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Exclusive interview with award-winning designer Noelle Adam

Posted by Chantelle on Wed 28th April 2010 at 11:59 AM, Filed in Fashion Designers

It’s true maxi dresses are gorgeous and they are back for a second round, swirling away in your mind along with the new leather sandal, and the cutaway bikini the maxi dress appears this season in a multitude of fabrics and prints from crisp white cottons, to flowery chiffons and denims. This should be enough to allow you to endure and get through the British summer without any doubt! However, if the desire to hit the high street is uninspiring then you should look no further than Noelle Adam, the Dutch designer who was named one of the winners of the Dubai Fashion Week’s Emerging Talent Competition in 2009, as she has now created her own amazing label. After working as a barrister in Amsterdam for ten years Noelle decided to pursue her dream and graduated from the UK Fashion Institute, with a Diploma in Fashion Design. Noelle’s passion and creativity caught my eye when I had the chance to browse her extraordinary collection when I attended her UK press day at Sketch a few weeks ago. I managed to catch Noelle for a quick coffee and interview, here’s how it went.

Noelle at Dubai Fashion Week last year

TopStylista - You mentioned you draw inspiration from historical costumes, who do you think would be your historical fashion icon?

Noelle Adam - I am inspired by historical costumes and historical times like the Victorian and Edwardian era. For example my Majestic Maxi dress was inspired by those times with high necklines and very nice rich textured fabrics. A typical historical icon that inspired me was “Marie-Antoinette” with her vivid & extravagant sweet colored costumes and her beautifully decorated necklaces.

TS - If you were left stranded on a desert island what fabrics and material would you take with you and what would you create?

NA - If I would be left stranded on a desert island and I couldn’t bring anything else I would definitely bring some raw unprocessed Cotton and some of my cotton lace,
the thread of unprocessed cotton is easier to separate because it is woven in a loose way. I would rip it apart and I would use it to make a Pareo which is a wrap around maxi dress and a hairband (nice and cool). I would create shaded areas with it by tying it around tree branches and bushes. I could make it into a net and try and catch fish. I could use it to separate the water from the dirt or clean the water of a coconut by letting it run through the cotton as a filter. The cotton lace I would use to braid branches and leafs and I could make it into a roof or mattress for under the shade of a tree. I could also use the lace to tie over my eyes as a sunshade. I could rip it into long narrow pieces and use it as a belt and I could tie it around my feet like bandages to protect them from the sun, rocks and heat.

TS - When you’re not designing, what are you doing?

NA - When I am not designing (that is difficult to imagine because the process of designing is always active, being inspired by everyday life) I am sharing my privileged life with my lovely 9 year old daughter called Beau and my rock/soul mate, husband Mark, dividing our time between Phuket, Thailand and Verbier, Switzerland. Besides them I love wandering around vivid daily markets exploring different fabrics, and beads to embellish my designs with

TS - Name one of the main inspirations behind your favourite maxi dress design.

NA - My favourite Maxi Dress is the Flower Bomb. This bottle green dress is full of handmade butterflies and flowers. For this dress I was inspired by the many fantastic butterflies and flowers that are growing in our beautiful tropical garden in Phuket. I have seen some really stunning big butterflies. You couldn’t even imagine they existed! With the Flower Bomb Maxi dress I wanted to create a comfortable dress that gives you the special feeling of being in nature surrounded by rare butterflies and perfumed flowers. It’s a very exclusive dress with lots of detail and handmade decoration stitched on in a random manner.

TS - Close your eyes, open them, what’s the first thing you see? And, what inspiration would you take from it to design a garment?

NA - While I am answering these questions I am in a Hotel in Amsterdam, stranded on my way back to Phuket because of the Icelandic ash-cloud. I close my eyes and open them and I see a painting of a shipwreck with the steering wheel of the still there. Inspired by the round steering wheel I would create a Black Maxi Dress that would have half of the wheel as decoration in the neckline of the dress. Four straps would go from the decollate area to the neckline to be divided into two and tied around the neck. I love to create dresses that already have connected/stitched necklaces to create a complete look.

TS - If you had to use something from the natural world to create a dress what would it be and why?

NA - If I had to use something from the natural world to create a dress I would use the big banana tree leaves from our garden in Phuket. Every time my husband uses them to barbecue fish in I think: “wow, these leaves are fantastic and so strong”. They are beautifully shaped and really big, almost a meter in length and 30 cm wide. With a vibrant green colour and are nice and soft. If I would have 12 of them and a piece of rope I could tie them around my body and create… hurrah…a banana tree leaf Maxi dress.

TS - If you had a pair of ruby slippers where would you click to go to?

NA - If I had a pair of Ruby slippers where would I click to go to…. well, at the moment I would click to go straight back to Thailand to be back with my little family and my three Persian cats (almost 4 because of a recently arrived new stray). Although born and raised in the Netherlands I adore the Thai warm weather, I adore wearing (day after day) my own Maxi Dresses while wearing comfortable leather flip flops, jumping on our scooters and being 2 minutes from the beach. And while I click my ruby slippers I could perhaps also do it for other people because so many more are stranded here, wanting to go back to Thailand.

TS - We are surrounded by glamorous style icons, in your opinion who is the most unlikely style icon?

NA - In my opinion the most unlikely style Icon is Lady Gaga. She is in the news over and over again in extravagant over-the-top outfits that are highly unwearable and give the impression of being very uncomfortable for her. I rather see style Icons in wearable classy outfits that reflect timeless style. Like Carla Sarkosy-Bruni, elegant, classy, effortless and comfortable.

TS – Thanks Noelle for sparing us some of your precious time, we know you’re an incredibly busy lady these days! Here are some of our favourite pieces from Noelle’s new maxi dress collection:

African drums introduce a really big trend for this summer, whether it’s the utilitarian look of Safari with khakis and browns or the tribal influences with loud feline prints this maxi hits the spot.

Team this maxi dress with chunky necklaces or gold and wooden jewellery think natural colours and textures. Add a pair of leather or jewelled gladiator sandals to complete the look. If you’re looking for extra support then try shoulder straps instead of the halter neck a la Kate Moss.

This perfect maxi number is ideal for that cocktail hour, if you want to cover up you could try wearing it with a belted blazer as seen on Aquascutum, or by simply adding a jewelled belt.

This dress is perfect for those with a petite frame, look at your prints carefully so as you don’t look swamped. However, these vertical lines will elongate your figure and by choosing something that is fitted will be more flattering. You could also accessorise it with a fitted waistcoat add an oversized bag and this seasons large sunglasses to bring everything into proportion.

Ideal for anyone with a boyish figure as the bandeau style top will add more shape to your top half, while the intricate neckline will bring the eye up to your face, add a gorgeous pair of long earrings and a narrow waist belt.