our new profile series introducing you to the women behind sula. our first profile is introducing you to sula’s designer-owner alison taylor.
alison trained, and spent her early career working, as a figurative painter. “in 1996, on my first visit to vietnam, i was overcome by the sheer beauty and modernity of the brilliant-coloured silks piled high in retail units in hanoi’s silk street (each street is named after one trade which congregate there). they inspired me to start working with fabric, so i started designing and making silk pyjamas in magenta, neon, shocking and palest blush pinks and other colour variants.” alison’s delight in, and eye for, colour and her love for the female body unites both creative practices.
since 1999 she has created womenswear collections, introducing natural artisanal fabrics from japan and italy alongside signature silks. “i design comfortable clothing in artisanal fabrics with hand detailing; beautiful garments for everyday wear. i interpret elements from workwear and the historical garments and fabrics I pick up on my travels. most seasons i design a textile print that is exclusive to sula, favouring natural dyes.”
“we are a small company of women. it’s just me, hannah and kate working collaboratively to ensure we maintain our high quality make, distinctive designs, hand-crafted components and personal service. after almost thirty years i have finally reached my ambition for us to work in a domestic space snuggled beneath the sussex downs.”
sula shows at exclusive fashion trade fairs in london, paris and new york and retails in specialist boutiques in each of these cities as well as across the U.S and particularly in california, in italy, japan, korea and lebanon. alison is committed to ensuring that, “sula is an equitable company which works sustainably to produce beautiful everyday clothing, crafted with pride in ethical working environments, that is loved and lasts.”
