Thumb through the pages of Rebecca Taylor’s latest lookbook for spring and you’ll instantly desire every piece, each with a clear balance of femininity and modernity. The New Zealand-born fashion designer is always busy curating a new line of styles that all fashion aficionados will love—this May, she’s launching her first-ever swim collaboration with the brand Giejo. The swimwear mimics the floral, leopard and vibrant prints found in the dresses and tops of her spring collection, which was inspired by the vintage Indian dresses her mother wore in the 1970s.
Shoppers can peruse her newest creations in boutiques in shopping destinations like Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta; her collections are also available at major departments stores, including Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. Get to know the woman behind your favorite soft chiffon dress, including quips about her love for clothes and other passions.
What was your first designer purchase?
A vintage Chanel jacket I bought in Paris
What is your favorite outfit to wear?
My Italian army pants and Victorian voile blouse
If you could only wear one color for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I love a pale pink on top; it suits my coloring.
What do you love about fashion?
Everything. I love how it’s always evolving and I am constantly feeling inspired.
What do you dislike about fashion?
How it’s always evolving
If you could change one thing about your career, what would it be?
Nothing, I really love everything I do.
If you weren’t a fashion designer, what would you be?
A makeup artist, if my hands weren’t so shaky
What is your most treasured possession?
My children
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Reading my favorite book on a beach, spending quality time with my family and working on a new collection in my studio
When were you the happiest?
There have been so many moments in my life I have felt happiest, but I would say one moment was when the Duchess of Cambridge wore my clothes.
What is your motto?
We are here for a good time, not a long time.
What is your greatest fear?
Spiders
What are your greatest achievements?
Being a mother and building the Rebecca Taylor business to where it is today
What do you still want to accomplish?
So much—there is not enough room to list it all.
What has been a career-defining moment?
When we had our first runway show, I remember having this feeling of having arrived.
Who are your favorite authors?
Jennifer Egan and Daphne Du Maurier
Who is your favorite artist?
Elizabeth Peyton
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
The Caribbean. I have never seen the water quite as beautiful as it is in the Caribbean.
Where is a place you’ve never been but would like to visit?
India
What is your current state of mind?
Joyous
—Written by Kirsti Correa
