Ladies we have been known to not have it together post-happy hour Friday night, some once or twice.....OK well I do!
But mostly because, I can’t my phone due to the large duffel bag I have a habit of carrying everywhere! I consider Phillip Noel's debut collection a lifeline. Deceptively simple leather clutches solve my dilemma.
The color palette on Phillip's site is sleek simplicity for fall 2012 and beyond! The colors are not "on trend" but colors that are timeless. It's refreshing to see, and so luxe!
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| Photo Credit: www.phillipnoel.us |
I expect nothing less from Phillip (he's a dear friend of mine btw). Phillip is a Parsons alumni, he also used to work at Qi with me. I was so happy to make his launch party and do some shopping!
I ordered the glossy leather clutch from his holiday collection, can't wait to get it:
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| This clutch will make an appearance in an outfit post soon enough! |
More sneak peaks from the Fall II/Holiday collection:
During the party last week, I had the chance to ask him a few questions:
K:Tell my readers about your past experience:
P: I studied fashion at Parsons for 4 years. I then went to work at Qi where I also designed a collection called Victim Of Circumstance, which became a victim of the bad economy. But it was the best experience I could have asked for – I learned so much designing that line. I've worked freelance for a lot of designers over the years and I realized working with good people was bigger for me than what I was designing, and I realized I would find fulfillment designing what I love under my own brand – which is luxurious leather goods.
K:What made you decide to start your own collection?
P: I always knew I would eventually create my own collection, it was really a matter of how and when. After I made the first standard flat – people loved it. Random people would come up to me and ask about it. Even guys not into fashion would say “I love that bag, I couldn’t wear that, but I love it”. So I started thinking, maybe this is a smooth way to introduce myself to the industry – and the clutch was having such a moment in fashion that I decided to go with it. I also felt confident in a small launch with room for growth and potential – I really believe in doing things in their right time.
K:What was the inspiration behind the debut collection?
P: The biggest inspirations behind the debut collection are my own needs/wants and reaction, I say this because I originally made the bag for myself, and people started asking about it and responding to it. A cool, discreet luxury is always an underlying theme in my design. The inspiration for the colors are really a story of sunset and midnight sky hues, and pastel candy colors, so you get a deep orange, hot pink, midnight blue and classic black. But on top of those options you get statement colors like bubble gum and powder blue. I wanted to use unexpected colors for fall. Other things that inspire me are color, texture, and and the contrast of utility vs. luxury.
K:What advice would you give to people our age who are looking to start their own business?
P: It’s all about being comfortable in your pursuit – if you feel you need more experience –learn first. Most important for me was trusting my intuition, like I said before, this felt like the right thing at the right time. I would also say listen to the suggestions of others, but do what you want. I had plenty of people telling me their ideas and what they wanted to see, but ultimately I stuck to my initial feeling that I had something great with the ‘standard flat’. If you’re starting in fashion – I think smaller is better, things will grow naturally.
I can't get enough of the attention to detail Phillip put into this collection, down to the dust bag:
Looking for an investment leather piece is a challenge at times, especially with brands claiming goods are 100% leather when there is just a small percentage. Phillip's clutches due to their sleek but simplistic design solves the problem. I can't wait to see what colors the clutches will be shown for Spring 13.
Phillip, I am very proud of you!
To purchase your own clutch head over to: http://www.shop.phillipnoel.us/
xo
Kosi
