Designer DETAIL - Manning Cartell
Sisters of Style - Manning Cartell prepare to hit the A/W catwalk.
Launching their critically acclaimed first collection for the 2006 Autumn/Winter season, the three sisters behind Manning Cartell have quickly built an empire and a household name. This trio has a wealth of fashion knowledge between them, having previously flexed their design muscles with a multitude of Australian fashion staples including high street Marcs and Seduce, to fashionista favourites Sass and Bide and Lisa Ho. This experience shines through in their bold and innovative collections, which they refer to as “a reflection of three different personalities.”
Sydney-side
Growing up in sunny Hervey Bay on QLD’s central coast, teenaged sisters Cheryl, Vanessa and Gabrielle Manning moved to the creative hub of Sydney to pursue tertiary educations, all three gravitating towards the fields of fashion design, photography and visual arts.
After obtaining a diploma in Dramatic Arts at the Ensemble Studios in North Sydney, Cheryl quickly decided that her true interest lay with fashion design and went on to complete a diploma in pattern making, draping and design at Wiska Listwans Haute Couture Academy, as well as a diploma in design at East Sydney. Gabrielle and Vanessa followed the path set by their older sister, both completing diplomas in Design, Pattern making, Photography and Marketing at the School of Visual Arts.
15 years later, these three sisters possess a weight of experience in the Australian fashion industry having spent time at leading Australian labels in the areas of production, design, operations and general management.
Multiple Personalities
The Manning Cartell collections are a combination of the personalities of the sisters. Aimed at women in their early twenties to mid-thirties, Manning Cartell is for women with style and confidence who want a label they can rely on for beautiful fabrications, consistent quality and a great fit, that are accessible to all fashion lovers alike.
“Generally speaking, the girl we imagine is young, playful, feminine and slightly ostentatious,” says Cheryl. “We made a conscious decision when creating Manning Cartell to try and achieve a designer label with varying price points that are more attainable to a wider range of people.”
A Paddo Favourite
November 2006 saw the opening of the Manning Cartell flagship store in Sydney’s bustling suburb, Paddington. The sophisticated and chic boutique is already a favourite stop along Oxford Street, where Manning Cartell fans can select their favourite pieces from each range in its entirety.
Having enjoyed this recent move into retail, the girls have just opened their second boutique located on Level 1 in Sydney’s Strand Arcade, and are busily planning “to open Manning Cartell boutiques in a few key locations in Australia and generally look at expanding the distribution internationally.” Cheryl says.
So, what is the key to such success? Cheryl believes it’s partly due to keeping it in the family: “For us it has been great keeping things in the family. We compliment each other with our very different strengths and the support we have from family not even directly involved in the business has been extraordinary.”
Horizontal Society
The Manning Cartell label moves into the Autumn/Winter 08 season by taking a glance back in time to create “Horizontal Society”. Inspired by the idea of ‘Art Noveau meets the 21St century,’ shapes are kept modern and simple but with a subtle emphasis on embellishment.
Luxe touches of leather and sequin embroidery feature throughout this inspired collection, with deco motifs and nouveau charm shining through in copper and bronze tones, reminiscent of Egyptian and Oriental art.
This winter is about modern wearability but with more than a touch of decadence. Now entering its third year, Manning Cartell’s lovingly detailed and unashamedly feminine signature aesthetic makes it a label to watch.
The A/W 08 collection will be available in store from January 2008. You can also see Manning Cartell hit the catwalk at the Loreal Melboure Fashion Festival in March, click here for a runway show schedule. More information on the label is available at www.manningcartell.com, or click here to see more of Horizontal Society.
Manning Cartell Boutiques
110 Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney
& Level 1, Shop 65-67, The Strand Arcade, Sydney
412-414 George Street, Sydney
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