I have just finished the last item for my Spring/Summer Collection 2012 and so am ready to close the shop tomorrow for a well earned holiday and travel period until Feb 20th. It's been a great year; best ever sales, super duper new website, learning curves and new experiences. I'm REALLY looking forward to this break, but am very excited about next season's collection; lots of colour (quite a change for me) and new fabric types. The photoshoot is organised for March 6th and the collection should be online by end March latest.
I've spent the last couple of days planning my annual trip in January to Cape Town, in South Africa. It's my fourth trip and it's such a nice feeling to be going back. I stay with my Capetonian friend Binky and it is home from home. Binky runs her own business too (www.designafrika.co.za) and from the moment I arrive we are brainstorming and enthusing about more or less everything. I just love the creativity and enthusiasm I find in Cape Town ... it is literally exploding with ideas and positivity, despite, or maybe because of, the obvious problems. Spending time out there has really changed the way I look at the world and is always inspiring.
And then to India! My first trip, to New Delhi, which although isn't the production centre for fabrics, is where I will find the best collection in one place, will be in February. I saw some Indian silk when I was in Cape Town last time which just shattered all my preconceived ideas about Indian designs and so I just had to go and see for myself. I am getting more and more excited about this visit and will almost certainly be writing about it here.
Kicking off my travels will be a week over Christmas in the UK catching up with family (and sleep) then back to France for another wonderful week's couture workshop with my guru, the talented Yvon Chevalier. Haute Couture trained, he is a bundle of energy, enthusiasm and technical knowledge that leaves me reeling each time we work together. What a great way to start 2012 ... I shall arrive on the 1st Jan, champagne chilled and ready, scissors and sketches in hand. Once I'm back from India I just have time to fit in another week in the UK, with my kids this time, for another family week, then it'll be back to the workshop and full steam ahead with S/S 2012 on Feb 20th.
So all that remains is to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the best of New Years. If it's anything like this year it's going to be amazing!
I've spent the last couple of days planning my annual trip in January to Cape Town, in South Africa. It's my fourth trip and it's such a nice feeling to be going back. I stay with my Capetonian friend Binky and it is home from home. Binky runs her own business too (www.designafrika.co.za) and from the moment I arrive we are brainstorming and enthusing about more or less everything. I just love the creativity and enthusiasm I find in Cape Town ... it is literally exploding with ideas and positivity, despite, or maybe because of, the obvious problems. Spending time out there has really changed the way I look at the world and is always inspiring.
And then to India! My first trip, to New Delhi, which although isn't the production centre for fabrics, is where I will find the best collection in one place, will be in February. I saw some Indian silk when I was in Cape Town last time which just shattered all my preconceived ideas about Indian designs and so I just had to go and see for myself. I am getting more and more excited about this visit and will almost certainly be writing about it here.
Kicking off my travels will be a week over Christmas in the UK catching up with family (and sleep) then back to France for another wonderful week's couture workshop with my guru, the talented Yvon Chevalier. Haute Couture trained, he is a bundle of energy, enthusiasm and technical knowledge that leaves me reeling each time we work together. What a great way to start 2012 ... I shall arrive on the 1st Jan, champagne chilled and ready, scissors and sketches in hand. Once I'm back from India I just have time to fit in another week in the UK, with my kids this time, for another family week, then it'll be back to the workshop and full steam ahead with S/S 2012 on Feb 20th.
So all that remains is to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the best of New Years. If it's anything like this year it's going to be amazing!
