HS26 CALYPSO
Calypso High Summer, from the Founder
Every print in Calypso began as a drawing. We sat down with the founder to talk about the collection, the coastline that shaped it, and why some pieces take fifty-four hours to make.
Nine Stories. One Summer.
Where Did Calypso Begin For You?
It always comes back to the water. I didn't plan it that way, but looking at the collection now, every capsule is the coast from a different angle. Mirage is the heat haze. Deep Water is the stillness. Bayside is a slow morning by the shore. Even Framed, Aura, Bisous and Glasshouse feel like gardens by the sea.
Oceans Apart sits in the intricate details, like distance and connection held in the same breath. I grew up with that landscape and I think I just carry it with me, fully embraced.
Every artwork in this collection is hand drawn by you. What does that process look like?
I draw everything digitally. Where I draw changes everything. Different places, different feelings, different sounds, and it all finds its way into my work. Drawing is an expression and escape for me. My travels seem to follow the coastline, and somehow I always seem to end up there, this is what inspires a lot of my collections.
Every line is drawn by hand, the same as pen on paper. I enjoy drawing digitally because I feel like I can push a sketch somewhere strange, scrap it, and ultimately start again. For every drawing that makes it into a collection, there are dozens that no one will ever see.
The Deep Water artwork is a favourite of mine. It was inspired by the ombre of deep water at sunset. This particular print started as a small sketch of a sailboat sitting alone on flat water. Through every round of development, the sailboat stayed.
Oceans Apart: The Deep V Gown took fifty-four hours to craft. Where does that time go?
Into the details no one sees on a hanger. The piece was built slowly in the studio, much of it by hand.
It started with colour, from a Mother Nature point of view. Every shade worked against the base until they sat in harmony. As a whole, the Oceans Apart capsule had to feel like one body of water.
Then came the construction. Fused layers and boning were shaped to tell stories of the
ocean, like the skirt that falls as a wave. There's an asymmetrical hemline, an hourglass body, and hand embroidery running through the details. Everything was
thought out, then rethought.
The rest was collaboration. We went back and forth until it was just right. Fluid and form intertwine in these pieces, and you can't rush that.
So many pieces are designed to be worn more than one way. The Deep Water Kaftan alone has four lives. Why does that matter to you?
Because that's how women actually live. Nobody has a wardrobe for every version of their day. If you're spending properly on a piece, it should work harder for you.
The kaftan is the purest version of it. Reverse it for a high neck or an open keyhole, wear it loose or tie the waist, and it becomes four different dresses depending on the day you're having. I also just love the cleverness of it. It makes getting dressed feel like a small decision you get to enjoy!
What do you hope women feel when wearing Calypso?
More than anything, I want them to feel unique. The garment does the work, so all she has to do is show up. She walks into a room and the piece says everything before she does.
I think of the pieces as wearable art. There's escapism in them, and a kind of storytelling through luxury. I want getting dressed to feel like a small lift in her day.