Tamsin Cooper - Designer Profile

Tell us about your label
Tamsin Cooper luxury fashion accessories and clothing are designed in my Boutique Showroom in The Creative Hub of Moray Place, Dunedin, New Zealand and are exquisitely hand-made in Vietnam. Tamsin Cooper designs are created from divine silks and luxe silk velvets many of which are hand dyed and then beautifully hand embroidered and hand beaded in intricately beautiful detail.

How, why and when did you get involved in the fashion industry.
I began the Tamsin Cooper label in 2003 from my home in Arrowtown, New Zealand with just a small range of women's silk wallets and coin purses.
A holiday to Vietnam in 2002 inspired me to design products using exquisite hand embroidered detail perfected by age old techniques in the villages of northern Vietnam.
Since 2003 my range has grown to include an extensive range of fashion accessories and clothing, which over the last few years has gained national media acclaim.

What do you love about working in the fashion industry on a day to day basis?
I find it incredibly rewarding to be working daily with a wonderful creative team and with our colleagues in Vietnam as their culture and craftsmanship is constantly enriching and inspiring.
It is also a joy to receive wonderful feedback from our retailers and customers about our products, it just makes our day!

What is the downside to working in the fashion industry?
The constant deadlines of either launching a new season or designing another can be stressful. Also when logistics such as couriers and the weather halt production, the whole world stops and this can be frustrating. However there is always a silver lining and on a snow day (which Dunedin often has), we are often forced to take the day off and play in the snow.

Who are your favourite designers and who or what are your influences
I am influenced and inspired by designers and fashions of the past, the extravagance of hand embroidery in the 17th and 18th Century and the beautiful creations of designers such as Lanvin.  Travelling through Europe and Vietnam, reading books, watching movies, and as always botanicals.  I’m obsessed with books about flowers.  I am also finding interiors particularly inspiring at the moment.

How would you describe your range for the coming season?
I am so excited by the rich, dramatic colours and textures of this new season’s winter range.  I have five design stories – Peacock, Frida Rose, Clematis, Rosette and Poppy all of which make a statement in style.  Rich velvets are exquisitely hand embroidered with the most intricate detail.  Sparkling sequins, light catching metallic threads and beautiful beadwork adorn my extensive range of elegant purses, travel bags, scarves and accessories.  These stunning, sophisticated and timeless winter accessories are a must have in any stylish woman’s wardrobe

What are your plans for the future?
This has already been a big year for Tamsin Cooper.  As well as this new season winter range, I have just finished filming a new TV series on TVNZ7 called ‘Hearts in Crafts’ which I am very proud of.  We have a fabulous relationship with The Royal New Zealand ballet that we are continuing to foster and as well as that, next year I celebrate 10 years in the fashion business, so there is a lot to look forward to.

What items can you not live with out
I simply can not live without my black sequinned Clematis Bucket Shoulder Bag.  It’s big enough for everything I need during the day but is so eye catching that it carries me through if I need to go out of an evening too.  It also looks brilliant if I team it with any one of my luxurious velvet wraps.