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Q1 What's a highlight of your recent design career?
I have just begun a collaboration with a new French designer from St. Barths. The label is called Pop. Her collection is truly amazing, unlike anything I have seen before, animal print tops with a twist, beautiful Italian linen mini dresses and funky yet wearable styles that suit a broad range of shapes both on and off the beach. Her collection is also very unique in that she handmakes all the pieces herself in St. Barths - highly unusual in our world of mass-production. Her pieces are now available to buy online at www.louisesandberg.com. The new collections by Donale and Ambas are also very special.
Q2 Name three things we might be surprised to find in your closet.
Polo equipment. Polo boots, polo shirt and polo jeans – I mean for real horse polo not Ralph Lauren! I love to play and try to get on the field as much as time and work allows. |
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Q3 What did you get the concept for your collection 2008?
This year we were lucky to get the colours so right – fluorescents and strong fuchsias being key colours for the season and they feature highly in our collection. We were strongly inspired by the beauty of island life and the dreams of vacations. As ever we aim to bring out something that sets us apart from other beachwear designers.
Q4 What is your designing process like?
We work on ideas throughout the year and make a sample collection that we view on models and test at brainstorms and then select the pieces that are best for our collection. We have a broad market of age ranges and so we need to bear this in mind too. People want to look stylish as well as comfortable on holiday. With this in mind we predominantly produce ranges in cottons and linens with just a few silk pieces as well as plenty of accessories. |
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Q7 Whose closet would you like to raid?
Helena Christensen – her style is amazing and unique, she's also a friend of my sisters so maybe one day I really will get to raid her closet!
Q8 What's fresh for holiday?
My website specializes in exclusive holidaywear from St. Barths and most of what is on my website now is brand new for holiday this season – view online at www.louisesandberg.com |
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Q9 Could you tell us your secret favorite store.
Virginia, Clarendon Cross, Notting Hill, London. Tel +44 (0) 207 727 9908. Vintage antiques and clothes. Here you'll definitely find a piece that nobody else has. She sells clothes up to 100 years old but are still cool to wear now. You can lose yourself for hours and hours here.
Q10 What is your favorite cuisine? Could you tell us a good restaurant in your area?
I am a vegetarian, I don't like the idea of killing an animal to fill our tummies when there is so much other lovely food to eat. I particularly love Mexican food and all spicy food. In fact, I could eat chillies with almost anything !!!! There's a vegetarian restaurant in Primrose Hill, London called Manna (www.manna-veg.com) which is the 3 michelin starred version of a vegetarian restaurant, I highly recommend it, their take on modern vegetarian food is unlike any other restaurant I have ever been to, I know lots of hardened meat eaters who also adore it.
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Louise was born in 1975 into an established Danish / Norwegian family -her great-great grandmother was the lover of the internationally-renowned Norwegian painter Edvard Munch and she features in his famous 'Ashes' series of paintings. Her great-grandfather A. W. Sandberg was one of the earliest pioneers of the silent cinema in the late 19th century and early 20th century in Denmark. From an early age Louise has travelled extensively, living in both France, Denmark and the UK. Her artistic background and upbringing is reflected in her ability to eschew creativity in all things in life. Louise has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and she started her first business aged 21 whilst still at university studying History of Design. This business was designing and creating made-to-measure radiator cabinets. Although the business was ultimately not a success Louise learned many valuable lessons from. After this Louise worked in advertising (Bates UK) and TV Production in the UK for 5 years.
In early 2003 Louise started importing kaftans from St. Barths as beachwear to the UK, being one of the first people to influence the change of this traditional Islamic garment into beach / resort wear. Within just a few months she had a celebrity client list including Madonna, Jodie Kidd and Heidi Klum.
Louise Sandberg is now in her fourth year and has expanded her range to include not just kaftans but also skirts, shorts, tunics, tops, jewellery and belts through various carefully selected designers most of which are exclusively with her from St. Barths. Louise is also an international polo player having represented England in Iran, Switzerland and Ghana. |
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Q5 Is there a designer who inspires you the most?
I wouldn't say that there is one designer that inspires me completely. I definitely appreciate that designing is like art and a collection is a reflection of each and every unique mind. I adore what Valeria Bourdin of Vanita Rosa St. Barths continues to bring out season after season – available to buy online at www.louisesandberg.com. Her design story continues in such beautiful rhythms and tones with her stunning silks and linens. I truly admire her for her continued ability to update and renew without moving away from her principles, this is a delicate balance and one that I feel she's got totally spot on. I also admire Stella McCartney for her current collection and her continued stance regarding not using leather. Other designers that I am always impressed by are Balenciaga, Prada and Ghost for fashion and Pippa Small for jewellery. For everyday wear I love Earnest Sewn jeans and Splendid vests and tops. |
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Q6 What is the one must-have article of clothing for women this summer?
For me there are two things, firstly it's the new Zoe Dresses 2008 by Donale – they come in a great new selection of colours and are available online at www.louisesandberg.com and also the simple white shirt dress by Pop. Made from exquisite Italian linen, the style and cut is fabulous and just suits every shape. |
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Q11 If you were to dress one person, who would that be?
Grace Kelly. Her iconic beauty has never been beaten in my opinion.
Q12 Music to live by
I love the hauntingly beautiful voice of Savina Yannatou – a Greek classically trained baroque singer.
Q13 What are your aspirations?
To continue to bring out collections that people love and to remain the best shop to buy holiday and beach clothes. Also, to continue to grow my company by switching over to as much fair trade and organic production as possible in order to lessen my company's global footprint and its impact on the environment. This is our world that we need to leave for our children and grandchildren and we have a responsibility to live with awareness of all our actions.
Q14 Would you like to add anything for the fans?
Enjoy the moment you're in. |
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