STYLE SESSIONS | PAUL & PAULA

Welcome to the second round of Style Session With! I feel like I am just getting warmed up, and time around I have gotten the chance to ask a couple of question to a designer who I have admired for a while now. Based right here in Melbourne, Australia, Paul & Paula is a completely handmade label created by talented seamstress Kerstin Steger. Having a great love for fabric, it didn't take long until Kerstin started falling in love with making her own tiny fashion. With a great eye for detail and a love for all things fun and stylish, Kerstin is well on her way in the small fashion world, here she shares a few answers on how it all started and where she is heading towards...

Can you tell us a little about how Paul & Paula got started? What is the inspiration behind it and how did you come up with the name? 

Paul & Paula pretty much started from using up fabric scraps. I used to run a small label when I was living and studying back home in Berlin making womenswear. I'm a bit of a fabric hoarder and find it hard to throw out offcuts. At that time a few of my close friends had babies and one thing led to the other and I started making teeny tiny little things for babies.

Paul & Paula is named after a popular east German movie which I watched way too many times in my youth.

What is the hardest/most rewarding with having your own label?

I absolutely love what I'm doing... cutting, sewing, drawing, printing and playing around with fabrics. So pretty much - I feel really lucky to have turned my passion into a job.  The most rewarding thing is probably to be able to dress my little man in my favorite things. AND - I hardly ever have to buy clothes for him! Seeing other kids wearing my things is also pretty special I must admit.

The hardest thing about having your own label is finding time for everything. On top of designing, pattern making and sewing there are also many hours spend in front of my computer emailing,  ordering fabric, updating website/online shop.....my 'To Do' list is never ending! Sometime I wish I had 10 arms and legs. Leading up to markets things get very chaotic around here.
I am loving your bat hoodie and your lovely warm stylish vest in your collection, can you share some other new items you have been adding in your shop lately?

One of my new favourite styles at the moment are the stretchy denim leggings..they are getting a bit of a work out in our house....that's for sure!  The woolen vest are pretty ace too...so warm and toasty.

One of the things about Paul & Paula that is so wonderful to me is that you hand make everything in your collection. How do you puzzle the time between being a busy mum and a clothing designer? (I am sure a lot of readers would like to know.)

I'm a night owl, once the little man is in bed I make myself a coffee and get working. That's the great thing of having your studio at home. I never go to bed before midnight. I also have two full days where my boy is at childcare and I try to get as much done as possible.....those day are always full steam ahead. While screen printing in the laundry, I'll be answering emails, cutting, sewing and checking the garments, off to the post office run, cooking, washing until its pick up time again.

Most of the time I forget to have breakfast or lunch!  For the rest of the week, the little man is my priority. His daily naptime = quick sewing sessions. Last but not least I've got a very supportive partner who also runs his own business and is flexible most days to lend an extra set of hands.


What is coming up next for Paul & Paula? Any future plans or inspirations you can share with us?

Some new summer pieces! Once I get time to sit down and do some designing. I would love to do more screen printing and maybe even start printing my own fabric....that's the plan anyway.

A big thanks to Kerstin Steger for taking the time to do an Q&A with us, and for taking us on a tour on the life behind Paul & Paula. I always find it a huge inspiration to read about all the efforts that goes into making your own label and it makes it so much more special when you are dressing your little ones in threads that have this much love put into them! For more great designs from Paul & Paula please visit their shop and website!

VISIT PAUL & PAULA.