BWA Chats To: Serpent & The Swan Pre-MBFWA

In the lead up to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, which is set to kick off next Monday the 8th, we have been chatting to designers prepping for their shows.

Serpent and the Swan is a unique Australian label designed by two sisters (what is it about talented sisters!). The Serpent & the Swan label is inspired by their shared love of the animal kingdom and their fascination with the anatomy of creatures and their potential alternate mystical incarnations.

Read on for an insight into the minds of the creative forces behind Serpent & the Swan.

Can you give us a little insight as to what inspired the latest collection?

This season we were very much inspired by the idea of growth and the inherent relationship between plant and human life cycles. We drew our inspiration from things like 18th Century botanical plates, insect dissection and anatomical drawings of teeth!

How would you describe the Serpent and the Swan aesthetic?

Our aesthetic is quite dark and unique and would best be described as a play between hard and soft, subtle hand crafted hardware and unique fabric combinations, especially our use of leather.

We want to provoke our customers to feel a personal connection with the mixture of art and fashion in all our garments.  Each trimming is designed and hand sculpted to reflect or represent the meaning behind the label.

What is the leadup to Fashion Week like for you?

It has been exciting, crazy, expensive and surreal!

Any Fashion Week survival tips?

Coffee, chocolate, coffee and more chocolate.

What do you look for when casting models for your show?

We look for models with a unique individual edge.

What does showing your collection at MBFWA mean to you?

For us it’s the opportunity to show off our craft and unique point of view to local and international media and buyers. We are very excited!

What is next in 2013 for Serpent and the Swan?

First we sleep… then we have some exciting overseas opportunities we will be exploring….