There's Still Something About Mary

IT'S six years this month that Mary Katrantzou - one of London fashion's fastest rising stars - began her label.
"Sometimes it feels like it's an eternity and sometimes it feels like it's just been three seasons," said the designer last night, talking at The Industry's latest networking event.
But time flies when you're having fun, are in demand and being very successful. Though it might surprise you to know that Katrantzou began her business after graduating from the Central Saint Martins Fashion MA with just eight dresses, a jacket and a pair of trousers - the latter developed because she felt that would constitute a "developed range".
The Greek-born designer is the first to tell you that going into fashion all very naively - from the course itself to setting up the business - worked in her favour.

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"I felt that I was doing a lot of catching up and self-exploration [when I was at CSM] with people who'd wanted to be a designer since the age of 14. You go into it a little blind-folded which makes it better as otherwise you have an abstract sense of perfection. Not having any pre-conceived notions helped."
Launching the now lauded label back in the dark days of recession wasn't a concern that had crossed her mind either.
"I was going into it as a student starting a business without huge expectations so you don't project them onto anyone else."
But she's come a long way since then.
"I understand more about myself than when I started. Back then a shift dress with a print had to do all of the work," she recalled. Since then lampshade skirts, pencil prints, bloom-strewn blazers and alphabet abstracts have done that.
"Every step you take you need to re-asses where you're going. You do evolve. I'm not as scared as when I first started - I thought I would run out of ideas."
And if there's one person who's not going to run out of ideas it's Katrantzou - season after season bowling us over with something exciting and innovative above and beyond our expectations.
"As a designer you want to work beyond what is your signature," she noted - joking at the description of her being "fearless" as directly related to exploring other avenues besides print. The past two seasons have leant themselves more instead to exquisite and elaborate embroidery. "She moved away from print - fearless!" she mock-gasped.
One facet that she has found especially interesting during her career is the role of social media - something that she says is so a part of her generation and world that she could not distinguish it as a separate entity to what she does and how.
"I was told by someone 'When I wore your dress I got the most likes I've ever had'," she recalled, noting the phenomenon's role as a great editing tool - the mass of media we digest each day meaning decisions have to be made at a constant pace.
And Katrantzou, currently working on collaborations and expanding the business (she now has a team of 55) aplenty, is going at a constant pace.
"I don't think it's just about sheer talent. It's about hard work, commitment and focus," she said offering up insight to those with fashion ambition. "It's a long marathon."
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