Ponsonby News asked fashion designer Jane Daniels, to tell us how she gets inspired.
It is the differences in the world that inspire me: cultures, vernacular architecture, artefacts and colour combinations in the landscape, in decorated tiles on buildings, in rugs, weaving and traditional clothing and in art around the world. Syria, Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Oman and Zanzibar as well as India, Sri Lanka, Japan, China, Russia and now Greece have all provided a wealth of ideas that have each inspired one of my collections over the years.
Travels to these exotic destinations have been enhanced by my role as brand ambassador for The Innovative Travel Company. I am an avid reader and have a longstanding love of the arts and history and a great deal of research goes into every trip before I go.
I have worked closely with European mills over many years to ensure the best fabrics for my clothing. Innumerable visits to the often family-run mills have established longstanding and close relationships. Some children of these families have even come to stay with me here to further their English, as well as to explore our beautiful country.
These close ties have been essential in overcoming the challenges that Covid-19 has put in front of running a successful label and business. We are adapting to the new business environment with a series of virtual styling sessions run by our retail stylists in our Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch stores. Those customers taking part here and in Australia seem to love the concept. Our online store has certainly shown good growth and we have been able to transition one of our team to manage this.
My label is known for its fine tailoring and design, superb fabrics and interesting detail, the acorn of which probably came from my childhood years in Ascot, watching the exquisitely dressed women, and all the royal parties arriving in their open landaus to the Royal Ascot racecourse. All this colour and flamboyance was very exciting for a young girl.
A diploma in graphic art, another from a private pattern-making and tailoring school in London, working as a designer in London and then in New Zealand, readied me for starting my own label. The first 12 years were spent in a Ponsonby villa, which I eventually outgrew. I then moved about 500 metres to my own building in Eden Terrace.
I often think how lucky I am to love my work as it encompasses so much that I enjoy: art, painting and a love of colour, culture, biographies, history, and hopefully more travel.
Every season is a fresh, new creative project. (Jane Daniels)
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