Katie and Peter at the front of The Collection, currently one of London's trendiest restraunts, located next door to The Library, and our venue for the interview
When we recruited rapidly rising young designer Katie Eary as one of our Superstore judges, it was her striking menswear (and recently, womenswear) and list of exciting upcoming collaborations that won us over. But it turns out she has another farfetch.com connection – Peter Sidell, the man behind directional South Kensington boutique
The Library. So we sat them down to find out about Katie’s history with the London store, what she has planned for 2012, and her and Peter’s shared love of some secret Chelsea hot-spots. Here’s the conversation that ensued…
Farfetch.com: So how did you two meet?
Peter: I used to teach Katie at the Royal College of Art. I still teach there, I’ve been there about…
Katie: Fifty years! (Laughs)
Peter: About twelve years maybe more.
Katie and Peter get chatting in Collection
Katie: I actually went into The Library years ago, before I met you Peter. A guy I knew had said to me ‘You have to go to this shop, it’s amazing’. Then I went in and realised that this was Peter Sidell’s shop. Peter is my mentor, and he helped me rescue my label when I’d lost my way a bit. He really taught me to understand, that in order to have longevity for your brand, and yourself, you can’t keep giving stuff away because people will take anything if you’re offering it and it wears you out.
Peter: In the beginning you were giving a lot of yourself away. People are greedy and they will take the sparkle from new designers, because they want it for themselves. It’s like you’re onstage all the time. I think it’s too much, and that’s what I’ve tried to make you see. You’ve got a good energy about you now. You’ve got people looking and acknowledging your work, looking beyond what they see on the catwalk.
Katie amongst her creations
Katie: Yeah they’re starting to see a commerciality, but mostly people come to me because they see the excitement of my collection. And I’ve never compromised.
Peter: That’s good that you held tight on that. It’s the best way to be. These people have started looking at your mind. And I think that’s the way that designers are going to have to be to succeed now. It’s not just about putting clothes on a rail. Look back in time, the designers you’ll remember always did more, they did interiors and houses and film shoots. I think it’s time for that to happen again. That’s why I did The Library – because I wanted to do my own thing.
The Library
Katie: I know you had a shop beforehand that was really famous.
Peter: I was a partner in these really successful stores in the Seventies and Eighties called Jones. We were like this really cool store…
Katie: For the man about town
Peter: I bought the first collections by people like Galliano. I was doing really well really young. But I was developing design skills, and I sort of fell out of love having so many shops, living out of a bag basically. So I just upped and left and walked away. Then I went to Joseph and designed a menswear collection. I seem to touch things and they seem to do alright so..
Katie: You thought, I’ve had the success, now I want to do something on my own?
Peter: Exactly, and work with designers at the beginning of their career. We also had £50,000 worth of books in stock for the first few years. It was a way of showing people how designers get inspired.
Some of the books that still reside in The Library
Katie: And now you stock some incredible designers, like Carol Christian Poell, which is exclusive to your store in the UK , and it’s weird, people must camp out in the street or something, waiting for his new pieces coming in. Because within days, all these £15,000 jackets are gone.
Peter: It’s true, and I’m working with things that I like, products I’ve sweated over and thought about.
Katie: Like those amazing Kohzo jeans, they’re made out of bamboo and canvas, and bamboo resin, and they age so amazingly. Those two are my favourites probably. And I was only introduced to those labels because of The Library, I’d have never heard of them otherwise.
Peter: What about your own designs, what are you up to?
A previous collection from Katie
Katie: I’ve been really inspired by Narnia lately, probably because of the glass door in the shop (The Library). It looks like part of the wall and then it opens and that’s how you get upstairs. And one of my assistants came in, and said ‘Oh it’s just like going into Narnia isn’t it.’ And I thought ‘I’m having that’. So I’m all Narnia-esque next season. Though it’s like the dark side of the fairytale.
Peter: You’re on the dark side of Narnia? As a choice or because that’s easier to get a bit of dimension to your designs?
Katie: Because it’s part of the story Peter!
Peter: Yeah, but I’d have gone for the goodies!
Katie: Hang on, you don’t even know what’s actually happening! The show starts, and you have these almost hawk-like pieces, that have that hard edge, all hoods and hats and darkness. Then as it goes on, it graduates to the good side and the girl models will come out all beautiful - the white witches. There you go, I’ve covered it all. At least I can talk about this. Most of what I do is so secretive. At the moment I’m working with two very incredible people, one of whom I’ve already worked for so you probably already know. ( at farfetch.com we’re going to hazard a guess this is Kanye West) And the other one, you’ll find out this month, I really can’t tell anyone, I signed a contract and everything, but it’s a superstar!
Peter: So everything is really coming together for you. 2012 is vast!
Fafetch.com: So when you finally get some down-time Katie, where do you and Peter like to meet up in South Kensington?
Chelsea's Bibendum's coffee and Michelin Building
Peter: We love our coffee at Bibendums, right by the Michelin Building, a really historic landmark. We’ve had some lovely times there actually. We get happy, stare at the flowers.
Katie: While I hope and pray that somebody will buy me some. Oh and the Chelsea Arts Club too.
Peter: Oh we LOVE the Chelsea Arts Club. We’ve had some mad times there.
Katie: Peter’s a member, you can’t get in otherwise. And you can’t apply for membership, you just have to be given it. It’s full of the most incredible people and artwork.
The Chelsea Arts Club, in this picture displaying a controversial mural by Jatin Das
Peter: It’s one of the oldest clubs in London. I’ve been a member for about twenty years, and it really is all about the art. You’ll see sculptures, paintings, installations. It’s great for Katie because it just shows you that that there is a world of these mad, inspiring people and they’re all socialising.
Katie: People talk about London’s biggest secret, and they always talk about really shit places, I really think this place is London’s best kept secret. It’s incredible, all candle-lit and nicely laid-out, big grand tables all close together.
Peter: A special place.
What a lovely note to leave things on.