This Thursday night as you make the rounds of all of the fun and exciting happenings that will be part of the 4th Annual Fashion’s Night Out, you must include Neiman Marcus as a stop-in to see their fashion show featuring dress designer, Catherine Deane. We received a tiny taste of Catherine’s dresses at NM’s trend event, which drove me to her website to see more. The result of my search on this Hong Kong based luxury women’s wear designer…a collection of beautiful feminine dresses, with just the right amount of edge!
Her 2012 collection that you will see is a refocus on what she does best, special occasion dressing that is both full length gowns and cocktail. A special note to her garments is that they give you the look of luxury that hangs with such designers as Lanvin, Gucci and Celine, but can be purchased for a much more affordable contemporary price point.
Because I am where I am…that’s NYC, for all of the fashion happenings here, I wanted to chat with Catherine who has been on the other side of the globe, and give you all some insight in advance as to what you will be treated to at the Neiman’s show. So we spoke by email. The following are some highlights of our two-way email conversation….
RP: I have read that you have enjoyed quite a nomadic existence and have lived in many wonderful cities…born in Ireland, lived in South Africa and London and now settled in Hong Kong. How has this influenced your designs?
CD: My good fortune in the many wonderful places that I have lived has given me much to pull from, culturally, for my designs…from the history of Ireland to the nature influences of South Africa. Also, there are the blending of style and history from London and the futuristic feel of Hong Kong. All of this is present in my designs.
RP: What then is your greatest source of inspiration?
CD: The people I love, the places I go to and the natural world. Nature never ceases to amaze me in its perfection and beauty.
RP: What do you feel to be your signature look?
CD: That would be beautiful dresses, feminine and elegant with an edgy twist.
RP: I saw from your website that you have quite a celebrity following? How did that happen? Was there one celeb that launched your look for others to follow? BTW, have you dressed Michelle Obama?
CD: It has been a very organic process. It began with our NYC showroom and little effort. Selena Gomez and Beyonce were two originals. However, I must say that it has only been this year that I have put a focused PR effort in the U.S. and the U.K. into this process. This has helped build additional momentum with celebrity clients and we are very excited for the upcoming months.
No, I have not dressed Michelle Obama yet!
RP: If you could dress any woman in the world that you have not gotten into one of your dresses yet, who would that be?
CD: I love dressing feminine, elegant, graceful, but strong women. I would really enjoy seeing Natalie Portman wearing one of my dresses. She is a classic, timeless beauty.
RP: I love your use of lace, just divine and many unusual lace designs. Do you design your own fabrics?
CD: I have always been passionate about working with lace and embroidery. I do lots of research in antique textile markets in London and Paris. We use that for inspiration and engineer the design into the dresses, which creates a very harmonious effect.
The result, as you will see from a sampling of photos of Catherine’s dresses below, should make for a very exciting and beautiful show, and the true icing on the cake for the big party Neiman’s has planned.
Enjoy and think of me as I’m hitting the streets of New York! Look for my live photos on Instagram and Tumblr!
