International Women’s Day is here, and we wanted to celebrate by sharing an insiders point of view of the wonderful world of fashion and life here at Weird Fish. We spoke to our lead designer Beth so she could share her experience of life as a fashion designer.
How did you get into fashion design?
From an early age I have always been surrounded and inspired by strong creative women from family and friends, through to teachers and colleagues; all have been huge inspirations and have supported me on every step of my career path.
Before I was born my Mum led a blazing trail in the 60’s when she was a visual merchandiser for a major London department store. Throughout my early childhood she home-made our clothes and I have very fond memories of the lovely bright fabrics and colourful trims that were always in her sewing room when my sisters and I tried to lend a helping hand!…
When I reached my teens I was further encouraged by another strong female figure, this was my Art and Home Economics teacher and she helped me navigate my way through my ‘O’ levels and also to follow my passion of Art/product design, whilst carrying on with my studies in English / creative writing.
I like to think that some of this female creativity from my formative years rubbed off on me!
How long have you been here at Weird Fish?
I have been at Weird Fish for almost 10 years and love the friendliness of the company, which still feels like an extended albeit growing family.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Having always designed casualwear I tend to draw my inspiration from the great outdoors; the natural world influences the colour palettes, prints, graphics and fabrics that I develop into Weird Fish product ranges each season.
The women in my life have also been a huge stimulus, I constantly think of them during the conceptual development and selection of colour, pattern and silhouette for our ranges. I love the idea that the styles we produce can make women feel comfortable and empowered, whatever their age, size or lifestyle. It is always my ambition to make women smile with confidence when wearing Weird Fish products.
What trends do you see this year ?
After the challenges that everyone has faced in recent years colour and pattern will grow in importance, as we all look for a little more brightness and fun in our everyday lives.
Our AW22 range will highlight new earthy shades of Coffee and Bronze with Rich Red, Rosewood and Soft Green to deliver a festive feel, Purple Wine, Raspberry, Dark Violet and Misty Blue will help to uplift spirits in a truly feminine way.
Going forward I think clothes should work harder and styles will need to transcend seasons and trends – one investment for multiple looks. We try to make every product we design serve more than one role in a wardrobe, helping our customer to mix it up and make a look individual and their own, helping to support one another in this way.
Why should people consider working in the fashion industry?
Fashion and design is an industry which holds no bars to anybody, and hopefully the next generation of designers with drive and artistic creativity will continue to enter the sector. Female designers have a key role to play in the future of this industry with their knowledge of what women really need and want from their wardrobes.