This week’s interviewee is half Brazilian and half British (with a Brazilian father and an English mother). She has lived in Brazil and London and now resides in New York. She is both incredibly talented and very friendly. This is Alessandra Ferreira, owner of Anglo-Brazilian brand Isolda, along with her sister Juliana and childhood-friend from Bahia, Maya Pope.

Alessandra is responsible for creating the drawings that later become Isolda’s gorgeous prints. She hand-paints her inspirations with watercolor and sends them to Maya, who digitalizes them and transfers the images to the fabrics that will be developed for the brand. Juliana takes care of Isolda’s marketing and sales divisions.

Curious fact: Alessandra (as mentioned above) lives in NY, Maya lives in Spain, and Juliana resides in Brazil. Thank God for Skype!

I met with Alessandra to explore the world of Isolda, her inspirations, her connection to NY, and how the city has influenced the brand. The result? A wonderful dinner filled with girl talk about our lives in NY and, of course, her interview for 917Diaries. I hope you enjoy getting to know more about the brand and the creative mind behind Isolda’s process as much as I did.

How do you think all these geographical relocations have influenced your creativity and the creative process prior to Isolda? How did this development take place?

For about six years, I regularly visited antique and jewelry markets in London, which offered much more variety than what I found in Brazil. I drew a lot of inspiration from these markets, and that’s how it all began—by creating fine jewelry. The clothing came later. I encountered so many unique and fascinating items, especially small trinkets and pendants. In fact, the jewelry line started because of old trinkets my mom owned, many of which were passed down through the family, carrying history, inscriptions, and dates. Every time I visited one of those markets, I’d buy more of these pendants. The themes and meanings behind them were so creative and intriguing.

I no longer work on jewelry, though. I’ve chosen to focus on one thing and do it really well, rather than juggle too many things and lose focus on the clothing.

How did it all start for the Isolda brand? Did you always know you wanted to have your own brand?

It all started in London. I moved to England to study textiles, and my sister moved in with me. We were always pretending we were in photoshoots, “playing dress-up and fashion.” I asked Maya (a friend and graphic designer who was also living in London at the time) to create the logo, and we never looked back since. I studied textiles at Chelsea College of Arts, and our first project—our first collection—was actually my senior thesis presentation.

Did you already know you wanted to work with textiles when you chose this major?

I actually got my Bachelor’s in Architecture in Brazil, but I’ve always loved fashion and wanted to attend fashion school. By the time I reached my sophomore year in college, I was miserable. I considered dropping out but ended up finishing my degree. After I graduated, I moved to England and decided to go to fashion school. I thought I wanted to focus on fashion design, but I eventually discovered that what I really wanted was to work with textiles. In England, you have to complete a foundation course, which serves as an initiation into fine arts. It wasn’t until I started that course that I realized my passion was for fabrics, particularly the details, colors, and textures—not so much for the silhouettes themselves.

Future Isolda prints in watercolor

And how did things evolve after your final project presentation?

My sister had worked for Vogue, and Daniela Falcão (Vogue Brazil editor-in-chief) saw the creations on my sister’s page and wanted to learn more. From there, things started to take off. Our first presentation event was a private viewing at my cousin’s house in São Paulo. The next one was a show at the Emiliano Hotel in São Paulo, which was attended by fashion consultant Constança Pascolato, and things really picked up from there.

How do you think your roots and culture have influenced the way you develop the Isolda prints?

Even though my mom is British, I grew up in a household where we embraced everything Brazilian. I’ve always loved the cashew fruit— for me, it’s the coolest and chicest thing. I’ve had a strong connection with it, and whenever I saw something with cashews on it, I wanted it. As a child, I would always look for clothes with authentic Brazilian motifs when shopping with my mom, but they were hard to find. I’ve always been drawn to that style, so cashew and guava—two vibrant, typical Brazilian fruits—naturally became my inspiration.

Duda Maia and Miroslava Duma wearing the cashew print

Fruits, flowers, and seafood are elements that will be present in the Summer 2014 collection. How is the creative process and inspiration going for your next collection?

I’ve tried to draw other things, but it always comes back to Brazil. When you live abroad, you get the chance to experience many beautiful things, and I’ve made drawings that reflect those discoveries, but I never find them exotic enough. As for the new collection, you’ll have to wait until October to see it—otherwise, it’ll be too obvious (LOL). But I’ve been thinking of masculine influences and more mature colors. It will still have the geometric, organic fruit, and floral elements, but with an even more sophisticated and elegant approach.

I considered moving away from those themes and exploring a more surrealist direction, but I really enjoy telling that story and creating characters and themes for my collections. One interesting thing is that sometimes I save designs for later if they don’t fit a specific story I’m working on. But that can be tricky because the connection with them can fade over time. I’ve learned that if you feel inspired by something, you should explore it right away! Don’t get too caught up in telling just one story because it may become even more interesting if you tie it all together and follow your passion in the moment. Once the feeling passes, you might think, “Why was I obsessing over this? That was crazy.” And eventually, it all fades away (LOL).

Isolda recently presented a necklace collection…

The necklace collection was part of a collaboration between Isolda and the Virzi+DeLuca brand from Marcella Virzi and Betina de Luca. They are very pretty and were especially designed for the Gallerist e-commerce. We love creating with different designers, and the idea for the collaboration came from Mariana and Amanda (Gallerist), and are proud of how cool everything looked in the end. We are actually going to Paris soon, and are considering taking them with us to that presentation as well. We may showcase them in the showroom, especially because of how well those pieces complement our clothes. Not to mention how great it is to work with Betina and Marcela, they are the best, just as Mariana and Amanda are as well.

Necklaces from the collaboration between Isolda and the Virzi+DeLuca brands

Lets talk a little bit about your life here in NY. How did you end up moving here?

My fiancé moved to NY for work, so I came with him. We were living in London, and our other option was to move to Germany, which wasn’t as appealing as NY, even though I was open to it. But he had already lived in NY, and here’s the thing: just like we’re meeting today, I get to meet people in the industry, like the girls from Moda Operandi, for example. Everyone in the fashion business is always here, so it made sense to be in NY because of the brand. Plus, I was able to find an incredible patternmaker here, who has really elevated our work.

What does living in NY mean to you?

Well, NY, for me, can be described like this: you’re at home, deeply focused in your own world, and then, the moment you step outside, you’re reminded of just how much the city is pulsing. It never stops. It’s like a machine that runs 24/7. Sometimes you leave your apartment feeling a little sluggish, and suddenly the city jolts you awake: “Wake up, girl!” (LOL)

Could you list some of your favorite things to do in the city?

There are always new places to explore, but I have my favorite spots. I love Chelsea Market because it’s right next to my apartment, and I always go there to shop at the Manhattan Food Exchange, where I love to buy fruits and other things. For drawing purposes, when I needed a star fruit for our previous collection, that’s where I went to buy it. I’ve purchased a lot of exotic items at this market. I also adore, and frequently visit, The Lobster Place. There’s a Mexican restaurant right in front of my building called Tortilla Flats that I go to whenever I’m craving rice and beans. Oh, and there’s my beloved ballet class at Ballet Beautiful in Soho. Their website is great, with some lovely pictures of the founder. As for stores, I like Bergdorf and Jeffrey’s, and I absolutely adore Roundabout New & Resale Couture, which sells vintage and couture pieces. I once found a gorgeous Chanel dress and some other great finds there.

Where do you like to take your friends who are visiting the city? Any must-go places?

You know what I think is really cool? Taking a boat ride around the island. There’s a water taxi that does a nice loop. It’s quite touristy, but I think it’s worth it because it gives you a great sense of NY—you get to see the Statue of Liberty, the bridges, and more. As for restaurants, I love Japanese food, and I really like Yasuda because it’s very traditional—they even speak Japanese there. I also enjoy the restaurant at the Bowery Hotel and Waverly Inn. I know Waverly is a staple for the fashion crowd and everyone goes there, but I like it.

Here is a gallery with Isolda looks worn around the globe:

www.isoldalondon.com

Alessandra Affonso Ferreira Bergdorf Goodman Chelsea Market Fashion Interview Isolda Jeffreys Lobster Place NY