Karlaidlaw is a visionary designer known for her innovative approach to fashion, blending contemporary aesthetics with timeless elegance. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for sustainability, her designs are celebrated for their unique silhouettes, high-quality craftsmanship, and bold use of color and texture.
Marie: I was curious to know, what is the meaning behind your brand name, Karlaidlaw?
Karla: Well…my name is Karla and my last name is Laidlaw. Honestly, when I started the brand I thought it was such a smart brand name. Because the name conjoins, but its always so confusing for accounts when starting to work with new suppliers, manufacturer etc. I love it still, but its confusing. I am often emailed hello Kar.
Marie: If I gave you three words to describe your fashion designs, what would they be and why?
Karla: Dressed up streetwear
Marie: Upon my research, I discovered that you are based in Australia. Our audience is predominantly from the US. Could you tell our audience what life is like out there? And what is the fashion scene like, compared to other cities like London, New York, Paris?
Karla: Melbourne is definitely the heart of the arts culture in Australia. Sydney also has its thing going on, but the type of fashion, music and art scene in Melbourne is a real reflection of the city its self. Its a little grungy, its cool without being super flashy about it. People from other states in Australia come to Melbourne for university or to work. It has a real mix of people from all around Australia that have similar mindsets. I dont feel as though its super competitive and commercial.
Whereas in the US or EU – it feels more competitive but that has a lot to do with more big fish in the same pond. We are removed from that, which has its positives and negatives. To feel seen in in London, NY Paris you have to be there or show there. There is a real separation between Melbourne and the big fashion cities. Distance….we are just so far.
Marie: Upon my research, I discovered that you begin designing clothing in 2018, when did you first discover that you wanted to be a designer?
Karla: Yes! I always wanted to be a designer. Both my grandmothers were dressmakers, my parents were in the rag trade. I grew up around it, which gave me a level of comfortability to know how things work in the industry. Although I have a different experience from what they had. But I always wanted to be a designer, there hasn’t been another option in my mind. I would always design pieces, I used to draw wedding dresses when I was younger and leave the paper on the streets with my name on it. In hopes that the person that picked it up was a designer and needed a 12 year old intern, or someone was getting married and this was the dress of their dreams. I wish I had those designs still! I would probably still make them.
Marie: What was the inspiration behind your latest collection?
Karla: I was recently on a trip to Morocco. I was only there for 48 hours and it quickly became my favourite place in the world. I am dying to go back. I loved every single bit of it.
The collection was initially inspired by Morocco, the colours, the silver wear, leathers, the markets and the chaos of it all. However karlaidlaw is still a very small team, and I dont ever have the time to fully commit to a collection being inspired by one thing, I move with the times. As I started sampling, fabrics will inspire me, colour combos I see, it becomes a fluid inspiration of what I am feeling at the time. However when I have a big enough team and resourced. I would love to do collections inspired by places or times in history. I feel deeply connected to certain parts of history and the world.
The collection was initially inspired by Morocco, the colours, the silver wear, leathers, the markets and the chaos of it all. However karlaidlaw is still a very small team, and I dont ever have the time to fully commit to a collection being inspired by one thing, I move with the times. As I started sampling, fabrics will inspire me, colour combos I see, it becomes a fluid inspiration of what I am feeling at the time. However when I have a big enough team and resourced. I would love to do collections inspired by places or times in history. I feel deeply connected to certain parts of history and the world.
Marie: I discovered that you work with original materials in preparation of designing your garments, how do you go about deciding what to use and how these materials all work together in designing your garments?
Karla: Lots of trial and error. Our most expensive part of the process is the sampling stage. Im sure its every design teams most expensive part. Sometimes I have the idea in my head of how I want it to look and its all about finding the exact right fabric for that design. Other times its about letting a certain fabric inspire the way the design is going to look.
Marie: Take us behind the seams on your creative process with drawing and sewing. What puts you in a mood during your creative process, what are you thinking and feeling?
Karla: I must say I feel very lucky that my “downtime'” is doing research for pieces or designing. If im not doing anything and I am feeling relaxed, I am jumping online or going through my library of books for references. I draw and research the ideas for about 6 weeks then we start sampling them. THis takes a few months, and the ideas always change. Not dramatically but they evolve further than what I had imagined. I am currently working on a collection with my mum and she has a different design process. She thinks of almost every single thing that goes into the design and does so much research that by the time we are sampling. We only need a a few samples to get it right. Whilst the brand is still small and there are many other hats to wear in the day and time is limited, my best method is to design and draw to the best of my capability and then let the creative process take control when sampling.
Marie: Which of your designs or projects are you the most proud of?
Karla: My accessories line. I love love love doing accessoires. I am so excited to do more!
Marie: Are there any artists or models you’re particularly keen on collaborating with in the future?
Karla: FKA Twigs would be wild.
Marie: What are your short term goals for the last quarter of the year? Do you have some goals that you want to finish before the year is up?
Karla: I have a store in North Melbourne but I just signed the lease on a second store in Fitzroy! Which is exciting, so I have that to concentrate on, I have a collection coming out with my mum that is AMAZING. I dont want to say couture but the pieces are really special. The looks are galliano meets dsquared meets Manola and Karla. I am obsessed with it. I also have my SS25 collection coming out soon, plus I am designing some wedding looks which I am loving, and doing some blacksmithing work with a friend on the weekends to focus on metal. Which I have falledn in love with! I love learning new things. So the end of the year is looking busy for me. But I love it!
Marie: When envisioning the future, where do you see yourself in five years? Do you see yourself as a designer who will put Australia on the map as a fashion capital, as seen in the likes of Paris, Milan, New York…? Or do you think you will move to one of these capitals to grow your brand?
Karla: I want to open up a store in Sydney and really feel in control of the brand locally and set it up well. Then expand overseas. We have such amazing customers that wear the brand and I know that they exist all over the world and so there is a market for karlaidlaw worldwide. Its all about timing and resourced. Step by step! I love Australia, I would love to move to on of these countries for a bout of time to focus on the brand and gain momentum over there and be able to feel the buzz of what the fashion world is like in the big cities! But first thing first is setting up a base here.
Marie: What does True Urban Culture mean to you?
Karla: Highlighting whats real and happening in todays culture. Its important, and im honoured to be interviewed by yourself Marie and the magazine.
Means karlaidlaw is doing something right 😉
Means karlaidlaw is doing something right 😉
