‘Compelling storytelling and myth-making are what make a brand last’
A fashion lecturer, designer and mum of two, Natalie B Colman launched her eponymous label back in 2011. Now 13 years old, the brand has received many industry accolades and has been featured in high-profile publications like WWd, Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar to name but a few. An official design partner of the United Nations Population Fund, Natalie shares more about her journey with us below.
My mission is to create clothes with meaning and have fun while doing it.
I am balancing full-time lecturing with being a single mum, so have spent the last few years trying to remodel what I do with the label to fit with my other commitments. We are relaunching in 2025 with two collections a year that will sell online. These will be produced in Ireland by working with hand knitters, embroidery artists, screen printing ourselves and using as many heritage and sustainable fabrics that are produced in Ireland as possible. There will be only 10 of each item available.
I always wanted to do something creative but I wasn’t sure exactly what.
I was first interested in sculpture and am actually a city and guilds-qualified welder too! At the moment we are working on commissioned pieces like a beautifully embroidered wedding dress and a piece for a short film – we have some gorgeous clients who we do bespoke pieces for.
Two brands I love at the moment are REEMAMI, a Palestinian fashion brand that makes whimsical print-inspired stories and Hazar Jawabra, a psychedelic Palestinian knitwear brand.
We also have amazing fashion students from NCAD. I am looking forward to seeing what our 2024 graduates will accomplish and how they will influence design. They were a great year.
Money was definitely a concern when starting out.
It is an incredibly expensive business to start and survive in, but it’s important not to lose your creativity or drive to experiment.
I don’t have an all-time favourite fashion purchase, I move away from pieces and then come back.
My biggest investments are jewellery, and I love Matthew Weldon in Powerscourt for gorgeous Victorian mourning jewellery pieces, which I collect. Some of my other favourite pieces are a pair of Alexandra Hakim gold match earrings, a royal blue Ostrich feather strapless top from Sorcha O’Raghallaigh, and a baby pink feather and crystal bag, also from Sorcha O’ Raghallaigh.
There are so many Irish brands I love.
Standing Ground, Robyn Lynch, JW Anderson, Úna Burke Design and Electronic Sheep to name but a few. I also love following @1granary, @bof, @notlondonbased, @threadstories and @glasgow_diaz for design inspiration.
It’s important to have a great story that is worth telling.
Compelling storytelling and myth-making are what make a brand last.
Travelling to Nairobi as a guest of Natalia Vodianova and her Elbi team is one of my proudest moments to date.
I was invited to speak at the UN International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Summit on how design affects change and present my work on reproductive rights and gender equality with the United Nations Population Fund.
I want my brand to be remembered for beautiful collaborations.
And for creating gorgeous romantic and fun pieces that highlight what it means to be a woman. If I could have anyone wear my designs it would be Dolly Parton because she really encompasses that message to me.
Photography by Constantine Tsapaliras; styling by Corinna Mattner
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