Kate Sylvester On Finding Inspiration

Where do fashion designers find inspiration and who do they credit with their creativity?

Kate Sylvester shares the artwork that influenced her past and present collections and her ongoing love affair with lingerie.

You’ve surely seen Kate’s newest collection, A Muse, inspired by Picasso’s genius, his paintings and his muses who created the evolution of his work. Kate feels indebted to the huge treasure trove that is art, continually celebrating her heroes. “We all have to wear clothes and isn’t it ice to know you’re wearing a small piece of Picasso?” says Kate.

According to Kate, her very first lingerie collection, Vanessa Beecroft’s nude works was “a complete and utter failure,” but taught her tough commercial lessons that she still calls upon today. “First and foremost, we need to be commercial and on-trend,” she urges, a prevailing lesson throughout fashion week.

While many designers create youthful garments that don’t suit women of all ages, shapes and sizes, Kate makes clothes for living in. “I create clothes for myself, for my friends.” This wearability factor is present in every collection, no matter how quirky or elegant the final product. Kate manages to seamlessly draw from history’s great artists and photographers to create pieces that transcend time and appeal to consumers of all ages.

Here are some behind-the-scenes photos of Kate’s F/W Collection. How stunning is the lace Pola dress?