By Claudina Hannon
Caroline Issa is a style celebrity in her own right. You may recognize her from street style photographs or her popular Instagram following, but Issa is also a successful businesswoman and designer. She is currently the chief executive and fashion director for Tank magazine and the editor of the London online magazine Because. Needless to say, Issa has impeccable style—her perfectly tailored, trendsetting outfits embrace a woman’s femininity while intermixing classic fashion sense in a contemporary setting.
And if you ever secretly wished you could shop straight from Caroline’s closet, in a way, now you can. In her recent design collaboration with Nordstrom, Issa unveiled a fall/winter 2015 collection consisting of 29 pieces to take you through the entire season in major style. The pieces speak for themselves; they bring out a sharp balance of feminine/masculine silhouettes mingled with memorable prints and rich, moody shades. The collection, which just launched this week, is now available online and at the Tysons Corner, Pentagon City and Westfield Montgomery Nordstrom locations. We recently spoke with Issa as she was traveling through London to get her insight on the vision behind this new collection.
Could you walk us through your thought process when starting to create a new collection?
I tend to use my travels as a starting point for prints and colors, which is lucky, as I’ve done a lot of travelling over the past two years. For spring, our Moroccan prints were taken directly from the sights I’d just seen on a visit to Marrakech, and the fall collection was inspired by the English countryside after I spent a cozy weekend in Somerset. Add to the mix pieces that take my fancy from films, editorials [and] paintings, and we’re able to start putting together a fun wardrobe for the season.
Could you describe the woman who you designed this collection for?
I imagine she’s a busy woman, whether with work, family, hobbies, events [or] charity functions. She needs her wardrobe to work very hard for her, from day to night, to be versatile and effortless. I know she’s very chic as well.
You mentioned the collection was also inspired by menswear, and menswear-inspired silhouettes can be intimidating for some. What would you say are the key elements to pulling off those looks while still looking feminine?
Masculine and feminine balances in our wardrobe work best for me. I love men’s shirting and feminine tailoring—it is a must. But an oversized comfy sweater is just as important as a little more dainty cardigan, and we have both in the collection. I think a belt goes a long way at accentuating any waist, whether over a suit or a cardigan, but I love how a bit of a masculine coat slung over a floaty dress looks, and [it] gives us a great silhouette.
Being such a style inspiration for so many women, what advice do you have for women who are still trying to find their own style?
Have fun. Experiment until you figure out what silhouettes look best on you, don’t be afraid of color or print, and use accessories to personalize your outfits.
Nordstrom Signature and Caroline Issa fall/winter 2015 lookbook