Fashion designer spotlight: Natasha Solanki

I meet and photograph the latest collection from fashion designer Natasha Solanki, check out our interview below!

I was wondering if firstly you could tell me a bit about yourself, what you aim to achieve within your work and what fashion design means to you?

I’m 24 and moved to Manchester for university maybe five years ago now. I love the city and have made it my home (for now at least). I did fashion design & technology at uni and this really helped me solidify that I had chosen the right career path for me. With my designs, I aim to make people feel confident and strong. I want people to know they are choosing to be sustainable and I want people to treasure my clothing forever. Fashion design for me is less about trends and more about creating well made, considered pieces that are timeless but unique – I like taking basic garments and reworking them until I have something new but not dissimilar to what people already know and are used to. 

When did your interest start for fashion design and how? 

It’s so cliché but honestly, I have always been interested in fashion since I was a kid – I was very creative and have always loved sewing and making. My grandma taught me how to knit when I was about 6 years old and my grandad was an Indian clothes tailor, so I guess this helped shape my love for fashion.

What three words would you use to describe your fashion style? 

Relaxed, Seasonless & Black

Where did you draw inspiration from for your recent collection and how did you implement that into your designs?

I have always wanted to travel to Japan. The whole culture is so different from ours and I love that when it comes to the longevity of products, the Japanese always find a beautiful way to repair things in order to keep them forever. A lot of my inspiration for the collection came from the Japanese philosophies of Shibui (subtle beauty) and Wabi-Sabi (finding beauty in imperfection), paired with key denim elements and androgyny. I used Japanese Boro and Sashiko stitching on my clothes to add interest and strength to areas that are prone to wear. This technique is used on my favourite piece from the collection – the black shirt. The fabric was hand stitched with bright threads through the tiny holes in the fabric to create a completely one-off piece. The knitwear pieces are also based on traditional Sashiko patterns that I reimagined to create graphic and textural knitwear.

The bright pops of colour against the grey tones in my collection are inspired by the neon lights of Japan’s night life and reflect the contrasting aesthetic concepts of Shibui and Shibusa. 

The silhouettes of my collection are inspired by menswear and the first women to wear trousers on the red carpet – Marlene Dietrich & Katharine Hepburn. I personally love wearing trousers & suits and wanted to create a collection that felt feminine but at the same time made the wearer feel strong and confident.  

Are there any designers, past or present who influence your designs? If so, why? 

I wouldn’t say there are specific designers who influence my designs but I love looking at street style (both on actual streets and on the internet) to get inspiration for designs. I think street style is so unique as people mix together whatever they feel works and I love the confidence that exudes from these people. 

From concept creation to physically making the clothes, which part of the experience would you say is your favourite? 

Coming up with a concept is something I can struggle with but once I’ve got it, I love the process of fabric sourcing and draping on the stand. I go to thrift shops and buy old pieces to re-work on the stand, pinning various swatches to the garment to see what could work. When draping for this collection, I created so many options from a blazer that it was near impossible for me to choose only one for my final look. I would love to make more garments inspired by this draping in the future. 

With the current pandemic taking place, how has your working practice changed for you and have you had to overcome any challenges? 

I started my graduate job as a junior designer/garment technologist in December 2019 so had only been there for a few months when the first lockdown happened. During this time, I was furloughed for a month and then worked from home for a bit. This was quite a struggle as I had no desk set up or a table big enough to measure garments. I have been lucky to keep my job during this uncertain time and working from home allowed me to realise that I actually wanted a small home studio and that I wanted to create my own brand as a long-term goal. 

You mention in your Instagram bio that you are a slow fashion brand, how do you make sure that when designing you are using the most sustainable procedures possible? 

When I design, I don’t aim to make trend-driven pieces as this is one of the aspects that make fashion so unsustainable. I try to create pieces that can be worn season after season and quality is very important to me. I want my garments to be made well so that they last a long time and do not get thrown away after a few washes. Currently I am looking into using deadstock fabric and trying to find local factories that could produce my garments. 

In your opinion, what is the future of fashion? And, what would you like it to be? 

I think the future of fashion is definitely heading to be more sustainable. I hope more big fashion houses follow in the footsteps of Gucci, Chanel and Burberry and become fur-free. I would also like to see more manufacturing come back to the UK – we have so many talented young designers who want to be sustainable but get drawn to manufacturing abroad because it is cheaper. The quality of UK seamstresses is world-renowned so I would love for the industry to come back here.

Where would you like to be in the next five years? 

I would like to be a few years into starting my brand and by then hopefully it will bring in enough income to allow me to pursue it part or even full-time rather than as something I’m trying to do in the evenings and at weekends!

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You can find out more about Natasha Solanki and her designs by following her Instagram @tasha.solanki