I have a funny feeling this summer is going to be hot hot hot! judging by the gorgeous weather we had over the weekend we are set for a stunner, so it is the perfect time to purchase a new bikini for the coming months. If you are looking for unique New Zealand designed swimwear go no further than Carena West Swim. Carena's 'How I wish you were..' collection is the perfect combination of playful and fun, with flattering cuts and custom prints.
I recently caught up with Carena to ask her a few questions about the Carena West Swim brand....
Tell me a
little about yourself and the ‘Carena West’ brand, how did it all begin?
Ever since I
was young I have wanted to start a swimwear brand. I've grown up around the
water and beaches and based on photo's of Baby Carena I'm guessing that it was
almost a natural progression. That doesn't mean that it was easy though. It was
only after completing a Diploma of Fashion Design and a Bachelor of Business
degree that I had the confidence to start. It's hard slog and can be hard to
hear criticism at times, but I guess that all comes with the territory!
Describe a
day in the life at CW HQ?
Most of my
time is taken up with a lot of emailing and to and fro with my Manufacturer in
Brazil, drawing or on InDesign making patterns and prints. I'm looking forward
to Summer so that I can head to the beach and gather "Inspiration" ;)
Where do you
get your inspiration for each collection?
My
Inspiration comes from all sorts of places. A lot of it is referenced from Pop
Culture and my environment, but then I could also be doing something completely
random like mowing the lawn or buying milk and I'll get an idea and have to
write it down. I've always got plenty of ideas, it's the cutting it down to
form a cohesive collection that is the hard part!
What was the
first article of clothing you ever designed?
I started
getting into sewing when I was at intermediate school. The first thing I ever
designed was a skirt that was made from a silk fabric with Chinese symbols on
it. One day, a man came up to me and told me that my skirt was covered in symbols that were Chinese for "Tea".. I don't think I ever wore it
again after that. Haha
Who are some
of your favourite designers and why?
It's always
changing but for my everyday clothing I would have to say Etre Cecile, because
they do awesome T Shirts, Alexander Wang for Shoes and Boots (And the
occasional dress or casual piece) and as a fantasy favourite Dion Lee because I
love seeing the structure and print of the pieces working together so
harmoniously. If Only I had a few thousand dollars to spend on a piece!
How would
you define your personal style?
I'd say my
personal style is...Eclectic? Schizophrenic almost? haha. My everyday wear is
usually pretty casual, If I'm feeling lazy my staple would be black jeans, a
cool t-shirt and some high heeled ankle boots. But I do love any excuse to
dress up and have a collection of gorgeous dresses that do not get worn nearly
enough.
What are
some of your favourite fashion websites, blogs, magazines, or books?
I follow a
ton of fashion blogs on Tumblr because I love imagery and find that they are
always updating. I also like reading ManRepeller because she has a quirky
interest in fashion that isn't stuffy like a lot of other blogs... For shoot
inspiration I'll go to Calikartel or Fashion Gone Rogue
Where can
readers buy CW Swim, do you have any stockists?
At the
moment readers can buy CW Swim direct from me at www.carenawest.com, and it will be retailing very soon at
Lana Boutique in Takapuna.
And finally
describe CW Swim in three words:
Playful,
Individual & Easy.
Happy shopping!
Emma
x
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