Delivering quality and uniqueness are the key points to Perseverance London. The British-based fashion brand works with delicate laces, feminine cut and a contemporary air. Inspired by the 70s and classical arts such as Art Nouveau, we talk to Eudald Luis Batalle, founder and creative director of the brand, to understand intimately Perseverance London’s personality.
You’re a fashion designer and the creative director of Perseverance London. Besides all that, who are you? Could you introduce yourself to those who don’t know about your work?
Besides the creative director, I am also the founder of Perseverance London. I am from Girona (Catalonia, Spain) but I have been living in London for over twelve years. I studied fashion in Barcelona some years ago, and I have the fondest memories of my time at fashion college. I have two places now that I can call home and I am very lucky to experience the culture of both. Since my family and lots of friends are in Spain, I travel there often.
Perseverance London is a relatively young brand, and I know you already have experience working with other fashion companies. When and how did you discover fashion was your path? And since when do you work in the industry?
Yes, it is a relatively young brand. We launched our first collection in February 2016; I started the project in March 2015 and so far we had four collections in store and the fifth one is launching very soon.
I started at a very young age, when I was only sixteen. My friends introduced me to the fascinating world of fashion magazines (we are talking about mid-‘90s), and they were my window to the world. We didn’t have internet or anything like that back then so it was the only way to keep up with what was happening in fashion, art, music, etc. Some of my favourites were Vogue – in general, but I had a soft spot for the Italy and Paris publications –, i-D, Dazed, The Face, and Wallpaper. I still have them at my mum’s house and whenever I go back, I like to flick some of them through (always researching).
MTV was also an amazing source of information. They had brilliant interview programs in there too. So, overall, I have been working for the industry for fifteen years and I have been really passionate about fashion for just over twenty. God, time flies and it’s making me feel old!
I started at a very young age, when I was only sixteen. My friends introduced me to the fascinating world of fashion magazines (we are talking about mid-‘90s), and they were my window to the world. We didn’t have internet or anything like that back then so it was the only way to keep up with what was happening in fashion, art, music, etc. Some of my favourites were Vogue – in general, but I had a soft spot for the Italy and Paris publications –, i-D, Dazed, The Face, and Wallpaper. I still have them at my mum’s house and whenever I go back, I like to flick some of them through (always researching).
MTV was also an amazing source of information. They had brilliant interview programs in there too. So, overall, I have been working for the industry for fifteen years and I have been really passionate about fashion for just over twenty. God, time flies and it’s making me feel old!
You have worked in fast fashion. How do you apply the knowledge you got from that experience in your brand?
I would like to say that I have to thank part of my methodology of work to the fast-paced fashion. Also, I had great mentors at my first job in Zara. Fast fashion gives you the strength and confidence to immediately foresee what’s good, what’s not, what’s going to work and what isn’t, especially at the time of designing, editing ideas, fabrics, etc. Your brain goes faster in a lot of aspects. I am also extremely organised, I guess that goes with my personality. I am also a Virgo, so I’m a perfectionist and a bit OCD.
They say perseverance pays off. Is this also your case?
Absolutely! Well, this is one of the major reasons why Perseverance London is called like that. You need a strong stomach and will to persevere in fashion – or anything you do in life – and the name represents the main quality I believed in when I founded the brand and still do: to persevere.
How would you describe the style and DNA of Perseverance London?
Perseverance London is a contemporary/occasion womenswear brand retailing in the affordable luxury side, as prices are key for us. Deliver quality, good and unique fabrications, and premium construction details are very important to us. I always try to keep a vintage feel and a romantic touch to every single collection. I’m a kind of a lover of the ‘70s, so you will always find pieces in the collection that have been inspired by this decade.
Also, it is a brand with contrasts: feminine mixed together with some masculine pieces, soft fabrications with heavy ones, thin, airy and floaty fabrics with thicker and more structured ones, etc. Fabrication always pays a very key role in my collections. I love when the time comes to think about what to use for the next collection, but also, and as equally exciting and important, are the colours and putting together new and exciting colour palettes.
Also, it is a brand with contrasts: feminine mixed together with some masculine pieces, soft fabrications with heavy ones, thin, airy and floaty fabrics with thicker and more structured ones, etc. Fabrication always pays a very key role in my collections. I love when the time comes to think about what to use for the next collection, but also, and as equally exciting and important, are the colours and putting together new and exciting colour palettes.
As I already mentioned, Perseverance London is an emerging brand, but it is already loved by a lot of people. How do you engage with your customers?
I think the product speaks for itself. It is very important to deliver a message of what the brand and the product is all about. Season after season, you can see continuity in the design and product standards that we deliver and with this, you build your dedicated customer base but also engage with new customers.
You’re based in East London, one of the coolest areas of the city right now, and I bet you can see a lot of different styles while walking to your workplace. Is this an inspiration for your everyday work? What other people, things and moments inspire you?
Oh, absolutely! I live in Dalston and our workshop is in Highbury & Islington, so I often see people that catch my eye on my way to work that can become an inspiration. It is not every day, but when it happens, it’s quite rewarding to see someone that catches your attention and may become a reference on something that I am working on.
I also get inspired by what I see in magazines. I love streetstyle, art (especially the colours), photographers, and also vintage shopping – which I could spend hours on, believe me. London is so good for that.
I also get inspired by what I see in magazines. I love streetstyle, art (especially the colours), photographers, and also vintage shopping – which I could spend hours on, believe me. London is so good for that.
Your latest collection features a lot of boho-inspired looks: lots of intricate lace, superposed layers and ruffles, relaxed silhouettes, psychedelic and floral prints, etc. What is the main story behind it? Does it come from a mood, a certain icon or referent, a whole era/decade?
Yes, as I mentioned before, the ‘70s are always in my mind. For example, for this Fall/Winter 2017 collection, I mainly got inspired by the late ‘70s interiors, where patterned carpets lived together with velvet sofas, damasks wallpapers, brocade curtains, jacquard cushions, and floral prints. Also, the colour palette and prints are quite rich and in intense tones, and they’re inspired by a painting from the Italian artist Vittorio Zecchin. He is from the Art Noveau era, and I feel that the ‘70s were actually influenced by that movement.
The intricate work of lace is one of the most important elements to highlight. How important is this delicate and complex fabric to the general vibe of the collection?
Lace plays a very important role in our collections, but I wouldn’t say it is one of the most important elements in them. The mix and match of different fabrications working together and geared towards expressing what the collection is about is what really matters to me. I work with a lot of textured fabrics in general, such as embroideries and/or cut-out fabrications. I think all these, combined together, are what bring the vibe and romanticism to my collections.
Lace is actually complicated to work with, and it spotlights the importance of handcrafted and artisanal skills. Does Perseverance London look for this human factor in its garments? Are artisanal processes used during the creation of the collections? Is it a kind of counter-answer to cheap, badly done fast fashion?
Not particularly, this is not something we are looking for in our fabrics and garments. All our products are machine-made, with a very clear finished look and quite an intense level of work throughout them.
You’ve presented the Spring/Summer 2018 collection recently. Could you please tell us more about it?
For Spring/Summer 2018 the main inspiration comes from the nostalgic pictures of the late British photographer David Hamilton, whose career peak was in the late ‘60s and ‘70s; but also the British summertime and British garden bloom. There are some bold and fresh colours such as coral, yellow, cornflower blue, some Liberty prints mixed and matched together, cotton broderie anglaise and lots of ruffle details.
I’ve noticed you don’t have an e-shop. Is there any reason behind that? It’s strange to see this in a time where online shopping has changed the paradigm of retail.
We want to set the base of the brand to be perfect and solid first, grow organically, and when the perfect timing comes, we will set our own e-shop. Right now, we are stocked in some big e-retailers and smaller e-shops.
Yes, we can find Perseverance London’s clothing throughout other e-commerces, as well as in physical retail stores. How do you choose the places where you want to sell your collections? Do you give more importance to physical stores or to e-commerce? Why?
This is something we have been working on closely together with sales teams, so they come to understand the brand and the product intimately. So far, we are very happy with where we are stocked.
We value both the same, they’re of the same importance. I personally love going shopping, feel and try on the product, but I do understand the importance of the e-commerce nowadays and I am also totally in favour of it. We don’t sell everywhere in the world yet, so some of these platforms facilitate the shipping worldwide and we often get enquiries from people trying to find something in their countries or that can be shipped over. I guess this is the future, so you can’t really go against it; you have to go with it.
We value both the same, they’re of the same importance. I personally love going shopping, feel and try on the product, but I do understand the importance of the e-commerce nowadays and I am also totally in favour of it. We don’t sell everywhere in the world yet, so some of these platforms facilitate the shipping worldwide and we often get enquiries from people trying to find something in their countries or that can be shipped over. I guess this is the future, so you can’t really go against it; you have to go with it.
We’ve seen celebrities like Jennifer Kirby or Maya Jama dressed in Perseverance London’s dresses, but who would you love to dress? Does it have a real impact on your sales when someone famous wears your clothes?
I am always happy to see anyone wearing Perseverance London, it’s a hype! But if I was to choose someone, that would have to be Kate Moss. She is my ultimate diva, I absolutely adore her and her style. I have been a fan of her since the ‘90s and I have been seeing her personal style change and adapt. Also, I could totally see her in Perseverance London.
I think it does have an impact, mainly because we are sort of an affordable brand, so if you see a celebrity wearing Perseverance London you can afford to buy the look.
I think it does have an impact, mainly because we are sort of an affordable brand, so if you see a celebrity wearing Perseverance London you can afford to buy the look.
In conclusion, what can we expect from Perseverance London from now on?
I think it is still early to reveal anything else than our two collections per year, but time will only tell. The beauty of starting a new project is that it’s like a white canvas or a sculpture that you keep moulding as you move along. So far I am happy to think that I founded Perseverance London believing that I can make women be themselves in my clothes and feel dynamic and beautiful. This is the purpose and allows me to say the achievement of the brand.