Exclusive Interview with KAHLO
Lone Maniac have long been fans of homegrown Australian brand, KAHLO. Their beautiful leather goods and simplistic tailoring are, simply put, to-die-for, and a necessary addition to any modern girl's wardrobe. Though still relatively new, the label have been making serious waves both at home and abroad with their unique style of edgy chic. While in New York to shoot their new collection, 'A Crowded House', we caught up with the delightful duo behind the brand, Rachelle Sinclair and Fay Ogunbadejo.
Rosie Dalton: Can you tell me a little bit about the brand's beginnings?
Rachelle Sinclair: Fay and I met three years ago next year at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and then KAHLO was born in January 2011. It’s still a relatively new brand; we’re in our fourth collection now.
How would you sum up the KAHLO aesthetic?
Fay Ogunbadejo: Very simple and clean-cut minimal, with an element of trans-seasonal timelessness.
And what has the KAHLO journey been like so far?
Rachelle: It has been ridiculously fun, tough, overwhelming at times, and always very fast! We’ve grown considerably in the past years, so it has all been a whirlwind.
Who do you envision the KAHLO customer to be?
Fay: She is a girl who dresses for herself, is confident and on top of fashion trends, but also understands quality and the importance of classic features.
What have you guys been up to in New York?
Rachelle: Well we shot our Fall/Winter campaign with Darren McDonald a couple of weeks ago in a studio in Williamsburg. We also just finished a new collaboration with one of our creative directors, who took some beautiful still images of the clothes. We plan to launch these in the next few months. On top of that, we have been involved with Capsule, which is a New York based trade show that sees international buyers come to view the collections.Â
What are the particular influences behind your new collection?
Fay: The collection is very inspired by an Australian artist called Del Kathryn Barton. She is actually OCD, so she produces these really intricate drawings with a great deal of detail in them. We have used similar intricacies in the collection, for example through techniques like perforation. Our colour palette for the season is also inspired by her work. I have actually been lucky enough to meet the artist myself; she is amazing.
Do you have a favourite piece from the collection?
Fay: My favourite piece would have to be the Barton Battle Vest and Rachelle’s is the Bellmer Bralet.
Can you tell me a little bit about the event you will be holding in LA?
Rachelle: Yeah! We are working on a blogger event at Satine Boutique, which is one of our stockists in Los Angeles. There will be a select guest list of editors, bloggers and celebrity stylists and we will showcase the Spring Summer range. We have also partnered up with hair care brand Paul Mitchell, so will be collaborating with them too.
Who is the one person you’d love to dress?
Fay: Maybe Poppy Delevigne. We love her style and the fact that she’s a little bit androgynous and doesn’t overdress. We think she is really stylish.
What’s on the horizon for KAHLO?
Fay: Hopefully to develop the brand both in Australia and the States and have a really great show at Australian Fashion Week next year.Â
