Hillary Taymour. Image Courtesy of Collina Strada.
Since its inception, Collina Strada has transcended mere fashion, becoming a movement that intertwines sustainability, inclusivity, and creativity. The face behind it is Hillary Taymour, who founded her brand as a platform to create a sense of community. Collina Strada directly translates to hill road in Italian, reflecting the brand’s core of an endless journey of exploration with its vision going beyond designing clothes; it’s about fostering connections and conversations, challenging norms, and celebrating individuality. With its transparent demeanor of not claiming to be fully sustainable in a world of consumerism, Collina Strada’s answer to the complexities of the world is translated into a visual language that is colourful and loud.
Now, Collina Strada has teamed up with Desigual for a collaboration that lets a creative interplay happen between two partners that already share similar visions. Titled Metamorphosister, the collection not only unites both brands’ aesthetics but also emphasizes their shared values of sustainability by using mainly recycled or organic fabrics.
SLEEK talked to Hillary Taymour about finding common grounds with Desigual, the Collina Strada world and creating change.
Image Courtesy of Collina Strada and Desigual.
SLEEK: Both Collina Strada and Desigual share a design language that focuses on vibrant colours and bringing fun to the fashion world. On which topics could you find a common ground?
Hillary Taymour: It was very easy to find common ground through the use of prints and color. I have always thought of Desigual as a print-on-print brand which is very similar to how I love to style clashing prints and loud graphics at Collina Strada.
S: Collina Strada is a brand that also advocates for a sense of community. How can a collaboration contribute to the aspect of accessibility?
HT: I love doing collaborations because it allows my followers and community access to clothing at a more accessible price point. It’s a great way to spread the word through a wider audience that can not afford in-line products. I also always say I love when people mimic Collina prints and do DIYs in the Collina essence so they can feel a part of it through upcycling and not having to buy into it.
S: Sustainability has never been a subject you crown yourself with yet you include sustainable practices both environmentally and socially. How do you navigate those values when you are constantly growing as a brand?
HT: I start with fabrication. We worked really hard to localize fabrics and production throughout this collaboration to use recycled fabrics and more sustainable options. I constantly am thinking about how a product is being made, where it is being shipped, and seeing where we can shave down each item’s carbon footprint.
Image Courtesy of Collina Strada and Desigual.
Image Courtesy of Collina Strada and Desigual.
S: You have incorporated values of sustainability and diversity already at the beginning of your brand when it wasn’t a status quo in the fashion industry. With the whole fashion landscape making those terms a standard practice nowadays, do you think that the industry has experienced real change?
HT: Just like any change in the world. Some people are making real change and others aren’t. I feel like as long as we can help push some to make that real change, that’s all that matters.
S: The world of Collina Strada includes more than just clothes, it is like you have your own way of communicating through your social media or runway shows. How much does everything else than clothes contribute to the brand Collina Strada?
HT: I think I lead Collina with my heart and it shows through the campaigns, imagery, and collections. It’s just me and so the story is easily told. The brand’s core is really that so it shows through all platforms and concepts.
S: Your clothes seem to break conventional rules of fashion like mixing patterns. Did you always have fun dressing yourself up?
HT: I’ve always dressed a bit unconventional. The way we style Collina is the way I also like to dress so it’s super authentic.
S: How did your colourful design language come to life and how did you find that aesthetic as your creative output?
HT: I have always loved color and am extremely connected to nature so I think that’s where my use of color and print came in. Even though I am always constantly evolving and changing as a human, this has been a constant element.
S: With your brand constantly evolving, how do you keep such a strong design language so that your clothes initially feel very Collina Strada at first sight?
HT: I just stay true to myself and it all falls into place. If I like it, then I keep going.
Collina Strada x Desigual Metamorphosister is now available.