Isabel Manns interview for Boyfriend magazine
Here, I spoke to Isabel Manns about her recent collection and how important sustainable fashion is to her and her brand. Link: https://boyfriend-mag.com/2019/10/02/there-are-2-sides-to-ever-story-heres-how-isabel-manns-tells-both/
Walking into the Isabel Manns presentation was like walking into my dream garden party. Washing lines had been constructed to show Isabel’s first capsule collection in all its beauty, providing the viewer with a 365 degree look at each garment. This is imperative to the collection due to Isabel’s focus on reversible clothing; almost all of the collection can be reversed to reveal another pattern, resulting in a two-in-one effect. Isabel knew that this is what she wanted to focus on whilst creating her brand, and her unique approach to conscious shopping is what sets her apart from the rest. “You can wear it twice as often, and you’re more likely to want to spend more money on it as you get two items in one. The focus should be on buying les individual pieces, and more quality items that can be worn repeatedly”.
Isabel was raised by her father’s music, and her fondest memories of her childhood were always sitting in the garden whilst his music played. As a result of this, 60’s glamour played a pivotal role in the creation of the collection, with Isabel naturally leaning towards the round neckline immortalised by Audrey Hepburn, and the full skirt that is synonymous with the style of the era. The timelessness of these pieces is key; their reversibility and high-quality production means that they will live a long life, so the style of each item needed to be just as classic. Prints, too, were consciously thought of because of their eternal beauty – the colours used for the collection (coral, orange, blues and pinks) are colours that will never not be worn. Furthermore, the reversible aspect meant that whilst one side of each item had a bold floral print, the other side had simply one block colour, meaning that the collection has a multitude of combinations and endless possibilities.
With Isabel knowing exactly what she wants and not stopping until she gets it (“I had to visit so many manufacturers to make sure they could do reversible clothes. I made a dress myself to work it out first, to know it could be done.”) it is clear that she is a force to be reckoned with in this industry. Her first capsule collection is astonishingly beautiful, and I have no doubt that she will never cease to create clothing of this standard.
