Stalked: Sylvia, Fashion Designer, Anderst

Sylvia has been an internationally renowned fashion stylist, costume designer and consultant for celebrities, films and design houses. After graduating with a Masters Degree in Fashion and Fine Art in Germany, she was invited to work for German Vogue,which led her to New York and a future in the Fashion and Advertising world. She is known for her elegant, refined and sophisticated eye for style, which she has developed through her years as a staple in the fashion industry. I stumbled across this designer recently when doing a spot of Christmas wish list shopping for myself, one of my favourite pieces which certainly made the cut was her Morla Alrun Sweater, a casual sweater made of a brushed mink cashmere wool mix, with a soft cowl mock neck hand sewn in New York with French seam finishing. Yum!! (First pictured).

I caught up with her over email from New York to find out more about her brand and how she started.

Why did you decide to get into fashion? 

It was less a decision than growing into it, a result of my childhood coming from a family of makers and creators. As a little girl my mother made my clothes and handed down her knowledge, while my Painter father taught me the vision, colors and many techniques, which I translated early on into fashion.

What is your latest collection about?

Morla is the name of the ancient all-knowing turtle in "the never ending story". You see a lot of turtle necks :) and cozy pieces that feel like a warm protective shell to crawl into, while projecting a timeless elegance to the outside. I love the comfort of sweaters and sweat pants, but almost never wear them, so I create clothes that feel like that second skin. It is important to forget, what you are wearing, once out of the house. If I have to tend to my wardrobe all day long adjusting, I will never wear that piece again. 

What inspires you?

the beauty of inspiration is, that it can linger behind every corner. The importance is to let your self be inspired, to be open and receptive to all your surroundings. Sometimes it is a colour combination, sometimes a smell, another time the perception of a garment, that someone is wearing, a sort of fatamorgana as a result of my short sightedness, the actual outfit on the person mixed with my imagination. 

Who are your favourite designer at the moment? 

Always Ann Demeulemeester. Further Haider Ackermann and Sonja Rykiel, A.F. Vaandevorst 

What has been you best moment since starting up your brand?

my first store sale. After finally convincing the store to sell my clothes, they placed a modest order to try things out and they almost sold out that very same weekend and had to place another order!  

Five items you can't live without?

ice cream, plants, Miss Julie facial potion, pen and paper, and I have to admit, my iPhone