few weeks previously so I was very nervous and did not know what to expect. The show was a great success and gave me the chance to really show off my collection and to network with models and industry contacts. I thoroughly enjoyed Brighton fashion week and I will definitely be showing there again next year.
What would you consider to be the most difficult aspect of running your own label versus i.e. design, production, sales, finance, advertising?
I think the most difficult aspect is production and finance. I have just left uni and I am new to the industry so I am still finding my feet so to speak. I have had a lot of interest in my collection but to reproduce the collection on a larger scale I need to put my collection into a factory to be reproduced. I am currently enrolled on several business courses to help me with the launching of my own label.
Which other fashion designers do you admire?
I love Viktor and Rolf I just think their collections are AMAZING, they are are just unique and inspiring and just create the most crazy collections that still manage to be wearable and beautiful as well as being just crazy. I also really love J.C Castlebajac his pop art designs really cheer me up and I think his collections are really fun and playful. John Galliano and the late Alexander McQueen also greatly inspire me. I love anything daring and different to the norm. All of these designers show clear expression and passion within their collections.
What do you hope to have achieved in the industry, 5 years from now?
To have my own successful label and to be showing my collections at LONDON, MILAN AND PARIS Fashion Week. You can only but try and I intend to work hard and try my best to succeed in this industry. It's going to be hard work but I am determined and strong willed so I will keep going until I achieve my dreams and goals.
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