Collaboration between singer, designer a big hit

Josie Steenhart talks to two of New Zealand’s most successful women in the fashion and music industries, who have come together for one of the coolest and most glamorous collaborations to hit the stage in Aotearoa.

"We met at a wedding in 2017, where Julia was performing, and I was, frankly, starstruck from the beginning" says Tanya Carlson, one of Dunedin’s most loved fashion designers, of her first meeting with local rock royalty Julia Deans.

"The bride had said she thought we’d get along well and she was right. Later in the evening there was a kind of karaoke-style thing going on and I remember hearing this voice singing Heart of Glass, and went in to see who it was and saw this beautiful songbird...

"I ended up fangirling her big time and said if she ever needed any garments or costumes made, I could help," says the acclaimed designer, who grew up on the Otago Peninsula and launched her eponymous label in 1997.

"Tanya had designed one of the bride’s dresses," recalls Deans, formerly lead singer for Fur Patrol, now a renowned solo artist.

"I was telling her about this Bowie tribute show I had coming up and she asked what I was planning on wearing - at which point I still had no idea.

"She then asked what I would like to wear and I said ‘a sequined jumpsuit’, to which she responded, ‘let me make it for you’.

"She ended up concocting this incredible one-piece in navy blue body-contouring sequin stripes, with pointed cap sleeves and cropped wide legs - an homage to Bowie’s visionary designer Kasai Yamamoto," Deans explains.

"There were a lot of broken needles but it was worth it," laughs the designer, who says since then the number of Tanya Carlson pieces Deans has worn is "countless" ("lots", concurs Deans).

"I’ve been dressing her since we met - a lot of custom made pieces - and she’s worn a lot of garments from our archive collection as well. She’s a dream to work with and has become a really close friend, so we have a great time working together."

Any time Julia has performed at Liberty Stage Presents she has done a custom piece.

"We’ve taken inspiration from the musical theme of the artists or era she’s performing and worked with that.

"Most recently, for her performance at Atomic (a touring supergroup of Kiwi female artists celebrating the work of ‘the pioneering women of rock’) I took inspiration from Debbie Harry’s iconic one-shoulder asymmetric dress designed by Stephen Sprouse and made her this amazing dress in a black rhinestone velvet."

A second piece for Atomic, which Deans describes as "a dusty-pink lurex boilersuit with a double row of snaps down the front and a little open back vent", is perhaps the singer’s favourite Tanya Carlson creation to date.

"I think she needs to put this one into production, just quietly."

She also speaks fondly of a gold silk lame shirt that Carlson concocted for the tour for her last album.

"This has had regular outings on stage because the light loves it, most recently with a pair of black velvet hotpants. As one of the short-legged variety of humans, I swear I’ve never thought I would actually ever wear hotpants, but hey, that’s what you can do when someone pays attention to your proportions."

Carlson says she loves the whole process of designing for Deans.

"Looking at the era, the band or the singer and then interpreting that for her. Not a direct copy but taking inspiration from that period of time, it’s a ‘feel’. And it’s a strong collaboration every time."

And while the custom creations are incredibly special ("a treat beyond compare"), Deans also talks passionately about "raiding" Carlson’s existing archive.

"She has the most incredible trove of garments from past collections and one-off pieces throughout her career (some of which are actually available for hire via her black tie rental service).

"They range from casual through to couture ball gowns ... Seriously, it’s like walking into Narnia.

"I frequently forget to organise things until the last couple of days, which is when I’ll call in for a fossick. But either Tanya has learned this and regularly prods me for upcoming outfit needs, or she genuinely gets excited about conjuring up a new costume. I suspect it’s a mix of both."

Carlson describes Deans’ style as "quite eclectic".

"It ranges from really rock ’n’ roll to whimsical, and she also likes a modern silhouette."

Deans in turn laughingly says her aesthetic is "mood-dependent".

"I definitely wear a lot of black, but Tanya has been good at challenging this habit.

"I tend to like simple designs and classic cuts, things that are comfortable and practical for slinging a guitar around and that I can breathe in for singing, both on and off stage."

And Carlson is clearly well versed that dressing a performer means factoring in a lot more than just looking fabulous.

"We do have a lot of fun with red carpet events as well though," she says.

"I’m very aware of what her performance is going to be and how the light will reflect the fabric, and how that movement in the garment adds to the performance, never to distract from it.

"It’s also about understanding how energetic the performance is going to be, how quick the changes are going to be.

"In the earlier days, I might need to build in places into the garment for the microphone pack to be hidden. I also need to think about the choice of fabric - it needs to be quite robust."

The overall goal, says Carlson, is for Deans to have confidence in what she’s wearing.

"It’s something she doesn’t have to worry about. It’s taken care of."

And if Deans’ lavish praise for the Dunedin designer is anything to go by, it is goal achieved.

"Tanya knows what she’s doing when it comes to flattering the female figure. Her cuts are impeccable off the rack, but if you have the luxury of having her fit something to you, it changes the way you think about how clothing can make you feel and look. I highly recommend it.

"Something I’m particularly grateful for is how she’s elevated my stage dressing. For most of my career I’ve performed in variations on the theme of jeans-and-singlet, but collaborating with Tanya has boosted me out of that zone without sacrificing comfort and movement.

"And, of course, she’s great company - compassionate, energetic, and funny as f... . Our friends’ marriage may not have lasted, but our friendship has positively bloomed."

TO SEE: 

Julia Deans in conversation with Chancing It on April 5 and Tower of Song on April 7, both at Lake Wānaka Centre as part of Aspiring Conversations