If, like many of us, you can’t help but roll your eyes at the string of designers taking inspiration from the most obscure and ridiculous places (e.g. ‘this range is about how rain drops fall on native Australian leaves’) spare a thought for those with valid creative influences. Like Jade Arnott whose knack for translating narrative, conventionally reserved for film, into fine women’s wear is second to none.
LL: Share a little of the Arnsdorf back-story.JA: I’ve always been interested in creative pursuits and attracted to fashion but didn’t always consider it as a career. My mother has told me when I was small I would want her to wear certain things and would become upset when she had other ideas. I was interested in art and filmmaking at school and did a degree in Creative Arts at VCA. After that I went to RMIT and did the fashion degree. I’ve found that fashion as a creative medium gives me the flexibility to incorporate and explore a range of my interests.
LL: What would you be if not a fashion designer? JA: An artist. Maybe a photographer?
LL: Everyone has their ups and downs, what have been yours?JA: I can’t think of one specific career highlight, probably more small highlights along the way like being picked up by exclusive Melbourne boutique Marais with the first collection, meeting people who appreciate my work, and having interest from overseas buyers.
Again, there is not one specific one that comes to mind; however, I find having my own label continually has its ups and downs. It’s always challenging to put yourself and your work out there.
LL: Can you tell us about the coming spring/summer range?JA: My summer 07/08 collection, The Last Picture, was inspired by an investigation in to my parents’ love story. They divorced when I was small so I don’t have much memory of them together. I borrowed their old photographs, fortunately my father was a photographer and they met at art school so there are many black and white photos he took during their time together. I used these along with the stories I knew – like that they got married in a registry office and my father wore a leather jacket and jeans, and my mother a white cotton dress and I pieced together parts of the lost story.
These garments details lent themselves to my designs along with references from the film the Last Picture Show, which was the film they saw on their first date. After I had designed the collection I recreated the photographs that my father had taken of my mother, reenacting them with the model and shooting it myself. This was an integral part of the project and had been part of the initial concept.
See more at
www.arnsdorf.com.au