“I LIKE COLLECTING TEXTILES AND GARMENTS WITH INTERESTING TECHNIQUES, THEN EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT FABRICS AND PROCESSES TO BRING THEM TO A MORE CONTEMPORARY PLACE.”
Moving out of London may have hindered the designer’s down time, but it certainly hasn’t hindered her creativity. Inspired by antiques and her penchant for collecting ‘bits and bobs’ from various places, Weller’s work is an extension of this passion for mix and match and ornate details. Woven, shredded and built back up, a single piece in the designer’s collection can contain up to 10 different processes and techniques. Weller is unafraid of experimentation.
Weller designs for the woman, the Gentlewoman in parts. The woman with a capsule wardrobe containing a uniform of cashmere, silk and men’s shirts. The woman who speaks four foreign languages and owns a house in zone 3. The woman with a PhD, a career in the arts but who’s forever absent at the parties. Weller designs for the grown up. Her woman is shrouded in mystery, quite literally caged behind fabrics and processes and material– contemporary armour if you will.
There’s a dichotomy to Weller’s designs that reflect both the woman of her inspiration and her own creative affinities. The designer is an open book when it comes to sharing her ideas, portfolio page after portfolio page reveals the depths of her design inspirations, two-fold in both aesthetic and mood. “I like the pairing of abstract garments and lace worn over contrasting crisp white shirts and oversized silhouettes,” explains the designer. “I like collecting textiles and garments with interesting techniques, then experimenting with different fabrics and processes to bring them to a more contemporary place.”