A.GRANDT

This week I caught up with the fabulously talented designers behind the Irish designer brand A.Grandt. Their brand is high-end and exclusive and their customer is a contemporary woman who seeks not only clothes, but the feeling of being well-dressed, with personality and sophistication. A.Grandt is synonymous with quality, innovation and creativity.

I am a huge fan of A.Grandt so I could not wait to hear the latest from these two Fashion #Bosses!

THE DESIGNERS

The designers Alex D’Paula and Rachel Grandinetti met each other during college and started working in projects together since then. They also attended Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London where they finished their specialization in Draping and Pattern Making Womenswear.

To create A.Grandt was a natural decision when they decided to call Ireland home.

The brand has the essence of both designers: Minimal with a twist.

THE INTERVIEW

Tell us about your latest collection?

Alex: Flight Path is the debut collection of a project we had in mind for a good while. Launching our first collection on an international level was a great challenge and that is what makes this collection even more important to us. Our AW15 collection is a translation of a cosmopolitan strong woman into an exclusive print inspired by the airflow and the lines of connections that map a plane trajectory. The idea was to combine sophistication, quality and practicality. All pieces have pockets, for example, and they were thought and made to last.

What inspires you when creating a new collection?

Alex: As designers we are like sponges, we absorb everything we are exposed to. I am more into the meaning of clothes, what they represent and what they have to “say”. My designs are usually associated with my feelings and my emotions at the time, where Rachel would be more inspired by fine arts, paintings and art movements.

If you could style one celebrity who would it be and why?

Alex: Tilda Swinton! I think she is more than a celebrity. She is a representation of a strong contemporary woman. I think I would drop dead if she wore anything I designed haha!

Rachel: Olivia Palermo. She is gorgeous, feminine, elegant!

What is your favourite/least favourite fashion trend this winter?

Alex: We absolutely loved the new taking on Tailoring, with the oversized new proportions, asymmetric and architectural. You can see it on Stella McCartney, Phillip Lim and Victoria Beckham.

What have been the highlights of your career to date?

Wow! A lot has happened. We launched a successful collection, we were featured in Xposé Magazine and on TV.

Alex: For me definitely, winning the Vodafone design competition, being one of the 5 finalists at the Budweiser Dream Job and also presenting my collection in the Wuhan Fashion Week in China last November, winning an Excellence Award for my collection “Fashion: My permanent pursuit of affection.

Rachel: Since I moved to Europe I had the opportunity to study “Pattern Cutting” in Central Saint Martins, where I improved my pattern cutting techniques and special finishes, construction and production of clothing, in addition to a more accurate critical eye. Working with the Irish market and with all the experience I had before, made me think and gave me the desire to create something new and I couldn’t think a better partner than Alex. Seeing our dreams come true, was my biggest achievement this year.

Your brand has gotten a lot of exposure. Do you have any advice for design graduates starting off?

Alex: Creative people are very sensitive as we put our hearts on the table all the time, however, this is a gift not a weakness! Don’t give up! Fashion is a very intense and difficult career. Most of the times it is not only about talent, but also about networking. The industry is for the strong. Doors will never open for who is emerging, so you will learn that you have to kick it to get in. And most important: Never let anyone tell you what you are capable of, the only person that can fight your battles is you.

Do you have any exciting projects coming up?

Alex: I am finishing my masters in Tailoring next year, when I will be launching a very special collection that I am working on for quite a while. Besides that, I am designing made to measure garments for private clients and I absolutely LOVE doing it. To be able to make people’s dreams into clothes gave extra meaning to my work.

Rachel: At the moment, I just moved to London and this is being exciting enough, as we are looking forward to all the new challenges it will bring to us.