Stylish answers - by Nancy Van Ostren

AW 12/13

I met Nancy Van Ostren few seasons ago at London Fashion Week, where her chic sculptural collection caught my eye (see it here). Her high quality luxury womenswear label  is functional yet elegant, full of strong tailored lines. I caught up with her after the madness of fashion weeks and asked her few questions..
1.) You recently exhibited at Paris Fashion Week. How was it? How the French and UK markets differ?
Paris was great. It's not only the UK and French markets when you show there, it's global. Japan, Italy, Middle East etc. All are very different!

2.) You've just designed your fourth collection. Does it get harder or easier as you go on?
A bit of both. You know what sells and what buyers are looking for but I like to push myself that bit further each season.

3.) When you're designing, have you got a specific type of person in mind? Who is the typical woman who wears your clothes.
I think it would be impossible to design a collection without thinking of the customer. The women that wear my clothes are fashion conscious but have their own identity. Very confident in what they do and wear.

4.) There are new designers popping out all the time, what advice would you give to people thinking about setting up their own label?
Research, research, research! Where do you see yourself selling? Who are your competitors? This is crucial as you can make a beautiful collection but if you don't target the right stores and see where your competitors are, well, all you will have is a beautiful collection!

5.) Where can people buy your clothes?
At the moment we mostly sell in the Middle East. We are in talks with a few UK and European buyers to stock for next season. We also offer a made to order service - just drop an email to sales@nancyvanostren.com

6.) What inspires you?
I do have an obsession with architecture - I love encapsulating the structure into my clothes. I also love machinery and anything with a futuristic element!

7.) What are your hobbies/passions other than fashion?
I've just taken up snowboarding which I hope to keep up as a hobby! Football is a big passion of mine also - I know we share the love for the same team*!


8.) And finally what can we expect from your label in 2012 and beyond?
We are working on bringing in knitwear and prints into the collection. I love hand knitting - it's very relaxing!

*Arsenal

AW 12/13