Tatiana Alida Carrelet is a French-British artist who started her brand, Tatiana Alida in 2018. Her designs are colourful, playful and whimsical with a focus on femininity. Over the past two years, Tatiana has worked for the likes of Victoria Beckham, Liberty London, Wild by Tart and The Red Cross for Suitcase Magazine.
We paid Tatiana a visit on a blustery autumn afternoon in her bright West London flat to talk about her recent work, her favourite colour combinations and the inspiration behind her playful creations.
Can you tell us a bit about your career path so far?
I studied art and design at school where I did a B-Tech and then went on to University to continue my studies in art. I later went on to gain experience in fashion PR but soon realised it wasn’t for me and decided that I wanted to try and pursue a career as an artist. I started off by taking a few small jobs on the side such as working in retail and babysitting whilst I got everything off the ground. Once Tatiana Alida was becoming more of a success, I stopped working my jobs on the side and started to just focus solely on my brand.
What has been your non-negotiable daily ritual through lockdown?
I have to have a bath almost every night! I am obsessed with Badedas bath products and bring them with me everywhere, even when I go on holiday. I love the smell of it; it always relaxes me and makes me think of bedtime.
Do you have any favourite colour combinations?
I love green and pink, red and pink and brown with a pastel blue. It’s funny because when I was younger I used to always love pink and green – I used to put outfits together with that sort of colour combination all the time. It was such a faux pas back then to ever consider wearing something that might clash in any way – it’s so funny to think that in the fashion industry now, it’s all the rage!
Where do you tend to look for inspiration for your work?
I look through so many old magazines, scour my big collection of art books that I’ve collected over the years and I visit as many different galleries as I can – I’m lucky to live in London for that. I also have a big old scrapbook of things I’ve collected over the years and I go back to it for inspiration. Sometimes the things that weren’t so interesting to me previously have a way of making an impression on me further down the line. There are things I notice a second or third time around that I didn’t when I first found them. I can always find inspiration from the different aspects of the work I’ve collected which I love.
Are you reading anything at the moment?
I’ve just started reading the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It’s about a young boy named Theo who experiences a bombing when out with his mother. He, unlike his mother, manages to survive and steals a painting from the gallery where the incident took place. The story surrounds his life from that point onwards and how he manages his grief as he grows up. It’s a very descriptive book and although I haven’t finished it yet, I am loving reading about his new friend Boris and the rebellious things they get up to when they hang out.
Do you have a recent project of which you’re most proud of?
I loved working with Victoria Beckham. It was really cool to see how the design process worked in such a big and successful business and obviously to have the opportunity to do that. Working with her and her team was superb. It’s been amazing to see my work physically on a product and in a shop – it’s really surreal and very satisfying. This project is definitely the one I’m most proud of considering I have only been doing this as my main line of work for about a year and a half.
Is there a place for sustainability within your work?
Yes. My flatmates and I are really into sustainability and we’ve been watching the David Attenborough programs a lot in lockdown. I have always recycled and been conscious of sustainability but ultimately I think it would be incredibly selfish to start producing new products that weren’t in line with this values. My work is very much made from paper, which can be widely recycled, but in the future, if I were to make other products I would need to be conscious of where I source my materials from and that they don’t have a negative impact on the environment.
What is your favourite Evermore Scent and why?
I love Moon – it reminds me of how the moon might smell if it were a marshmallow. It’s a beautiful scent and I love the way it looks on my mantelpiece – it’s a classic but striking design. I really like the poetic text on the back of the candle ‘blooming under the light of the moon’ and I’ll definitely repurpose the glass for something else once the candle has finished burning.
Follow Tatiana Alida on Instagram:
@tatiana_alida
Visit Tatiana Alida’s Website:
tatianaalidadesign.com
– Images by Liz Seabrook