Kylie Mangan describes herself as a bit of a tomboy. Her self-titled label has a masculine touch with a feminine feel. She will come back to New Zealand from her new home in the Gold Coast to showcase her collection in the Miramoda show at NZ Fashion Week for the second time. Kylie likes to design easy to wear clothing so she uses a lot of wool and woollen fabrics. Although her garments are designed to be comfortable they all have a twist in the design, some you have to look closely for. Kylie gained a Fashion Design and Technology Diploma at the Bay of Plenty Polytech before she had a family and moved to the Gold Coast. Her label has been a long time coming as it has been something she has wanted to do since childhood. Kylie’s favourite thing about the fashion industry is that it is always changing, which makes designers like her free to explore what they want and not be tied to trends. Her least favourite thing about the fashion industry is the outlay costs for starting up a label. Beginning her own label is a big commitment for Kylie but she has big ambitions for the growth of her brand. She hopes to evolve Kylie Mangan into a luxury brand that has the resources to design in new channels, such as handbags. Kylie is also concerned with the contribution the fashion industry has on the environment, especially when she heard that it is the second leading contributor to waste in the world. Kylie keeps this in mind when designing a label she wishes to sustain in the future. So far, Kylie’s career highlight is showcasing at NZ Fashion Week last year and she is looking forward to this year’s event just as much.
