DESIGNER: Andrea Spratt
Tell us what inspired you to create your own brand? It happened organically. I was making costumes for a circus group I was involved in and my designs started to create a buzz. Kucoon developed as a brand and I had a solid clientele base over a couple years of designing. I eventually had clientele and recognition to start a solid line.
What is your personal style? Bohemian/ baroque … showing just enough, an innocent type of flirt, a dramatic sleeve on simple t-shirt dress, long flowing skirts with ruffles, hoods which add an element of mystery, comfortable jersey cotton fabrics that flow and fit on the body comfortably.
Who is your target customer? What is their style and lifestyle? A woman with a busy schedule, successful and personable, well adapted, travels, can be a bit of a tom boy but still has sex appeal, women ages 20-40. Physically fit and involved in all parts of her spiritual, physical, emotional, and social being.
When did you know fashion was what you wanted to do for a living? When I would get lost in the creative process in a way in which I have never been able to do with anything else I have been involved in. I would look forward to coming home and working next to my sewing machine, I would spend hours and not even be aware of the time. It came so naturally, and I could not have asked for a more ideal career path for myself.
What was your biggest challenge getting to where you are now? Understanding the business of fashion.
How do you find inspiration for your collection? I think about the balance of what I can get away with as well as still remaining practical. I people watch and see what women look the most confident in. I look at the design and see how I would rework it. A lot of my inspiration comes from what my clientele needs- what they are craving and I always make sure that it is also comfortable.
How did you come up with the name of your brand? It’s pretty simple when you think of a cucoon (the womb in which beauty is created) and then there is the butterfly… it was a perfect for what I wanted to achieve with my line. Misspelling cucoon with the “K” represents my tendency to be a bit rebellious in the creative process.
What’s your strategy to make your brand stand out among other brands? I add detailing to pieces where you wouldn’t always expect it to be. I also use a jersey knit material with an elegant design which isn’t typically done.
If you can give any advice to young entrepreneurs, what would you tell them? Don’t take risks you can’t recover from.
Are you planning anything exciting for your brand for 2012? If I plan too much it loses momentum, I like to keep it spontaneous.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kucoongirl
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kucoondesigns
