On the list of British imports we can’t live without, London-based label Antipodium falls somewhere between Downton Abbey and Cadbury chocolate. In other words, we’re fans. (As are Maggie Gyllenhaal and Alexa Chung.)
Antipodium’s latest collection, called “Interiors“ after Woody Allen’s 1978 family drama, explores “what happens inside a household and what a modern household is,” says creative director Geoffrey Finch. This means plenty of contrasts: The collection is quirky yet restrained; both feminine and sporty.
We asked the very stylish Susie Lau of Style Bubble to get the full story from Geoffrey. Go ahead and eavesdrop on their conversation below…
Antipodium inspiration board
Susie Lau: So who is the Antipodium lady?
Geoffrey Finch: She’s an amalgamation of all of the ladies that have been around the brand since we started. They’re all spirited individuals and clever ladies. Each collection and garment has a little bit of them in there—a creative lady with a creative mind.
Susie: How do their personalities lend to the clothes aesthetically?
Geoffrey: Versatility is a key element. Subverting classics—looking at sartorial essentials and giving them our twist and making them feel modern and now, but in a very approachable way.
Susie: How did the transition from sales and PR into a designer go?
Geoffrey: I’d always wanted to be a designer, but studying hadn’t been possible for various reasons, so I decided to take the back door to becoming a designer and learn the ropes at a business level through retail, wholesale and PR. I think the consumer is a pretty powerful professor that will teach you quite a lot and quickly, so that was pretty good training.
Susie: Do you think the Barneys CO-OP customer has an idea of what Antipodium stands for, or do you think they’re going to be looking at it from completely fresh eyes?
Geoffrey: I think they’ll probably be looking at it with fresh eyes. But that brings me to a question for you. Do you think there’s a style difference between British women and American women?
Susie: It’s bad to make generalizations. And with the Internet, everyone gets their information and inspiration from different sources, so I think all those clichés don’t really apply anymore.
Another Antipodium inspiration board
Geoffrey: How do you see the Antipodium aesthetic?
Susie: The first thing you would think of is that that the clothes are wearable—there’s an approachability about the pieces. But actually, and especially with your latest collection, I feel like there’s an underlying quirkiness. For me, it’s really about approachable clothes that tell a story. That’s the kind of person who wears Antipodium—they’re interested in their clothes, but they’re also interested in a little story behind it. Looking at the collection, you can see the pieces on both ends of the age scale, especially with those longer lengths. I really love those mid-calf lengths. There’s a real freshness about them.
Geoffrey: I think the key with doing those, and I guess it’s become an Antipodium signature, is having those midi lengths, but then having a shorter lining or slip underneath it, so you get that nod to a bit of skin. It builds the allure and intrigue into a garment. Everyone loves a little mystique. What were some of your favorite pieces from the collection?
Susie: Definitely the daffodil shirt and the patent leather skirt just because I like the contrast between the shine and the delicacy of the flowers. Tell us a little about those prints.
Geoffrey: All the prints were done by a 23-year-old Swedish girl named Miriam Ivanoff who lives in South London. She’s amazing, and she’s got such an incredible sense of humor, so it was really fun working with her. She does all of her work in marker pens. Collaborating with artists is always a really fun part of creating the collection because they bring with them all of their experiences and stories, and I think it really adds a richness to the garments. I think we have some really exciting collaborations coming up, so stay tuned.
Shop the Antipodium collection here.
Images courtesy of Antipodium.
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