METRO Monday, October 19, 2009 D The colour of couture Art Deco goes pop: Fashion editors have hailed Holly Fulton (right) as the one to watch and Posh has been spotted in the front seat of her shows but the Scottish designer tells us she really designs for herself by ALySON WALSH Edited by Bel Jacobs features@metroireland.ie Style Counsel Pink Titania shoe, 700. www.beatrixong.com Countessa necklace, 35. www.riverisland.com Kara Ross 14ct gold and black python cuff, 400. www.donnaida.com Blue faux snakeskin bag, 15. www.missselfridge. com Available from November Kenneth Jay Lane deco drop earrings, 135. www.my-wardrobe.com Six of the best accessories Princess bag, 40 www.riverisland. com V ictoria Beckham turning up to your second fashion show is a sure-fire way to grab the headlines but ScottishYoung Designer of theYear Holly Fulton is unfazed by all the attention. I didnt know she was coming, proclaims the star of Fashion East while discussing her spring/summer 2010 catwalk show. But during the run-through I sat down on the front row and joked that the seat probably belonged to someone really important and it turned out to be Victoria Beckham. In fact, Fulton was already on the fashion radar before VB hit town. The Royal College Of Art MA graduate has been sponsored by Fashion East (a launchpad for up-and-coming designers offering a platform to show their work at London Fashion Week) for two seasons now and has been hailed as the one to watch by fashion editors the world over. With my last show it was nice when people didnt know me, says Fulton. This time expectations are higher but now Im a bit older, Im not straight out of college and Ive had more opportunities. With an impressive stint at Lanvin on her CV, the 31-year-old has a fine pedigree, though modestly lists her career highlight as Alber Elbaz telling me I was wearing the biggest necklace hed ever seen. After graduating from the RCA, Fulton went straight to Paris to take up a position as design assistant on the labels womenswear collection. So what was it like working with one of this centurys hottest designers? He eventually asked me to design jewellery for Lanvin and let me mess around with components and do my own thing, says Fulton. Albers a complete workaholic. If hes there until midnight, youre there until midnight. The Elbaz work ethic has certainly rubbed off on the designer who splits her time between London and Edinburgh. She makes all her own jewellery by hand, intricately drawing out all the shapes before sending the perspex off to be laser cut and embellishing them with Swarovski crystal, enamelled metal and stingray skin. I love the extra dimension working with different materials has brought to my design and Im really into stingray skin at the moment, its amazing. Very 1930s. Inspired by Art Deco, 1920s magazines and artist Eduardo Paolozzi, the unassuming Scot aptly describes her autumn/winter 2009 collection as Art Deco gone pop. The graphic prints, sharp shapes and vibrant colours are a mash- up of 1920s flapper girl and 1960s pop art princess. Im always attracted to strong pieces in terms of design, says Fulton. I love Art Deco, and communist graphics theyre so bold. And I like to enhance the colours, make them larger than life. Fultons visual way of thinking is her great strength, and spring/summer 2010 sees a continuation of the futuristic, retro- graphic theme, with her trademark standout accessories and jewel-encrusted silk dresses featuring sparkly space invaders and Art Deco skyscrapers, on an acid bright backdrop. Coco Chanel once said I design things I want to wear and this is a philosophy Fulton shares. Really selfishly I design for myself, which may not be very business-minded but you have to be really into it to get things done, she says. And, like Chanel, theres more to Fulton than a Little Black Dress. My dream goal is to produce a wider range. Im hoping to expand my relationship with Swarovski and nail the production of my bags and jewellery, she says, quickly adding, and to make more money. The sheer amount of work that goes into this contemporary re-working of couture, the surface embellishment and luxurious fabrics make it expensive to manufacture. Everyone says to me, if this is what youre doing on a budget, imagine what you could do if you had more money, says Fulton. It looks like were going to see a lot more glitz, a lot more colour and a lot more Holly Fulton. But are we likely to see VB in HF? Well, she has said some very nice things about my collection and Im in touch with her people, so well see what happens. www.hollyfulton.com BOOKING WWW.GATETHEATRE.IE (01) 874 4045 / 874 6042 Tickets from 15 (Student Discount) ALL MONDAYS ALL SEATS 27 Starring Sinad Cusack Denise Gough Ciarn Hinds Deliciously chilling... exhilarating...pitch-perfect Sunday Independent Irish Examiner Sunday Business Post Metro Deliciously chilling... exhilarating...pitch-perfect Sunday Independent Irish Examiner Sunday Business Post Metro index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html