Fashion designer Rachael Barrett is quickly becoming a favourite within the fashion industry despite only graduating from university last Summer. Although her name maybe unheard of among the masses, right now this 24-year-old is one to look out for.
Many may be familiar with seeing pop sensation, Lady Gaga, wearing Rachael’s silicone dresses on her Monster Ball tour and in music videos such as ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Telephone’ (above). Rachael states that in her short career having Gaga wear her designs is the most exciting thing to happen so far. “Gaga’s such a favourite, she wears the pieces so well, I loved making [the pieces] for her” she explains. Nicola Formichetti, who is Gaga’s stylist, asked if he could take some pieces of her silicone collection to Los Angeles to show the fashion forward performer, which ultimately resulted in a positive outcome for this young designer.
Besides Gaga, Rachael’s other clientele has recently consisted of Gabriella Cilmi and Jared Leto and has been asked to create a bespoke piece for him to wear on his UK tour which she describes as “a childhood fantasy come to life.”
She insists that choosing a career in design was her destiny, “I loved art and design at school, it all happened quite naturally, which makes me feel very lucky [that I’ve had] no nightmares trying to decide what to do with my life.”
Barrett, orginally from Glasgow studied Womenswear at the Edinburgh College of Art before moving to London to further her knowledge of fashion design at the Royal College of Art. Her favorite designers are Prada, Calvin Klein and Celine.
Barrett, orginally from Glasgow studied Womenswear at the Edinburgh College of Art before moving to London to further her knowledge of fashion design at the Royal College of Art. Her favorite designers are Prada, Calvin Klein and Celine.
From being inspired by photographers Corinne Day and Julia Margaret Cameron because of the ghostly quality their work reflects to historical designs of menswear, she claims that materials however, are her biggest inspiration. “An interesting material could determine an entire collection” and her collection that has got Gaga going gaga is completely defined by silicone, an unlikely choice for a collection that she describes as uber-feminine.
During her 1st and 2nd year at the Royal College of Art she did an internship with Philips Design where she experimented with silicone and after working with it on a small scale she was then inspired to work with it on a larger scale and volia the silicone dresses have arrived.
For the past 5 years this up-and-coming designer has been working very hard and has only had fashion on her mind but besides from designing she enjoys exploring London. She ventures to RD Franks for magazines, Sister Ray ,in Soho, for music, Tate Modern and the Victoria & Albert for inspiration and Bang Bang Vintage for bargains.
Despite the sudden interest in her creations Rachael remains grounded and believes she still has a lot to learn therefore her next goal is to get more industry experience.
So will we see Miss Barrett’s collection in store anytime soon? “Plan for 2010, get some stockists” she laughs.
