Kate Sylvester
ON HER FEMALE MUSES
“I have referenced so many muses, from Mia Wallace to Lee Miller, Marilyn Monroe to the Queen. They are all really strong, intelligent individuals who chose bold paths through life, but like all women they have vulnerabilities too. That’s actually what I find fascinating about them; I believe the stereotype of the perfect ‘superwoman’ is really negative.”
ON THE WOMEN WHO INSPIRE HER
“The themes in my work are always personal, so all the muses are women I genuinely admire. I am very lucky to be surrounded by strong women and my greatest role models have always been my mother and grandmother. My mother was a first-wave feminist and brought me up to believe that I can truly do anything.”
ON THE KATE SYLVESTER BRAND ETHOS
“I make beautiful clothes and we produce beautiful imagery to sell them. I see strength as an intrinsic part of beauty and ensure it is always present in everything we do.”
ON THE SUBJECTIVE INTERPLAY BETWEEN FASHION AND FEMINISM
“I agree that it’s totally subjective. Kim Kardashian is the perfect example of this. Some people find her empowering, I think the complete opposite. But then, ‘feminist fashion’ means women dressing to suit themselves, whether it is a Victorian gown or a pair of dungarees is not the point, what matters is that it makes that individual woman feel good about herself. I identify as a feminist and I’m wearing a lace dress.”
“My mother was a first-wave feminist and brought me up to believe that I can truly do anything”