Newcastle Fashion Week Designer Spotlight: The Last Romantic
As Newcastle Fashion Week fast approaches, the featured designers are scurrying around putting finishing touches on their most beautiful pieces. Luckily, some have taken the time out to catch up with us at Urban Insider…
The Last Romantic‘s Natalia De Martin is one such designer. Her designs reflect her passion for romance, love, femininity and the city of Paris and make a strong statement radiating a powerful, feminine, whimsical and effortlessly stylish aura around anyone who wear it.
What does being involved with NFW mean to you?
This now means that The Last Romantic can gain some exposure in Newcastle. Newcastle Fashion Week has put in a lot of work to ensure the event is of a high quality so we feel confident they will introduce us to the area with a bang! We can now reach our wide audience in Newcastle which is something we are all very excited about doing. This is a great opportunity for TLR… I can’t wait!
What experiences have influenced your latest collection?
At NFW we will be launching our new range “Breakfast Pour Deux” translated to Breakfast for Two, this is The Last Romantic’s Spring Summer 2012 Collection. Travelling overseas throughout Europe has been a experience which has strongly influenced my style this season. The idea of the laid back french lifestyle, relaxing with a friend for breakfast or canoodling with your lover over omelettes and fruit salad created this collection. The loose yet structured tees have an edgy feel to them as well as being light and breezy. The dresses are feminine and chic paired with ballet flats and carefree and stylish morning outfit. I know from my own experiences in the heat of European Summers that it can be unbearable unless you are wearing natural fibers so TLR used only modal, cotton, silk and hint of leather in this range.
Do you have an all time favourite design? What does it look like, and what makes it your favourite piece?
My all time favorite design hmm… It would probably be from my current Winter 2011 collection “Promiscuous Mermaid”. There is a dress, which I just LOVE! The colour is a beautiful shade of peacock green. The shape of the perfectly cut wave-like neckline detail is so unique. And the whole idea of the dress just works so well with the “Mermaid Underwater Love” theme. I love how this raw silk mini dress looks and feels on. It is a piece I just could not wait to photograph. The dress looks like wearable art to me and I honestly jump at the opportunity to wear it time and time again.
What is the most rewarding aspect of a career in fashion?
A very rewarding aspect of my career in fashion is that it enables me to draw attention to help serious causes. The Newcastle Fashion Week event brings awareness and raises funds for cancer, which The Last Romantic is very happy to be a part of. Fashion is an exciting, beautiful industry and a lot of people are drawn to it because of all the glitz and glamour, but a huge concern amongst us all is the health of our families and friends. We all love an excuse to dress up and have a good time. So what better way than with a fashion show to help us in finding cures for these serious illness.
For all those aspiring young designers out there, what words of wisdom would you pass on?
I think it is important for them all to know the key to success is determination and to believe in yourself. There will always be ups and downs along the journey but they are all lessons a business owner must learn. Also remember to keep having fun! Your fashion career is creative, so enjoy it 🙂
For more information on The Last Romantic & Natalia De Martin visit her website, like her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
Keep up to date with Newcastle Fashion Week on Facebook.
Leave a comment