interview with poppy lissiman

What made you start doing your own label?It sounds really clichéd but I started my own label after I couldn’t find certain pieces in the market that I wanted to wear. My mother taught me to sew at a young age so I have always made clothes for myself and occasionally friends, starting my own label just seemed like the most natural thing to do. It has always been a goal to have my own shop one day as well, starting my label would be the first stepping stone to getting my name out there and eventually having my own store.


What do you want people to feel when they are wearing Poppy Lissiman?I want them to feel confident and that they’re wearing something that is unique and good quality.

Can you share the process of making a collection with us?
I usually start with a loose theme but it doesn’t really start to take shape until I see the fabrics I want to work with and then the colour palate. Thats when the designs really start to take form. Prints have always been a best seller for me and a medium I love to work with so I tend to pick out a couple of prints first then work the rest of the collection around them with the other block colours, trimmings, finishings etc. Even right towards the end of the sample making I am still designing extra pieces and editing out ones I dont think fit with the rest of the collection.

 

What is the most enjoyable moments of designing the collections?
The creative side for sure; my favourite moments would have to be picking out the fabrics and trimmings for the collection and then seeing the samples starting to come together and the range taking shape. Shooting the lookbook is always very enjoyable as well. 

And the most difficult?
The accounting! It bores me to tears but luckily my dad helps me manage my accounts and keep up to date with invoices and bills…

Do you have any favorite collection or pieces among your creations?
Every new collection I work on is my new favourite! In my very first collection (Spring Summer 2009) I did a biker jacket in electric blue satin with gold zips. It was my best selling piece for that collection and I repeated the style again with a few slight changes for the following season; AW2010, in a mustard yellow with black polka dots, this piece sold equality as well and I have almost worn this sample to death.

Where does your inspiration come from?
It comes from anywhere sometimes, I watch a lot of movies and read a lot of magazines and books. I also spend a lot of time on blogs and other fashion related websites and find a lot of inspiration when travelling.

What will you do when you are running out of ideas?
I wont try and force it… sometimes I wont do any drawing for a few days or a week or two then something will get the ball rolling again, a new idea. If I am desperate I usually look back on previous collections and try and work with ideas that have worked before, like a good fitting jacket or dress then maybe reworking the pattern so it will tie in with rest of the collection. If something has sold really well for me in the past I will try and take elements of that piece onto the next collection.

Will you use computer in your creative process? Or you love to keep things in paper?
Besides reading blogs and going on style.com my whole creative process is on paper, although I wish I was more savvy with programs like photoshop and illustrator.

What tools do you like to use when you sketch your outfits?
I’m pretty basic when it comes to sketching because ultimately the sketch ends up with a sample machinist and I have to make the drawing as easy as possible for them to understand. I use a lead pencil, then outline the finished drawing in artline pen. Occassionally I will colour with artist texters.

Do you think Australia is a good place for fashion business? Any advantages?
Yes and no, I live in Perth in Western Australia which is quite isolated from other more fashion driven cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Most of the fabric suppliers in Australia are based in Sydney and Melbourne and what is available is limited which is why I source my fabrics overseas. On the other hand the fashion community in Perth, and Australia for that matter is very nurturing of young designers and understand the difficulties of starting a small business. There are a lot of government grants available to designers to help them through the first couple of years of their business.

Any advice for the people who are working like you?
Be prepared for critique, knock backs and lots of hard work that sometimes doesnt feel very creative at all but after a while it all starts to pay off. Always keep a positive attitude and if you truely love what you do it will never really feel like work anyway.