An Interview With Fashion Designer, Sirette

Veronica Gargallo Llamas is a fashion designer born and raised in Barcelona. She recently obtained her MA qualification

Veronica Gargallo Llamas is a fashion designer born and raised in Barcelona. She recently obtained her MA qualification in Fashion Design Technology Womenswear from the London College of Fashion. Before relocating to London she completed her BA at IED Barcelona and combined those studies with additional courses on bags, footwear design and styling. She currently lives in London where she is developing her own fashion label, Sirette. We caught up with Veronica to find out a little bit more about her exciting new range, not to mention an invitation to feature at our fashion event in May. Let’s find out what she said…

Q: Hi Veronica. FashionUnited and MyEventBucket are very excited to have Sirette’s debut range ‘Sugar Rush’ feature at our first London #fashion networking event in May. How old were you when you became passionate about fashion and in particular designing?

A: I’ve always been interested in making things and I’ve always liked collages, and gathering different things together into themes or concepts, so they tell a story. Before I started my studies of fashion design I used to alter some of my clothes to make them more unique, and I’ve always liked the idea that everything that surrounds us has the potential to be reused as a base material to create something new and beautiful, with a little bit of imagination.

Q: When did you start designing and how did Sirette come about?

A: I had the idea to start my own brand when I was still in high school, because I’ve always been interested in branding as a concept. Nevertheless, before properly launching Sirette, I needed some time to learn the craft well, because in order to be a good designer you need to really understand clothes, how to make them and how they fit the body. Sirette slowly began to take a more concrete shape once I really understood what my aesthetic was as a designer as well as the things I am naturally drawn towards.

Q: You have just graduated from the London College of Fashion. Did you find the course valuable and did this contribute to the beginnings of Sirette?

A: The course was definitely valuable because it gave me the chance to meet really interesting and lovely people, and it exposed me to different aesthetics and ideas. The structure of the MA in women-swear revolves around self study, so you are expected to organise your own time in order to meet the deadlines, so that helped me realize that if I wanted to start my own brand I would need that kind of initiative and time management. It also taught me that sometimes you have to compromise and edit your work to make the final product better, but other times you have to stand up for your ideas if you really believe in them.

Q: As a designer, what are your goals and ambitions and what are your next steps?

A: My goal is to establish Sirette as a strong brand. To be able to connect with all the people interested in the brand’s general aesthetic. I’d like to express opinions and ideas through my brand while creating garments that will make the customer look good and feel like they are wearing something unique and made with care and attention to detail. My next step is to start selling my first collection online, whilst working on a new range and looking at ways to increase brand awareness and reach new potential costumers and collaborators. I want Sirette to be associated with shirts and shirt-dresses, so initially the focus will be on selling those garments, updated with interesting prints, details and a flattering cut, at a mid market price point.

Q: Which designers and brands have been your inspiration?

A: One of my favourite designers has always been Miuccia Prada. I really like the way she mixes unlikely ideas and references and still manages to turn those into cohesive and strong collections for both her brands Prada and Miu Miu. I also admire her unique talent to make prettiness look subversive and the way she infuses her point of view in everything she does. I also admire many designers whose brands are based in London, specially Christopher Kane, Erdem, Fyodor Golan, Holly Fulton, Michael Van Der Ham and Peter Pilotto. I recently had the chance to work backstage on a show of the brand palmer//harding and found their designs and brand really beautiful, fresh and exiting.

Q: Can you explain the concepts behind Sirette and Sugar Rush? Will you follow a similar theme for future designs?

A: The essential concept behind Sirette is to offer a playful, fresh and feminine take on classic shirting with a unique use of print and texture; as well as though design with a flattering cut. In future collections I’d like to use Sirette as a platform to express my opinion about certain aspects of the fashion world and society, but through subtlety and a touch of quirkiness rather than in an aggressive and overly sexualized way.

The concept behind Sugar Rush revolved around medicine and the duality between balance/imbalance and strength/fragility that coexists within our own bodies. The prints used throughout the collection are based on high-resolution 3D images of certain parts inside of the human body, like the fallopian tubes or the trachea, captured by a scanning electron microscope. The title of the collection is a reference to the hypoglycemic state that diabetic patients can suffer if they have an excessive amount of glucose in their blood. The mood of the collection is sweet but dark, and it highlights the beauty of human life but also its fragility. I plan to keep using a similar aesthetic for future collections, while I explore other themes and develop new prints.

Q: Have you managed to get your range stocked in any retailers yet and if not, would you like to?

A: I’m currently working on my first production, which I will start selling exclusively online at the moment. I’d definitely like to have my range stocked by some retailers, but as this is only Sirette’s first collection, it made sense to start small and learn what works well with customers before venturing into bigger productions.

Q: What advice would you give to up and coming designers that want to launch their own brands?

A: I would tell them that is really important to know yourself as a designer, create a strong brand identity, and push yourself to try new things but always keeping a sense of cohesion. I think it’s essential to be optimistic, believe in the potential of your brand, have initiative, good time management skills and a lot of patience, because anything that is really worth doing takes time. It’s also important to learn as much as you can from everybody you meet along the way and obviously enjoy the process!

Want to find out more about Sirette and watch her feature on our catwalk in May? FashionUnited has teamed up with MyEventBucket to bring you the hottest new event this year, for #fashion professionals only. Meet your peers, network, gain inspiration and above all the motivation to take your career to the next level. Whether you’re a student or an industry hot-shot, you won’t want to miss this! Sirette is featuring at our first event in May. Tickets are available here. Get them while you can!