Coppélia is a Cape Town-based clothing brand with a long history in the local fashion scene. The brand creates ethically-made, timeless pieces, that will remain wardrobe favourites for many years to come. Their latest Spring collection is inspired by the sun, sea, Kalk Bay vistas, and endless summer daydreams.
We asked Kirsty to share a few glimpses into the brand’s 22-year journey.
What is the story behind the Coppélia brand?
I started Coppélia 22 years ago from the bedroom of my apartment in Cape Town. I had just come home from a two-year working stint in London and wasn’t sure how to proceed with my dream of working for myself. As luck would have it, my next-door neighbour owned the clothing shop SCAR, in Long Street, and I started sewing clothing on my little machine in the evenings, after days of styling on photo shoots or working in wardrobe on film sets.
I continued building my brand over the next year by making up clothing for magazine photo shoots. Within two years I was invited to participate in South African Fashion Week which I did a number of times. I funded my own studio, bought some industrial machines, and employed my first seamstress (no more sewing everything up myself!). Shureena Jackson still works with me.
I then opened my first shop in Long Street, with my friend Doreen Southwood, called MeMeMe. I loved having a store where I could control the environment my clothes were sold in. A few years later we opened a larger MeMeMe, lower down on Long Street. After about five years I left MeMeMe and opened Mungo & Jemima with Marian Park-Ross in Long Street. We were partners for 12 years, opening shops in Watershed, Claremont, and Stellenbosch.
A year and a half ago, I decided I wanted to go solo and opened my first Coppélia shop in Stellenbosch. It’s been a very long, windy road that hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing as it brought me to a place where I feel freedom in my work.
Why did you become a fashion designer?
I wanted to become a fashion designer from the age of five. I would draw girls in outfits continually throughout the years. My school books were full of fantasy dresses. I finished school and went straight to Cape Technikon and studied fashion design and pattern making for three years. I would say my love of fashion design came from my aunt and grandmother who were both fashion designers. It’s somewhat in my blood. My great grandfather was a tailor too.
Tell us about your designs and what they represent in the modern world?
My designs are constantly changing, as I do. I get very bored churning out the same thing, season after season, and am always changing things up. I make what makes me happy. I make garments that are objects I love and for people to feel special wearing them. I am always striving to get to a new place that feels fresher and better than my last collection. It’s a continuous process and sometimes it works better than other times.
What is remarkable about your Spring collection?
This new collection is very different from previous collections. I moved to the beautiful seaside town of Kalk Bay a year ago and it completely changed my outlook on life and design. It’s chilled and a bit bohemian, inspired by the sun and the sea. It’s all dreamy.
What types of fabrics do you use and from where do you source materials?
I am sourcing my fabrics from Jaipur, India. Kantha, hand-blocked cotton, and handloom fabrics. I have been wanting to use these colourful, gorgeous fabrics for years and am finally creating my first collection with them.
What types of dyeing methods are you using, if you are using any? Are they sustainable?
The fabric is dyed using natural dye methods and hand-blocking methods in India. The vintage kanthas are made by cutting up old saris and reimagining them into fabric. It is sustainable but I do have to courier the fabric here, where it is sewn into clothing in Cape Town.
What sustainability practices do you implement?
We are now using natural, vintage, and upcycled fabrics. We do not use toxic dyes. I have a small circle of ladies who work in-house for me. They have excellent working conditions and are well compensated and looked after. We use mielie mailer packaging for our garments and the waste fabric is used to create masks, scrunchies, and bags. No fabric is wasted. We do not believe in mass production and aim to uplift the individual. We produce very small runs of each style, so we do not over-produce or create excess waste.
What are the profound highlights of your career?
I am proud of the 23-year-old me who started this brand with nothing and worked so hard for so long to make her dream a reality.
Do you often have sales and clearance?
We have a few, very small sales throughout the year. The sizes available are very limited and we don’t have any stock available for sale due to our small runs.
Who are your top three local sustainable designers?
Sitting Pretty, Titch, and Hannah Lavery.
For more information visit the Coppélia website.
Images: Photographs by @tazza and model @caitlynroux
