Structured tailoring, retro influences and romantic ruffles and bows. Julia Rebaudo meets Sairah Hicks, the fashion designer behind label Evie Belle

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a fashion designer with your very own label? A dream secretly, whimsically, harboured by almost anyone who loves clothes. Imagine it. You could you have your own little office space come studio, decked out with quirky, vintage furniture finds you’ve customised yourself, take regular trips to source gorgeous woollen fabrics from Europe, wear your own samples and use traditional old English factories known for their quality and workmanship. Which is pretty much exactly what Sairah Hicks of Evie Belle has done. Oh, and she’s not even 30!

Having studied fashion at Winchester School of Art, Sairah soon got a job as a pattern cutter. “I learnt a lot about the technical side, especially tailoring and the construction of women’s clothes. The technical know-how is such an integral part of the design, to know exactly how a garment is constructed and what’s going to work,” says Sairah.

Sairah then moved to a larger fashion company to work as a designer. “I learnt a lot about outerwear and coats, that’s why tailoring is such a strong point in the Evie Belle collection," Sairah explains. "Then my managing director set up a new company and I became head designer there. I was 24. I had a team of 18 people. It was incredible and scary. But I thought this was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.” After 18 months, with help from her boss, Sairah developed her own label, Evie Belle, and put together her first collection.

It sounds so easy! So what about the name? “Evie was a character in the TV series House of Eliot. As a young girl I loved that programme and I dreamt of being in the 1920s wearing a kimono with my jewels and a little black bob," laughs Sairah. "That was one of my biggest influences, inspiring me to be a designer in the first place. Belle means beautiful. Both words together, translated from Latin, mean ‘to breathe beauty’.”

An inspired name and perhaps part of the appeal for the wide-ranging clientele – Evie Belle’s clients include models, musicians and journalists. “We had a customer profile when we set up the business. It was 25-50 year old women interested in fashion and style and who understood good quality fabrics," says Sairah. "But the age range has been really diverse. We’ve had models who are 16 years old and then their grandmothers! We've also been well received in the music industry – I do a lot of styling for music videos. Rochine Murphy from Moloko for instance!"

“For fabrics I go to Premier Vision in Paris twice a year to get my first initial feeling of the season. I have a lot of contacts with fabric mills, mainly Italian as they so good with woollens. But we’ve also got some really nice British fabrics for this season. Everything is made in the UK – we’re one of the few! It costs more but it’s good to have the control and keep an eye on it.”

And any designer worth her salt has her inspirational favourites. “My favourite designers are Dries van Noten – fantastic use of fabric. Balenciaga, for the structure, clean lines and intricate tailoring," says Sairah. "I’ve always loved Marni for the aesthetic and quirkiness. On a more commercial level Clements Ribeiro and Paul and Joe. On the high street it has to be Topshop – I’ve designed for their boutique designer ranges.”

So what are the clothes like? For the winter collection think well-tailored, and romantic, ruffles and bows, in deep warm colours, greys and plums, navy blues and chocolate browns, most definitely for a Wuthering Heights-type turn around the country side moors. Although the clothes look very grown-up different pieces can be matched with almost anything. “I’ve seen some interesting mixes. This dress, a silk satin blue skirt with a black corseted top, was worn by an actress for a shoot, and she had it on with some scruffy black brogues! I’d originally envisaged it with Christian Louboutin stilettos,” says Sairah. “But that’s what it’s about, people styling it as they want to. It’s great to wear the knitwear and structured jackets with jeans, whereas the formal tailoring is good for special occasions.”

To make each piece even more special, Sairah gives each garment its own name. “Everything has a name. It’s just whatever comes into my head!" Sairah laughingly admits. "This jacket is called Hettie, and these trousers are called Slate. This smock is called Ora – it’s a day dress, you could wear it with think opaque tights.”

Sairah is now on her seventh collection, Spring/Summer 07, which she will be showing at London Fashion Week this September. “The inspiration for each collection differs," Sairah explains. "The 1940s has influenced me as much as the 1920s. Each season you find something from another era that can contribute to your design. For the current collection the 1940s are the biggest inspiration, nipped in waists, wide-legged trousers, mannish tailoring and silk blouses which were very big in the 40s.”

As well as offering a styling service, Sairah also makes garments to measure. “We do a made to measure service. It’s been really successful. People come in all shapes and sizes and we can create an outfit that fits perfectly. It’s great for special occasions. We can also do your styling as well, spending a day choosing shoes, accessories and jewellery.”

And coming up in the new Spring/Summer collection? “The tuxedo look is so strong for winter, structured jackets with loose trousers," Sairah says enthusiastically. "I think this will carry through to the Spring/Summer for lightweight fabrics like linen. We have lighter colours and floral patterns and prints for the summer, trench coats with belts, 1950s swimwear inspired tops with lots of pin tucking detail and structured panelling. And we have floaty silk chiffons in fitted dresses with covered buttons.”

And there’s no getting away from the abundance of bows. “We’ve got pencil skirts with really over-sized bows, big satin bow blouses, and the high-waisted trousers have a big sash bow! I have quite a fetish for bows!” admits Sairah. Ah, the excesses of a fashion designer...

Stocked by boutique Varli in Notting Hill (just off Portobello Road).
See the Evie Belle collection via the website. Sairah will send you a CD with the full range of clothes. Arrange to visit her studio for a trying on session. Visit Evie Belle at www.eviebelle.com

Photograph: Lisa Marker