THE ART OF DRESSING: MEET KATE BARNETT

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We are delighted to introduce you to Kate Barnett, a valued member of our taylor Newmarket team who has been a part of our taylor family for over 10 years. Kate is well-known by our taylor clients who love to visit her in-store for styling advice and inspiration. We sat down with Kate to hear more about her art, styling and life.

Kate is also a very talented artist and we are excited to be able to showcase a selection of her amazing pieces in our taylor Newmarket store this weekend. You are welcome to view her exhibition in-store from Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th July at taylor Newmarket, 1 Teed Street, Newmarket, Auckland.



A lot of our clients will recognise you from taylor Newmarket, but can you describe a bit of a background of how you came to work for taylor?

I started working for taylor over 10 years ago in taylor Newmarket. I’ve been lucky enough to work between the taylor Auckland stores during my time but I absolutely love being part of the Newmarket team.



What is the best thing about working for taylor?

So many things! The support, the amazing family atmosphere and of course the lovely clothes. I really love getting to know the clients and have built great relationships with them over the years. I’m very lucky that I am still able to follow my creative endeavours on the side, I really appreciate this aspect of the company which is not often found these days.



How would you describe your signature style, has it evolved over the years?

My style has definitely evolved but I’ve always loved the play on a ‘dressy/casual’ style. To achieve this I love combining a lovely silk piece with more casual Principal Venetian Pants and a pair of sneakers. To dress it up, I’d add the the Black Sequence Jacket and boots. It's all about layering, you can’t go past the Extension Tank, Camber Tunic and the Sheer Circulate Shirt to create a beautiful, detailed look.


What are your 4 favourite styles from the winter collection?

My favourites would be:


Top left: Ravine Dress, Top right: Perforate Jacket, Bottom left: Circulate Shirt, Bottom right: Isolate Cardi Dress.

What are your top styling tips for winter, are there any key 'must have' pieces to get through the colder season?

Layer up! You can’t beat the Merino Camber as a base layer, it is perfect for both a dressy or casual look. Add something loser like a silk piece - the Circulate Shirt or Vision Tunic work well for this. Finish with a Meander Sweater and a winter coat to keep you nice and warm! My tip is to always have pieces that you can take off or add easily!



What do you love most about working with our taylor clients in-store?

Their dedication! I love the way our clients see the garments artistically, they can appreciate the thought and intelligence put into the design of the pieces. They can see how versatile, interesting and different our garments are. I’ve built some amazing relationships with wonderful people over the years, I thoroughly enjoy them visiting me in-store and getting to know what and how they like wearing taylor pieces.



How do fashion and art cross over, have you always been interested in both?

Yes I have always been interested in both. Fashion and Art definitely work together, especially when it comes to colour, form and textures. There are some famous artists that have produced the most beautiful works that have then been made into fabrics.

I started in fashion and ended up doing a Fashion Drawing Course where I started drawing the female form, which then grew into a love of art and painting.




How would you describe your art, do you have a particular style or technique?

I would describe my style as ‘Abstract Expressionism’, there is a mix of collage, mixed media, graphite, netting, paper and oils!

The pieces I have selected for my exhibition tonight include variety of my work. I have selected some colourful oils, earthy toned elongated women in ‘burnt sienna’, pieces created out of tissue and netting and older work made from ripped up fashion week editorials from a few years ago.




Where do you look to for inspiration?

I’m inspired by the world around me. Artists always inspire me for example Modigliani and Giacometti. My artwork shows expressions of what I see - textures and colours! I love the depth achieved from the layering process and the surprises that arise.



Where can we find more information about your art?

You can find more information on my website: www.kbarnettartist.com or follow me on instagram @katebarnettartist.


To see photos of Kate's special opening event please click here, or to shop her favourite pieces we talk about above, please click here.