She’s the new ‘it’ girl of Perth fashion.
She's the new 'it' girl of Perth fashion: at 21, Natalie Rolt has opened her own boutique, single-handedly designed and produced her own pieces, and had her designs appear on runways such as the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival and worn by Miss Universe 2012 winner Renae Ayris, Shiralee Coleman and Samantha Harris.
Describe the feel of your Applecross boutique.
It has a very fresh, crisp, open atmosphere, with lots of natural lighting and a lovely breeze that flows through. I also give my customers an insight into the in-house studio and production area where I make all the pieces, where my clients can sit down and relax and have a squiz at my studio – if they didn't know I produced my garments myself, they soon find out!
What's the life of a fashion designer like behind the scenes?
Mostly no sleep and a LOT of coffee – luckily my boutique's next door to an amazing coffee shop called Coffea Fine Espresso. Designing and manufacturing pieces is on top of the million other jobs you have to do on a daily basis to run a business – running around like a crazy lady trying to beat deadlines that I always push myself to make.
Who is a Natalie Rolt-wearing girl?
The Natalie Rolt girl is confident, radiant and glows with an endless love of life. She's the girl turning heads while walking down the street, as her aura is contagious.
Your newly released swimwear collection looks awesome. Where did the inspiration come from?
I've just returned from two months in Europe, so I have tried to capture this within my SWIM14 collection). I also enjoy thinking of designs that are suitable for a bigger array of body shapes and sizes – I love being able to create a design that looks just as amazing on a size 6 to a 12, hence the use of rope in the collection. The rope is a major factor used so my customers can adjust and mould their bikinis to their desired tightness or looseness.
Summer is here! What excites you most about this season?
I love everything about summer – the atmosphere is amazing, and girls just want to wear beautiful bright colours, which is what I'm all about.
