Pearl Lowe is a remarkable lady; Mother of four children (Daisy ~ internationally sought after catwalk model ~ Alfie, Frankie and Betty) and Wife of Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey. Ex lead-singer for a band called Powder, she has had her fair share of the celebrity life style experience, mixing with some of the best known names in the music and fashion industries. But such lifestyles can become exhausting, and Pearl very bravely exposed this in her recent book, All That Glitters.
These days, Pearl lives in a beautiful country house with her Husband and children, spending her time designing glamorous vintage style dresses. And she is busy. Very busy, designing not only for high-street brand Peacocks, but also for her own main line of vintage inspired, antique lace dresses, under her namesake label, Pearl Lowe.
I got chatting with Pearl recently, and found someone so warm and
affectionate, keen to compliment me on my family (our 4 year old
daughters were born only a day apart from each other) and my Blog; "it's an inspiration!" she said.
I wanted to take a look at Pearl's latest collection, which sees Lowe evolve both her vision and passion for her
signature fabric ~ lace ~ perfected through her successful interiors
line and accomplishments in the fashion industry. The collection overall has a gorgeous vintage, feminine feel. Pearl's Daughter Daisy models below…
All Imagery Copyright (c) 2010, Pearl Lowe
Imagery kindly provided by Gemma Hunt of Hello Unity
The collection reflects Pearl's vintage style, with seven glamorous and exquisitely cut pieces. Long sleeves, raised hemlines and subtle
frills create a dark, sexy yet sophisticated look. Each style is
beautifully unique and all items are hand-made.
Pearl told me…
"I started my career as a
singer, but was always hugely into design. When we bought our Camden
house in 2001, I couldn't find curtains to fit my pink bathroom, so I
dyed a piece of old lace bright pink and hung them.
All my friends
started asking me to make them for their houses, then The Cross in Nottinghill gate put in an order, then Elle Decoration featured them
& they became a business.
The same happened with the dresses; I had
given birth to my daughter Betty and couldn't find anything nice to fit
my fuller figure, so I asked a dress maker to make up some dresses. They looked so good, some friends asked whether I could make some for
them, then The Cross (LINK) asked to stock them…"
"The first collection sold out
in days, and now four years later I am designing for the high street
store Peacocks. Peacocks
is a full time job, I have to produce five collections a year, so right
now I am only selling my Pearl Lowe mainline collection on my website or through Kokon to Zai
in Greek Street".
I asked Pearl what inspired her and if she had a muse that she focused on when designing…
"Things like antique markets and
shops, vintage fairs, old fashioned movies, things from the past. Daisy is my muse, because she is what I would
love to look like in my clothes. Sadly, I can't always wear the things I
create…"
“Following on from the success of my first collections I
wanted to develop an even edgier look. I feel the classic glamour of
the new range captures the elegance of a bygone age whilst remaining
sexy and understated. The movie stars of the 70’s and 40’s provided the
inspiration for a range that shows the versatility and exquisiteness of
velvet and lace”.
And so you will find touches from the 1970’s in Pearl's new range,
inspired by screen sirens of the era such as Lauren Hutton. This look
is blended with her signature 1940’s influence, which remains a key
creative starting point for Pearl. Pearl has also introduced velvet into her range with the “Ruby” dress
(below left). The velvet sits beautifully with the all black lace
dresses, creating a sense of drama and elegance.
Pearl has also drawn
inspiration from her extensive personal vintage clothing collection…
All the lace used in Pearl's designs is antique lace, sourced from vintage outlets and custom dyed,
meaning the range is 100% ethical, and Pearl works closely with a
skilled dressmaker who helps to realise her vision. The dresses range from sophisticated glamour for evening through to a flirtatious look for more informal occasions…
I asked Pearl what her plans for the future were…
"I have a 3 year contract with Peacocks, so I am hoping that during that time, I can bring a lot of
class to the value market. The Spring/Summer collection looks amazing,
with lots of vintage crepe dresses & cardigans & some lace too."
I think Pearl, you can be sure of that. Lucky for me that I have a Peacocks nearby too!
Visit Peacocks, where the Pearl Lowe collection can be purchased for between £35 – £45. The Pearl Lowe main line collection is available in Kokon to
Zai and the Pearl Lowe website – or email [email protected]. Dresses, which are all handmade, cost between £495 and £995.
Be sure to also order Pearl's book All That Glitters
…
Thanks so much Pearl for sharing these details with me. I wish you all the very best with your Peacocks collections and your main line collection too (I'm hoping to be the proud owner of a Pearl Lowe lace number very soon!).
Much love,
♥
Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
