I love Oliver + S Patterns. I love the style and feel of the packaging. The fact that so much time has been taken getting the clean, modern, yet reminiscent feel just right. The colours, the art work, even the weight of the paper is all just right.
And then of course, most importantly, there are the actual patterns. All of which combine a complete wearability with a beautiful, classic style. Clothes that are made to be worn, for all occassions, whether it's going to a wedding or just buying icecream. Clothes that invoke the feel of a more innocent time whilst still being timeless.
The only slight disappointment has always been the fact that Liesl's patterns were only for children. Up until now that is, because Liesl has finally released a collection of patterns under the name of Lisette aimed solely at us grown ups.
I haven't had the chance to actually make any of these yet, but I ordered both the Market Dress and the Traveller Dress patterns exactly 2 minutes after reading about them. And they're winging their way to me as we speak.
Knowing Liesl's work, I'm excited about seeing these patterns. She's once again captured the vintage vibe, whilst still creating clothing patterns that are cool and classic and wearable.
Part of the reason that I think Liesl's designs work so well is that you can feel the story behind them. Both her Oliver + S collections and now her Lisette collections naturally create their own scenario's, that inspire and transport. Whether it's to a better time or a more interesting place, the clothes speak to you.
On the new Lisette blog, Liesl talks about the imaginary world behind her designs -
"In some ways I think Lisette is my alter-ego. When I design, I like to tell myself little stories, and the story behind Lisette is that Lisette is an interesting woman who travels the world (while I’m here in New York, working away) gathering inspiration everywhere she goes.
She’s sketching and taking photos of everything she sees. Italian millefiori, Moroccan and Turkish tiles, Indian saris, Scandinavian furniture, Persian rugs, and Chinese pottery all catch her eye and inspire her. When she returns home, she takes all the items she’s seen in her travels and filters them through her own imagination to create fabrics and clothing that she incorporates into her life."
And that's exactly why Liesl's creations are so popular, because whether you know the story or not, you can feel it when you look at the designs. And you can be a part of it, simply by making these clothes your own.
