Behind the scenes with St. Agni at AAFW
We go behind the scenes with St. Agni designers Lara Fells and Erika Toscano as they prepared for their recent Resort ‘23 show at Fashion Week, a collection that honoured their signature minimal, relaxed yet tailored style but with a new risque twist.
Lara, who is also co-founder of the brand with her husband Matt, talks us through her creative process, the vision behind their Resort ‘23 collection and how she puts pen to paper.
Occupation?
On paper I'm the creative director and Co Founder of St. Agni and in theory my role is rather broad. I go from creating the concept and vision for the collections and brand identity to managing the payroll, with the occasional shift in the warehouse.
How long have you been working together on design?
Erika and I have been working together for 3 years now. We are quite different, but I think that's why it works so well.
Plain or Lined paper?
Definitely lined paper for writing but plain for sketches.
When do you put pen to paper in your creative process ?
I'm constantly making notes, often notes that I never read again, I have always done that - I think putting pen to paper helps the information sink in. When we are in the planning phases of a collection I always do miniature sketches of each product instead of writing a description, my journals are filled with tiny pictures of shoes. I'm also a lover of the sticky pad.
What has inspired this collection?
The Resort 2023 collection really resonates with my own nostalgia of the 90s. The collection strongly references this era, which brings back fond memories of my first introduction to fashion, reading magazines, and beginning to grow a love for dressing and style.
On estimate how many sketches of a design are done before the final design is decided on?
Usually just one or two before it's drawn on Illustrator.
How would you describe this collection in 3 words?
90's, Risqué, Minimalist