Marianne Fassler on how to mix & match prints like a fashion designer

How do you create your collections and what is your creative process?

I create a collection very organically. I often think while walking the streets of Joburg or the Eastern Cape. My starting point for my new Untamed collection [shown at the recent AFI Cape Town Fashion Week] was to affirm the brand's DNA - Leopard Frock is a creative melting pot.

I start by making small sketches and then the rest of the team do their bit. I believe this is how it is done in all couture ateliers. There is a lot of input from the entire team, including the seamstresses, which then comes together to create a quintessential Fassler piece.

I am a very strong editor and, ultimately, the originator of every vision. The styling is also very important and this is where I allow a degree of creative freedom.

What makes this collection different to other recent collections?

There was an unashamed nod to high-end luxury/couture in this collection. Eventually, the range will be produced on a more commercial scale, but not all garments can be reproduced. We have had requests from literally all over the world, which shows the reach of social media.

What tips or tricks do you have for effectively mixing prints?

Print mixing is most effective when the combinations are unexpected and not comfortably matched. I love to put print with print. I will never wear a bold print with a plain fabric - it jars the eye.

Print is a part of your brand DNA. How do you refresh it each season?

Print is actually not what it is all about. It is about fabrication. I am not a fabric designer;
I enhance fabrics, unpack them and, ultimately, disrupt the known prints.