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May 23, 2012

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Pink Tartan's Kimberly Newport-Mimran

08/24/2011

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She's the woman behind one of the hottest sportswear lines for women. At this year's New York Fashion Week, she'll be previewing her new collection for Pink Tartan, a label that adds a masculine touch to sophisticated womenswear. Kimberley Newport-Mimran let Uinterview know what she has in store for her first ever runway show at New York Fashion Week.

Pink Tartan's Kimberly Newport-Mimran
Q: Tell us a little bit about how your preparations for fashion week are going. - Question
A: Well ... it’s like the crazy just before a presentation, so where everything is getting sent back, worked on, hand sewing. It’s sort of full speed ahead. And we have market as well that week, so we not only have to have the collection ready for runway, but we have to have the collection ready for market, which is much more expensive than the runway collection.
Q: Do you have a particular trend that you think, or inspiration, that’s coming through in your line? - Question
A: Yeah, absolutely. I always like to start with the girl for the season that we build the show around. And the girl is sort of a modern-day Brigitte Bardot this season. I like her, sort of a little bit sexy and very France, French Riviera, 1960s influence going on.
Q: The shows are such a big production, and the music also tends to be a really big deal. How do you go about picking music for your shows? - Question
A: Well, you know what, it’s a morning show. And I think it’s the time that the show is. We’re doing a morning presentation, so I’m not going to be doing full on, you know, electronica for the runway for that time of day. This collection’s really about effortless chic too. It’s this girl that, you know, is in the Riviera area. She’s chic, so she gets dressed but she’s still got that little bit of casual edge to her. And she has a glass of rosé with her delicious little lunch, sitting by the sea somewhere. And I think that when you get that in your mind, as to sort of building the character and building the collection so she’s really exquisitely styled, it’s really about sportswear. My niche is designing from day to dinner, and clothes that you can travel with and clothes that you pack and clothes for everyday life that are put together in a sophisticated way.
Q: Tell us a little bit about if there’s a specific piece that stands out for you as being your favorite in this collection. - Question
A: Well, I’m loving stretch right now. I’m loving knits with a heavy degree of lycra in it so it holds you in and gives the body a beautiful shape. So I’ve experimented with different silhouettes in that fabric. I’m also loving turquoise as our accent color, so you’ll see a lot of blues and azures and turquoises. I’m feeling very, again, by the sea. What else? It’s all kind of like in front of me but not in front of me right now [Laughs]. I love a hotpant … I like these little mini shirt dresses, and I always love a shirt dress, but they’re a little sexier this season, less androgynous than I normally do.
Q: For those who may not be as well versed in Pink Tartan as you are, describe the brand for people and also where the name comes from. - Question
A: Well, the tartan was sort of the idea, the concept before the label started ... I came from a menswear background, so when I was going to design a line, I wasn’t sure if I was going to do men’s or women’s. And I woke up one day, I just had a little baby girl, and I decided that I’m going to do women’s, I’m going to call it Pink Tartan because everything was pink in my life. Actually it’s my favorite color. It was a women’s line called Pink Tartan. And you’ll notice that in the collection, there are menswear influences on the construction side because that’s sort of my background and I pull a lot of that sort of detailing and construction of menswear into womenswear and build a very well-structured garment that is still sexy to wear. I also think it’s really a preppy chic label. It’s a sportswear line, so it’s definitely something that takes you from day to dinner. And I like a nice juxtaposition between masculine and feminine dressing, so you’ll always see an element in whatever I do. Whether it’s a shirt and it’s a little bit tailored, but it still has a sexy cut, that sort of wear is the brand, the direction of the brand.
Q: Is there a single piece of fashion advice that’s the best you’ve ever received? - Question
A: Well, I think the most important thing is, you wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear you. And I think that when you have clothes that you have to fuss with or that you have to think about, it becomes a distraction to a woman. So I tend to like clothes that fit beautifully, that are not fussy, that are practical but still very modern and stylish. So, I think that trying to encompass that in every outfit that I put together for a woman is in the back of my mind.
Q: From a business point of view, you work with your husband. Tell us a little bit about how that works. - Question
A: Well, Joe [Mimran] and I are partners, but really we sort of run two separate businesses. We get to sort of collaborate on ideas at home, but really, over dinner it is about the extent I see my husband during the day. We’re really separate but we’re a really close couple. He’s got a wonderful eye and I always bounce ideas off Joe. But we’re really not working on the collections together.
Q: You were a guest judge on Project Runway in Canada. What your experience was like on the show? - Question
A: You know what, I think it’s great to see talent, raw talent. A lot of these contestants, they’re starting out in their career. And I think that it’s a really nice, refreshing point of view to see sort of first time collections being built. I really enjoyed the process. And I think the one great thing is there’s a lot to learn. So if you can mentor a young person and give them good advice and good direction in any way, shape or form, that’s sort of a nice thing to do.
Q: Are you going to try to see the U.S. Project Runway Show at Fashion Week? - Question
A: I’d love to, but you know, it just depends on the schedule. [Laughs]. You know, it’s like a little bit crazy. And, this is my first presentation. I did a showroom installation but this is the first presentation.
Q: How do you feel about the pressure of your first New York Fashion Week? - Question
A: I’m feeling it. I’ve got a sweaty brow, I’m telling you.

Read more: Pink Tartan, Kimberley Newport-Mimran, New York Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

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