Inspiration for My Designs-What makes this Couture Designer Tick!

By Coral Turner, Couture Designer

I have often been asked what inspires my designs.  I am not sure I have a simple answer for that question, but I will try to answer it.

Besides having a passionate need to express myself, I have a desire to create garments that pioneer a different aesthetic from the norm and are reinterpretations of designs from the past.  I wish to create garments that are comfortable, sexy and gorgeous.  I appreciate the fact that every other couture designer has probably professed similar desires.

I am influenced by both past and present designers.  If you follow my Facebook page, you have seen many of them.  Further, surrealist art and expressionist influences take shape in my work.  In my designs, you will see elements in unexpected juxtaposition and the use of fabrics and colours to add boldness.  You will note that I have incorporated Elizabethan-like collars (long before Alexander McQueen decided to use them in his collection this year) along with kimono-style sleeves.

Culture and history are important to any designer, whether for the design of clothes or buildings.  I am no different, as I have a love for vintage clothing from the early nineteenth century to the present.  In my collection, you will see graphic prints on mini dresses inspired by ’60s fashion and formal suiting with strong, structured shoulders reminiscent of the ’30s and ’40s.  I also love Asian-inspired designs, and strong elements of it are evident throughout my collection.

Nature has taught me to mix textures like in a beautiful wild garden.  My designs are hand embellished with sequins, beads, leather, metallic threads and contrasting linings.

I pursue those moments when ideas flow effortlessly and creativity is a cherished companion.  I believe in and surrender to the creative process as it unfolds.  I let the fabric and colours speak to me as I create something that will have lasting value and a unique point of view for a garment.

I imagine the woman who will wear the garment.  Is she queen-like?  Is she more like a princess?  Is she an entrepreneur?  A scientist?  Will she dance in the garment?  Will she work in the garment?  Will she attend a red carpet event?  Who will see her?  Will it be her beloved?  An old boyfriend who dumped her thirty years ago and whom she is going to see at her high school reunion?

And so the process goes—an endless cycle of imagination, ideas and concepts that manifest as dresses, skirts, tops and pants that I know you will love because they are one-of-a-kind garments and exclusive, just for you.

You may purchase one of my inspired creations through my online store or contact me at 020 7732 7528 for a private consultation.

My Inspiration to be a Couture Designer

By  Coral Turner

If you follow my social media channels, you have seen pictures of both my mother and father, accompanied by various quotes that capture both their spirits and their impact on me. My parents inspired me to go out there and start my couture business.

The fashion industry is a crowded marketplace.  Customers have all sorts of options when it comes to buying clothing, from cheap and cheerful, to haute couture and pricey, and everything in between.  I am often asked why I did it: Why did I leave a “real” job in which other people take the risks and instead go out on my own?  There is no one reason but several.

I have had the fortune of working for some of the top fashion houses in the United Kingdom.  These experiences were enlightening and essential for me to develop my skill set to carry off my work as a couture designer.  But the work wasn’t satisfying.  If you worked at a design house,  you would notice a few things when producing designs intended for the mass audience:

1. Material is maximized to reduce cost,
2. The amount of labour used to create a garment is often reliant on off-shore, sub-standard factories that pay their labourers extremely low wages, unlike Western countries that offer wages at union rates; and, 
3. Everyone copies each other!

Thus, quality and uniqueness suffer to maximize profits in this very competitive industry.

I wasn’t impressed.  In fact, I was horrified when I bought a coat and then saw another woman on the street in one just like it.  I felt cheated in some way because I had spent a great deal of my hard-earned money on a coat that wasn’t uniquely mine.  I figured I wasn’t the only one who felt that way when seeing someone else wearing something coveted.

Therefore, I decided to create my online couture fashion business, producing one-of-a-kind, never to be repeated, perfectly tailored fashions for the modern woman.

I was raised by parents who taught me there are no limits and that I have the power to decide what I want to do.  They gave me the option to explore my talents and dreams—I went for it.

I create fashions that can be for every woman who wants to wear something bold and creative.  I don’t have any desire to mass produce anything that I design.  I want to ensure that women experience pieces of fashion that are luxurious, original, and tailored for them.

It is my desire to help women find their unique style that sets them apart from others in the crowd.

I would be happy to meet with you in person or by Skype to create a piece that is one-of-a-kind and just for you.