Growing up constantly surrounded by artists, creativity was always in Clio Peppiatt’s blood. From a very young age, she was encouraged to play dress up and explore her identity through clothes, which is something she exploited when it came around to nursery school; she simply refused to go unless she was allowed to pick out her own outfit, which, incidentally was either that of a fairy or alien. After many years spent designing clothes out of felt, and hats out of egg cartons, for her toy trolls, Clio finally embarked on a degree in fashion. From iridescent shell bras to prawn coated crop tops, Clio’s clothes are ultra feminine, and weighted in that punkish wit and irreverence that is intrinsic to British fashion. Currently working on her autumn/winter 16 collection, we catch up with Clio to talk the fast paced nature of fashion and overcoming the extreme costs of living and working in London.
1. Her first foray into fashion was making clothes for her dolls…
“I used to make clothes for my troll dolls out of felt. I really clearly remember making miniscule buttons and embroidering their initials on the jacket pockets. I also used to papier maché egg cartons to make hats for them! I was predominantly interested in drawing, colour and dressing up and this led onto getting interested in clothing rather than fashion in the traditional sense. Although I think deep down I knew I wanted to work in fashion, I did my Foundation Course at LCF and went on to study Womenswear and Print at Ravensbourne afterwards.”
2. She’s obsessed with pop culture..
“My designs are very pop and feminine in a modern way. I’m obsessed with the transformation of pop culture through the ages and bringing certain aspects of those time periods and cultures together to create something new.”
3. She’s also very into sci fi…
“I think as well as being inspired by the past I’m really inspired by the current movements within fashion and art today. I feel that there’s a really strong community around what I do, with likeminded people working somehow in a similar way. It’s a really exciting time to be a female creative, as you feel you have a real voice. I’m also extremely inspired by film. My last season had a sci fi orientation, so I was referencing a lot of the cult sci-fi films like Blade Runner and The Fifth Element, as well personal favourites like Mars Attacks and THX 1138.”
4. She wants her customers to stand out from the pack…
“I want them to be proud of who they are and don’t want to necessarily blend in with everyone else. My customers definitely appreciate individuality as well as craftsmanship, and have to have a sense of humour.”
5. She did an amazing collaboration with Nadia Lee Cohen…
“I worked with Nadia Lee Cohen on the look book for spring/summer 15 and this is partly her style. I’d admired her images for a long time, and was over the moon when she wanted to shoot the campaign. Soki Mak styled the campaign and I see female sexuality as being very key to all of our work, it’s an endlessly fascinating subject. In my opinion, a method to break stereotypes is to try and represent a multi-faceted person rather than a caricature of one idea of what it should be to be a woman.”
6. She has a clear idea of what femininity means…
“Femininity to me means strength and empathy.”
7. Humour within fashion is very important for her…
“For me it’s really important. I like to wear clothes that in some way kind of uplift me for the day. I love that tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, which seems intrinsic to British fashion, and I try and reflect that. I want the women who wear my clothes to feel confident but if it can also make them or the people around them smile that’s just as good.”
8. She loves London…
“In so many ways London is such an inspiring, stimulating hub for young designers and I’ve been lucky enough to have incredible support as I’ve developed. At the same time, the extreme financial expense of living and operating from London is obviously something that many of us suffer from.”
9. Although she finds living and working in it a challenge…
“I still have to remind myself to run my own race. The thing about the fashion industry is there’s quite a lot of pressure to be doing everything straight away; collections, commissions, sales, fashion week. I started as a complete one-man band and actually it just wasn’t possible time wise or financially. I took quite a slow start with the end goal of trying to create a sustainable business. I’m so thankful I took that approach otherwise I’m not sure I’d still be doing what I love.”
10. She’s got exciting things in the pipeline…
“I’m currently finishing up spring/summer 16 production and starting on autumn/winter 16. I’m really excited about the next one! I’ve also been working on some exciting collaborations and adorable celebrity performance commissions. I want to keep going and get stronger and better at what I do.”
Credits
Text Tish Weinstock
Photography Nadia Lee Cohen