HAVE LOVE WILL TRAVEL: INTERVIEW WITH KYLIE DADSON OF BEAU IN THE WOODS

Sublimely personal and nostalgic designer, Kylie Dadson is all about celebrating memories surrounding family and travel. With pieces truly from the heart, Dadson's label Beau In The Woods, is the perfect culmination of her two biggest loves - photography and fashion. Her resort collection, titled Summer Breaks in Miami Bitch, is a more fun, free-spirited and retro take on the label's general aesthetic, featuring bright rainbow block colours contrasted against heavenly pastels and prints, and inspired by New York City blossoms, Barbie’s house and Bali’s turquoise pool waters.
B&B: How did you come up with the title for your resort collection, Summer Breaks in Miami Bitch?

KD: The LMFAO song had a definite influence! I couldn't get it out of my head whilst designing the collection so just threw it in last minute! Summer Breaks is our signature print of this collection - a polaroid-esque print story based around photos from my own collection (and family!) and also a few of our favourite "pins" of dreamy, beach inspired summer holidays.
B&B: What do you try and achieve with each new collection you unveil?
KD: I just want people to feel happy wearing it really! We love telling the stories behind each print and then having our Beau Girls looking at their own personal photos in a new way. It's fabulous when people are out doing their thing and then they snap something on their phone and bring it in to show us. I had a gorgeous customer recently tell me I should go to Papa New Guinea to photograph the bananas for a print … um, yes I would love to! A lot of the feedback we receive (about the collections) is that it reminds people of their own holidays and we always hear people passing on the stories to others. That's pretty fab!

B&B: Describe the ultimate Beau Girl.
KD: She just does her own thing. I do have a few favourites, lots actually, but one girl in particular… she originally wore one of our printed jumpsuits to her school formal. She is now a few years out of school and into the world, travelling around, doing her thing. This season she wore our resort pants with the matching cami and loved the print so much she bought the dress too! This kind of describes our girl - she is constantly discovering who she is, she is confident in her travels and has an open mind to the world. Basically she just rocks what she loves and loves what she does.
B&B: Travel plays such a mammoth part in your inspiration for designing – where has been your favourite travel destination to date?
KD: That is definitely the most hardest question to answer! I love everywhere that I go! Countries where you learn about another culture and completely changes your view are just the best. India, my most recent trip, definitely did that for me. The history just blew my mind and the people are so, so lovely. The food, the textiles, the landscape, the sounds, the chai - oh so much! I am literally craving in my bones to go back. We did north to south in 3 weeks. I would definitely say don't allow any less than 6 weeks if you plan go.

B&B: Where are you off to next?
KD: I really really want to go to Mexico and Cuba- take a million pics and fill my suitcases with embroidery. Kick it off by flying into LA and driving down to Vegas. But that trip will need a bit of time to take off/save/convince my husband/friends so I think Japan might be a little more realistically on the cards! Domestically, I love going to Tasmania. It really is so amazingly beautiful.
B&B: You've collaborated with Col Ellis and for your last collection, artist Matt Stewart. Are there any other collaborations lined up for 2014?
KD: I have been working with a gorgeous artist from Byron Bay, Kristel Warton. She created this amazing abstract artwork which we are currently sampling as a print for SS14/15. As much as I love the boys, it's so much fun collaborating with a girl and obsessing over dresses together!
B&B: Top 3 creatives you would love to work with, dead or alive?
KD: Jenny Kee - I have the biggest print crush on her! Sophia Webster, her shoes I think I love more than some people I know (joking!), and Roy Lichtenstein for the 60's speech bubbles!
B&B: In what direction do you hope to see Beau In The Woods in 5 years' time?
KD: Ideally, I hope to grow our online business to service summers all over the world. It's an exciting time to be in the fashion industry at the moment, kind of like being in a huge crowd and jumping up and down to see who will notice what you are wearing… only time will tell!
To find out more about Beau In The Woods or to get your shop on, visit www.beauinthewoods.com