I caught up with Sini Moilanen of Tramp in Disguise on the first day of her stand here at Freemasons’ Hall. After rushing to prepare her collection for exhibition, she took a minute to chat to me about the inspiration behind her designs and why she loves creating such striking pieces.
Sini began her artistic journey studying Textile Design, continuing with a Masters in Fashion Knitwear. Beginning her own label seemed like the perfect step forward in order to channel her wild ideas.
How did you come up with the catchy name for your brand?
It actually came from a friend of mine who once described me as a tramp in disguise. I loved this idea and found it very funny so I guess the name just stuck.
What inspired your latest collection?
It began with the volcanic eruption in Iceland, which gave me tons of ideas for my clothing. The collection sprang from the story of the beautiful and tempestuous Pele, Goddess of Volcanoes. I wanted to capture her fire and magic and translate this through modern design.
Is this what influenced the strong colour palette?
Yes, the graphic prints symbolise volcanic eruption and fire, whilst I created some pieces in light greys to signify ash clouds. I used seismograph print on some of the pieces to echo the effects of earthquakes following an eruption.
What about the shapes of your designs?
I prefer flowing silhouettes and introduced cut-out pieces on some pieces (such as the cropped cardigans) which represent the craters left behind in the earth after a volcano.
Sini wants to see her brand grow and grow so she can continue to present her strongly inspired creations to the fashion industry.
Words: Tess Stam
Photography: Nicole Trundle
Photography: Nicole Trundle