Isabel Manns is a contemporary British womenswear designer label that offers luxury reversible clothing across a range of day and evening wear. Isabel Manns is driven by a desire to deliver quality at an accessible price point while offering customers ‘two outfits for the price of one’.
We sit down with Isabel to discuss her reversible designs, sustainable fashion and what we can expect next from the designer.
The Isabel Manns label was founded in 2018 after you graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York, what inspired you to want to become a fashion designer?
From a young age I have always been creative. When I started to take textile classes at school when I was 13 years old I realised that I loved creating art that could then also be worn. From that moment, I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer.
Your garments offer customers ‘two outfits for the price of one’ why is sustainability important to you?
There is too much “throw away” fashion and so I wanted to create clothes that can be worn over and over again, which is how I came up with the idea to make reversible clothing. My clothes offer a minimum of two outfits, which are made from luxurious fabrics and made in the UK.
As a sustainable brand, what can we do more as consumers to minimise clothing waste?
Buy less but better quality clothing that is more locally produced and in timeless styles so that it never goes out of fashion.
Each of your pieces offer a plain and reversible printed side. What is the process like to make your clothing reversible?
It was very hard to begin with to get factories in London who would make reversible clothing in silk fabrics to the level of quality that I wanted! It has been technically difficult making the two layers move and fit the exact same way and a lot of trial and error was involved. However, I now have an amazing supply chain who works with me to make it possible.
The print inspiration on your pieces often comes from your own artwork, do you take inspiration from any other artists for your designs?
I rarely look at other artists as my surroundings generally inspire me. However, Gaudi is my favourite architect and the Sagrada Familia inspired the first digital prints I ever made at Parsons. I am sure I will be designing a collection inspired by Gaudi soon!
Having previously interned for designers such as Burberry and Emilia Wickstead, do you get inspiration from any big fashion brands for your collections?
I like to look at my favourite designers and see what they are doing but I don’t ever like to copy them.
You recently debuted your SS20 collection at LFW, what was the inspiration behind your latest collection?
Whilst growing up in Herefordshire my mother was always in the garden and my father would listen to music from the 1960’s every weekend. The inspiration came from when I would sit in the garden painting my surroundings, watching my mother garden whilst listening to my father’s music.
You create garments that flatter all generations and sizes, what is your main priority when you are designing a collection to adhere to a number of different types of women?
When I design I constantly think about timeless styles and how they would look on different shapes and sizes. I also take into consideration the colours and what works on multiple skin tones as well as the placement of the print on the body.
What can we expect from your AW20 collection?
We will be using more sustainable fabrics! Expect to see lots of velvet and colours ranging from greens and burgundy’s to pastel colours.
Where would you like the Isabel Manns label to be within the next five years?
Growing my market internationally and continuing to expand using sustainable fabrics and innovative methods.
For more information and to shop, visit isabelmanns.com.
