Lookbook: Celeste Tesoriero
Plus, we speak with Celeste about the collection and her favourite places to travel.
Australian designer Celeste Tesoriero has debuted her self-titled label with an AW13 collection 'Riders On The Storm'. The cool collection reflects Celeste's personal style, which she has developed while working with international labels over the past five years. The lookbook is modern geisha meets sportswear combining delicate silks and gridiron t-shirt mesh. The collection features new spins on cute classics including the baseball jacket, tennis dress and (the best ever) onesies. The leather pieces and gangsta gun prints add an edgy cowboy touch. Celeste has also handcrafted a line of jewellery that melds raw crystals with geometric metal casings. We caught up with her about developing the clothing and jewellery designs.
Dijana Kumurdian: You've had previous design for other labels. What was it like designing your own collection?
Celeste Tesoriero: It's a big breath of fresh air! Having the opportunity to designs for other labels was great and I would not be doing what I'm doing right now without my previous experience. This label is 100% me and reflects what I want to do and where I want to go. At the same time, it is quite overwhelming to do a complete range without having anyone else's opinion to guide me. When I finished the range I couldn't help thinking "Is this rad, or am I just frigging tripping out?!". Asking the opinions of trusted friends definitely helped with that!
Our current issue is about the Internet, how important do you think blogging is to the current fashion industry?
Some blogs are really authentic and individual. Some are purely visual and some, to be honest, are complete crap. High profile fashion bloggers hold important stakes in the industry at the moment and can be a great tool for a label to access the masses. Blogging has also given a whole new meaning to term "fast fashion" and has put some heavy pressure on the timelines of design. People want something as soon as they see it, and if you don't meet their demand right away they just lose interest.
Do bloggers influence you? And if so, is there anyone in particular?
When I trawl the net, I usually Google things like "crazy amazing things in space" or bid on opals, so I wouldn't say bloggers influence me. I don't spend much time looking at them and usually just stick to blogs of people I know in the real world to see what they are up to and where in the world they are at the time. In saying this, I don't disregard the presence of bloggers in the industry, I think what they do isgreat, and they definitely have a place and part in the evolution of where things are going.
Your style is an amalgam of different cultures. What inspires your looks?
My style is inspired by the places I visit and I tend to dress relative to wherever I happen to be at the time. When I went to Austria to do the Sound of Music tour a few of years ago, I found myself sporting pigtail plaits out of nowhere. When I hit London, I was hanging around Piccadilly circus a lot and I found myself wearing a hand-knitted clown face jumper because the word 'circus' had leaked into my subconscious. I wouldn't be vibing on that anywhere else!
We hear you're something of a traveller. What's your favourite place in the world?
Japan! I have only been for a few days but as soon as I was off the plane I felt as if I could live there forever. It's the only place where I felt 100% comfortable wearing all my favourite things at once, even though they made no sense together. Elbow length bright pink leather gloves with a shredded shirtdress, a fur shawl wrapped around me and cracked leather studded biker boots with a vintage aviator hat. No one blinked an eye and I had never been so happy in my heart!
Without sounding like a complete tripper, I think my favourite place would be Mongolia, even though I haven't had the pleasure of visiting yet. If it were possible, I would head there, grab a horse, and ride off into the mountains in head-to-toe traditional threads never to be seen again!
What's your favourite trend for 2013?
I'm really digging the oversized silhouettes that labels such as Cynthia Rowely are working with right now. I'm always a fan of oversized shapes, and they will always make an appearance in my collection no matter what the trend. I'm hoping it catches on, then people might stop telling me to designing body-con dresses (which is pretty damn exciting).
Introduction: Lucy Jones
Interview: Dijana Kumurdian
Photography credit: Adrian Price
