I'm excited to
introduce a new series on the blog called 'Coffee with...' where I
get to know and interview a few people from the fashion industry who truly inspire me. First off, I'm happy to start off with the
talented designer Cathleen Jia who I caught up with over coffee a few weeks ago
to discuss her journey with her label 'Cathleen Jia'
Tell me a little about yourself
and your fashion background.
When I’m
not working I enjoy having great coffees around Melbourne but lately I’ve been
working seven days a week so life has been very very hard.
I’ve
always wanted to do fashion but I didn’t get into fashion design straight away
I started doing retail first because it’s such a competitive field and I wanted
to just get a touch of fashion. Then I worked along a bridal industry while I
was doing retail. After the business closed down, I got a job at Anna Campbell
and she absolutely inspired me to do my own thing. Because I’m an odd shape, I
wanted to design dresses I wanted to wear, I didn’t think about capital or
anything.
Do you follow trends when you
design your collections?
I don’t
follow trends at all. Lately it’s been one of the hardest things because trying
to get stockers and things like that has been hard because the Australian buyer
market is very conservative, they don’t like to venture out there and
experiment. They just want to buy what they know will work and sell. I get
asked “why are you not doing pastels for spring?” but just because every other
person does it, what am I offering that is different? And I’m not competing with
all those people who want to mass-produce and sell them overseas at xx price; I
like to take care of my garments, I make them myself. It’s all about timeless
and classic garments.
So how and when did you start your
label “Cathleen Jia”?
I started
in September of last year. That’s when my business was registered and I had my
first photoshoot in October. As to why I started, it was just time to do
something for me.
Describe your label, your latest
collection and your inspirations.
Cathleen
Jia is all about classic, beautiful dresses with beautiful fabrics that drape
on the body. Taking inspiration from your screen goddess from the 1940s-1950s,
that era when everything was very elegant and ladylike. I want to celebrate the
female body, not everyone is a size 6.
My latest
collection, High Society, is inspired by the gorgeous Grace Kelly and the movie
High Society. I don’t see this collection having a time frame on it.
I also
design around fabrics and embellishments. I don’t draw things down, I’m constantly
thinking about them in my head. I see an embellishment or piece of lace and
create something and design around that feature.
Taken in Angelique boutique in Armadale
How do you keep the balance
between the creative and business aspects of running the label?
I’m a
very business focused person to begin with. While having creativity, I don’t
just make really beautiful dresses and let my imagination run wild and not
think about who’s going to wear this and how it’s going to fit into the market.
It is hard because most of the time you just want to put hundreds of meters in
a skirt and make that work but then you’ll be charging a client like five
thousand dollars for a cocktail dress! You have to set yourself boundaries.
And finally, what advice would you
give to those seeking a career in clothing design or fashion in general?
I would
tell them to be very thick-skinned, persistent and work hard. If you want to be
in the fashion industry thinking it’s going to be glamorous and beautiful and
you’re going to be the next John Galliano immediately, forget it. Don’t get
into it thinking you’re going to be rich and the next big thing. It’s a very
hard industry and not as glamorous as it seems. Be in it because you love it;
don’t be in it for any other reason. At the end of the day I work seven days a
week, if I didn’t love it I would’ve given up maybe five months ago.
