Glamour got to chat to emerging fashion designer Kayla Stam on being selected as one of the designers creating a unique piece inspired by Comforts luxury fabric conditioner’s seven variants – Heavenly Nectar, Morning Fresh, Divine Petals, Elegance Uplifting, Lily and Pure.
Glamour:What sparked your interest in fashion?
Kayla Stam: My interest in fashion sparked from a very young age. Seeing my mother get dressed for work every day was a huge inspiration, it’s one of the reasons I’m so drawn to work’ office wear. Sundays were also a big fashion day in our family as we all went to church and let’s just say the term “Sunday Best” was taken very seriously.
G: Describe what you felt when Comfort South Africa approached you to be involved with their campaign?
KS:The campaign felt very authentic to me because I exclusively use Comfort to care for my garments; I enjoy many of the scents, and it’s my first layer of the fragrance before applying perfume when I leave the house.
G:What was your design process for this? From concept to execution.
KS:The design process started with the bottle and then the scent. I drew colours from the bottle and I immediately knew that I wanted the colour to be bold yet calming. I sketched a mermaid-shaped dress with a plunging neckline and added our signature bows at the shoulders. I knew that I wanted the fabric to be extremely soft to the touch so I went with a satin that has a beautiful swirl print. We infused the scent with the fabric before cutting the pattern pieces and created what you now see at the EGG store in Rosebank.
G:Being an emerging fashion brand, what has this collaboration with Comfort South Africa meant to you?
KS: A collaboration with a brand like Comfort South Africa is a great stamp of approval for me. There are many talented designers in the industry and I’m grateful that I was chosen to be part of this challenge.
G:What are your aspirations for your brand?
KS:My aspiration for Kayla Stam is to make it more accessible to the shopper. We currently have a location at the V&A Watershed, we supply boutiques in Sandton City, Menlyn, and Mall of Africa. I want the brand to be available to the customer wherever she shops. Local sneaker brands have been able to expand in that way, I think fashion can do the same.
G:Where can our readers view your dress?
KS:At the We Are EGG store in Rosebank Mall.
G:Any words of wisdom for aspiring fashion designers?
KS:Fashion is an incredibly challenging industry; it’s really important to be consistent and continuously work on the quality of your garments. Many designers tend to start, stop then start up again but that makes you lose credibility with the customer. Continuously push yourself and take customer feedback very seriously, they will dictate which designs will become your staple products.
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