Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabel Manns.
Hi Isabel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After graduating from Parsons, in New York, I worked for a couple of brands out there but I saw a gap in the market for high-end reversible clothing that is sustainably made in the UK. When I returned to London, I started designing custom dresses for private clients, as I knew that I wanted to set up my own label at some point in the near future. After a few months being back in London, I decided to take the plunge and start my own label officially.
It takes time for people to get to know your brand so you have to hustle and speak to as many people as possible. Last year we got a chance to have a pop-up shop on Marylebone High Street, London and this is where we felt our “hard launch” happened.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For me the biggest challenge was finding local factories that were willing to work with a start-up brand who have good quality as well as the fabric mills to produce the printed fabric quality I was looking for.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I design all of the prints myself and they come from my paintings and photographs. I then turn them into digital prints so that they can be printed on the silk. The majority of our clothing is reversible so you get two outfits in 1, featuring a print side and a plain reverse side so you always have that timeless option.
We also have hardly any fabric waste as we reuse all of our leftover fabric to make accessories such as our headbands and scarfs.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
When people first meet me and my brand they often don’t think that I have designed the prints, as not every brand will design them in-house. For me it is about the whole process from designing the prints to choosing the exact plain color I would like dyed, to designing the clothing and understanding the construction of them.
Pricing:
- Accessories start from £26 for a headband and go up to £200 for a scarf
- Clothing starts from £150 for a top and go up to £2000 if you are ordering a bespoke dress from us.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.isabelmanns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabel_manns
Image Credits
Charlie Cluff
