Behind the Seams with our Designer
Meet our Designer Emily, who shares her insights into the inspiration behind our ladies fashion collections and reveals her favourite pieces from our latest arrivals.
What inspired your to become a fashion designer and how did you begin your journey with Bella di Notte?
I’ve always been surrounded by creativity growing up in the Yorkshire dales where my parents played a huge part in shaping my path. My father an architect and mother a print textile designer. Influencing an appreciation for form, texture, pattern and colour. This inspired my creativity which naturally led to fashion design.
My design background began in luxury knitwear with a keen eye for colour and quality, which I see as the core element of my design philosophy. I’ve always been drawn to timeless designs – pieces that don’t just follow trends but have lasting enduring appeal in beautiful colours, texture and print.
Where do you find inspiration for the fabrics, colours, and styles in each season's collection?
Initial inspiration for the collection comes from our love for hand-painted prints that are created by independent artists. We use print to bring life to the collection and draw harmonious colour combinations together for each monthly drop. Adapting colours and pattern from our prints help to inspire the detail and fabrics for the rest of the collection. Along with adding newness we also focus on improving our customer’s favourites. This is the most important part of the process, as our customer is at heart of everything we do!
How do you balance style, comfort and functionality in your designs?
Balancing style, comfort and functionality starts with selecting the right fabrics, placing emphasis on fit and more natural soft handle fabrics that are comfortable and long lasting. Items are not just timeless and stylish but a joy to wear every day.
What advice would you give to someone looking to create a sophisticated, long-lasting wardrobe?
I would recommend investing in versatile, timeless and quality pieces to form part of your wardrobe foundation. Quality knitwear or some perfect fitting trousers that can be elevated with the newest colour, or a beautiful print will ensure your wardrobe will feel fresh from season to season.
What role do customer feedback and preferences play in your creative process?
We always have the customer at the forefront of our mind, especially when it comes to fit, fabric and colour. Designing garments that flatter a wide range of body shapes.
Listening to feedback helps refine what works best for our customer. Offering her favourite colours with a new fresh twist and creating versatile looks that coordinate across the range.
Which pieces from our latest collection are your personal favourites and why?
I love the feel-good factor of a cosy knit at this time of year. In fresh colours, a more open neckline and a lofty stitch, this feels like a good wardrobe staple to step into spring with.
The timeless simplicity in the shape of this satin shirt makes it a versatile piece to outfit. The satin effect brings to life the beautiful water coloured print that is easy to pair back or layer with denim and other colours of the season.
This is a perfect go-to easy daywear piece. The subtle colour texture of the knit fabric and simple shape makes this a firm favourite from the new collection.