After chatting for some time about
individual pieces from her new collection – I admitted my slight obsession with
her A-line skirts – we moved on to talk about her creative process. In 2011 she
developed a book with the head of design at the London College of Design Paul
Bailey ‘he’s a friend’ which was then bought by London College of Fashion and
nominated for the British Book Design Awards. ‘It’s kind of about process and
about everything you’re thinking about and listening to and looking at while
you’re thinking of design and the next season.’ I mentioned the Cat Stevens
lyrics that were in the book, are they a big influence? ‘Yes! And Cat Power!’
she declared with a grin. And aside from her mother’s influence on this
collection, has anything else she designed been overtly personal? ‘I think if
you are making something it always comes from a place that’s personal – it has
to if its going to be something that’s original.'
‘When I did my second collection I was kind
of chatting to a friend of mine and was laughing about how I had been going out
with guys for years and years and years and I had never gotten any jewellery so
that’s where the name for ‘All The Jewellery I Never Got’ came from. I thought
it would so much fun to draw all this jewellery that I had wished I had gotten
and kind of do a print from that - but I got one since!’ Natalie said this as
she pointed at her wedding finger, laughing.
I had actually met her husband, a graphic
design lecturer, a few days earlier at the first interview attempt when Natalie
was otherwise engaged at Selfridges. I wanted to find out what kind of
influence he, as a more technically focused designer, had on her work. ‘We are
kind of separate although we’re married and everything – I’ve lived in New York
and Iceland and different places, it’s only now that we are living in the same
place. He’s great to talk to because he understands things from the design
perspective – he’s a different species to talk to so its kind of interesting to
get that man’s point of view.’ Although from the small smile creeping into the
corners of her mouth I gathered that Natalie usually only took his advice out
of politeness, she has a clear vision for her label which she launched in 2011.
‘Basically I want to make clothes that you
can wear, you can get up in the morning and if you had a night like me last
night,’ we both laughed heartily at this comment as we could tell her hangover
would no doubt be kicking in soon. ‘You can just put something on and feel good
and not have to think about it. People look at you and go ‘It’s good but not
too much’ but there’s still something interesting.’
She tells me that the NatalieBColeman woman
is understated, cool and confident but this hasn’t stopped the likes of Rihanna
and Marina and the Diamonds from ordering her pieces or from her clothes
attracting media attention. ‘I was at home in the countryside in Ireland and I
started getting all these things about this guy on twitter called Rick Ross?’
Stares at me quizzically as if she isn’t even saying the right name, she shrugs
and says: ‘I hadn’t even heard of him but this girl was singing in his video
and it was number one in America and she was wearing one of my pieces in it – I
had sold some stuff to a shop in LA and a stylist had picked it up there.’
Although this is great news for the brand, Natalie admits that she doesn’t seek
out celebrity attention. ‘I don’t really
care too much I just prefer people who come and make a purchase and wear it
because they love it. ‘
However, when we moved onto the more
lighthearted topic of who would she have lunch with living or dead, she seemed
to care a little more about celebrities than she had originally let on. ‘Dolly
Parton – I just love Dolly Parton! I went to see her when I was in Radio City
in New York. I just love her she is so funny- so camp!’ Her face lit up as she
told me all about the show and her time in New York, but it was her years spent
living in Iceland that seemed to hold the fondest memories for her. ‘I’ve been
over and back to Iceland quite a bit, I love it. I was working for a textile
designer there before so I have a lot of friends over there and I try to make
it over there as much as possible. It’s really beautiful, it’s like being on
the moon!’
And what about her time here in London? ‘Well,
I always show in Paris but it’s been really nice to be here and I have met some
nice buyers and nice press and been to some good parties! Hopefully next year I
might do runway.’ Looking over at her vibrant Be Still My Beating Heart collection in the corner of the showroom,
I can already sense that there is no might about it. The catwalk is the right
place for Natalie’s designs, designs that are so full of fun, colour and
energy.
‘I love the way clothes can transport you.
A dress can make you feel better, you know when you feel rubbish and really
crap but you can put on a dress to make you feel really fabulous it just
uplifts the mood – that’s what I like.’ Natalie herself would no doubt be throwing on
a dress very soon – she had a drinks thing with fellow designer Una Burke to
rush off to after we were done – but not before she explained to me where her
love of fashion came from.
‘I have always been a bit of a dreamer. I
always liked drawing and loved clothes. I mean I know everyone probably says it
but growing up you have this fantasy. Watching your mum or your granny or
hiding in the wardrobe feeling all these beautiful fabrics.’
And if you would like to see more of
Natalie Coleman’s beautiful fabrics please head to www.nataliebcoleman.com
*this interview originally appeared in IHT Magazine The LFW Issue: http://bit.ly/1KpAGZk
