Dunedin-based designer Tanya Carlson says she has always had a love of dress-ups - fabric, fabrication and pretty things. “My earliest memories of people and places always seem to revolve around clothes. I was always fascinated by what people wore and can often recall details of the clothes more than details of the events themselves,” Carlson says.
Carlson learned to sew at school and made her own clothes from an early age. Fashion design was always on the agenda, though fine art ran a very close second. In fact, at age 17 Carlson moved to Sydney to study painting and printmaking at the highly regarded East Sydney Technical College. Even now, her artistic eye informs her approach to design.
On completion of her two year Fine Art Certificate, Carlson studied for a Diploma of Fashion Design at the same college. On graduation, Carlson returned to Dunedin and started her own label – Carlson – in 1997.
Carlson is known for stunning collections which marry a strong concept with superb tailoring and exquisite detail.
Carlson specialises in beautifully crafted clothing, always with an element of surprise. Handpainted fabrics, delicate hand-beading or an unexpected construction technique are elements of Carlson’s fashion signature. “I like the clothes to be beautiful and sexy, with a real twist of humour,” Tanya Carlson says.
Carlson's gorgeous, gracious designs not only attract rave reviews, but a dedicated customer following. Carlson has stockists throughout New Zealand, and Australia.
Several Carlson pieces are now in the permanent collection at Te Papa, the National Museum of New Zealand. Carlson also has a strong pedigree in Dance Costuming with celebrated creations with a number of top choreographers and artists – including Douglas Wright, Michael Parmenter, Daniel Belton and Frances Hodgkins fellow Rohan Whealleans.