PEPPERMINT TWIST: I love sewing and have been making most of my own clothes since my teenage years; it made sense to do something professionally along those lines… I set up my bag label to use up my creative energies!
MY DESIGNS are whimsical, playful yet practical. Common elements are appliqués of horses, ponies, hearts and doves, star-shaped cut-outs, punched motifs, and studded decorations.
MY STYLE is quite decorative, but I value practicality and durability as well, as it is the purpose of a bag after all! Linings are often made of beige denim, which makes them resistant, and there are as many pockets as possible. Colours are subdued and neutral: cream, taupe, browns and navy, as well as soft pink, electric red and black.
INSPIRATION often comes from movies: vintage Hollywood glamour of the 40s and 50s, as well as 60s-70s movies such as Rosemary’s Baby, Nashville, Klute, The Eyes of Laura Mars, Manhattan… Photography, old magazines, childhood books, fawns and horses are a great source of inspiration too… My designs are a little vintage-inspired!
ON TREND FOR A/W 2008: I have been working with big square studs, so my latest pieces are quiet edgy and confident!
MY TECHNIQUE: I use mostly leathers, the nappa (lamb) variety, as it supper soft and has a great textural feel. It also ages well, so my purses should last a long while. More recently, I have been working with fabrics such as denim, sweatshirt fleece and velvet/cords.
MY BESTSELLERS: are zip pouches featuring dove and hearts motifs. Not two are alike, as I hand cut and place appliqués on the spur of the moment. The dove motif is an old favourite that I have been using since I started. It is a personal reference to Andy Warhol who often drew doves for his advertising designs of the early 50s, when he was a commercial artist. And, on a more personal level, my mother used to wear a Nina Ricci perfume, L’Air du Temps. The bottle top was decorated with two fluttering doves designed by Lalique, so doves are a connection to childhood memories as well.
