LOVER
Lover is one of my favourite Australian labels. Their 10 year anniversary show last year took my breath away – as the looks came down the runaway it seemed that the Lover girl had grown up into a self assured , sexy but polished woman who hasn’t lost her romantic side. Lover has continued to be completely lust worthy with sharply tailored jackets , silk shirts , short hemlines and of course, their trademark lace dresses. If Lover is one of my favourite labels, Nic and Susien are some of my favourite people – Nic never ceases to make me laugh ’till it hurts and Susien is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. They have just released a collection of all white lace dresses from the best of their archives titled “White Magick”. I asked them a few questions…
Tanja Gacic: The White Magick collection showcases the ‘best of ‘ Lover’s lace archives. White has had a resurgence in the past few years as an everyday/everyway colour. Is white pure and naughty at the same time? A girl in white is?
Nic & Susien : A girl in white is innocence personified, for us there is always an underlying tension that she is on the cusp of crossing over to a woman – an awakening.
TG: I love how the Lover girl is sexy, strong but mysterious and fragile at the same time. Do you feel she has evolved and matured with you?
N&S : She has definitely matured, as designers you need to keep pushing and looking forward, it is not enough to tick lace off the checklist each season, the silhouette, the attitude and the muse need to evolve constantly. The release of ‘White Magick’ archive styles was in part a visceral reminder to appreciate the past, but to keep looking forward with each collection…
TG: Your relationship is amazing, you are partners in every sense and you have one of the sweetest and longest running romantic relationships in the fashion industry. What do you like /dislike most about each other?
N&S : We are genuinely propelled by a combined desire to explore both our creativity and business chops – however uncomfortable that might be – we support each other in that process. All relationships have ups and downs, but honesty, laughter and love are like the scaffolding.
Susien : Beyond his sometimes prickly sarcastic exterior, Nic is a genuinely compassionate and talented person, being around him makes me want to be a better person.
Nic : If Susien could slay the demons that make her turn up late to everything, she would be perfect.
TG: What are you reading/watching right now?
N&S : I think we have developed really poor attention spans. We cant get past watching 30 – 60 mins of anything without falling asleep. So now we stick to the TV series.
“Breaking Bad”, “Delocated”, “Game Of Thrones” and the brilliant new series ‘GIRLS’.
In terms of reading, there are a pile of books beside my bed that are all in different stages of being read, ‘Blue Nights’ by Joan Didion, ‘Then Again’ by Diane Keaton and the latest issue of ‘Gentlewoman’.
TG:If you were reincarnated as a woman in any era which one would you like to be and why? (Nic), If you were reincarnated as a man in any era -II-? (susien)
Nic : Patti Smith when she arrived in NYC. Because she was pure creativity, street tough and she rolled with some of the most original artists who all pushed each other to go further.
Susien : Yves Saint Laurent when he partnered with Pierre Berge and began to create the YSL empire.
TG: If you had a magic wand which aspect of the fashion industry would you change?
N&S: People spend far too much time trying to ‘PR’ a product, rather than learning their craft and making the product be the best it can be.
TG: If you won a billion dollars in the lottery what would be the first 3 things you would do?
N&S: 1. Give to people, children and animals in need.
2. Travel to each corner of the globe,
3. Study/learn a new skill
TG: What gets you excited?
N&S: When opposites attract. When 2 things that shouldn’t work together in a traditional sense work perfectly. A mix tape of Chopin and Metallica, Lace and PVC, industrial metal in a beautiful white gallery space. Theres something about these 2 things rubbing against one another that creates something new. A different direction.
TG: What is next for Lover?
N&S: A few projects in the pipeline, we have seen the industry change so much in 10 years and are excited and intrigued to see where it goes with changes in technology, media/communication and manufacturing.
White Magick is in stores now
