How 2 design school besties started British it-brand Poster Girl
Once upon a time in the Noughties, when hipster jeans and (pierced) belly button-flashing chainmail crop tops were abundant, Paris Hilton wore one scandalous dress: ultra plunge neckline, with absolutely no back to it and almost no booty covered.
It was sparkling chainmail with an attached choker — we think you know the one. Years later, two super talented Central Saint Martins graduates were on a night out in East London and vowed to make one stunning chainmail collection. Poster Girl 1.0 is born.
Meet Tash and Frankie, the makers of a series of super hot, super soft and lightweight mesh-metal dresses and co-ords…. worn by the likes of British singer-songwriter-model Rina Sawayama and popstar of “Hotter Than Hell” fame Dua Lipa.
But don’t think Poster Girl is a one trick pony, the next series is set to be made out of an entirely different material and we can only wonder what it’ll be.
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Hey Tash, hey Frankie, how did you two meet?
Tash: We met at Central St Martins on the BA Womenswear course — Frankie turned up 2 weeks late in red stilettos, so naturally we were instant friends.
What’s the best thing about working as a duo?
Frankie: You get twice as much done! We bounce ideas off of each other so well and really play to our individual strengths; I have a background in tailoring and Tash in leather and latex — so together we gel really well. Late nights are far more tolerable too…
How did Poster Girl start?
Well like all great ideas it began really on a night out… we actually were both wearing chainmail tops from my 90s collection and we knew we could do a much better job with the design and making.
Do any of the fashion brands and houses you’ve previously worked for influence your work?
Frankie: I think the experience we have in previous houses has really helped us in understanding the process and attention to detail in our collections. Tash has experience from John Galliano, Jeremy Scott & Bvlgari — myself at Christian Dior, Alexander Wang and Vivienne Westwood. It has really helped us get a good perspective of how to run a label.
Your casting is fire, how do you find your models?
Tash: Some are our friends, some we scout through Instagram, some will even approach us. We are drawn to individuality mostly and love seeing our pieces on a variety of girls.
Who is the poster girl for Poster Girl?
Frankie: There are quite a few, one of them would be Valentina Tereshkova — the first woman to go into space. We really love sci-fi movies like Fifth Element and love a female heroine. Charlize Theron in Mad Max and 80s Madonna also make the cut.
Your dresses remind us of what Kendall wore to her 21st which was inspired by Paris Hilton in the noughties. Is your work influenced by that era in any way?
Tash: We’re big fans of The Simple Life so there is bound to be essences of the noughties, we always want to be modern in our approach though – one of our main influences derives from more of a contemporary aesthetic. It’s also key for us to be pushing the boundaries of what fabrics and materials we use.
Where do you live, where do you eat and where do you shop?
Frankie: We both live in East London and our studio is based in Hackney. It’s like the Brooklyn of New York I suppose, so endless bars and places to eat! These days most of our shopping is done online — finding a one off piece or good bargain isn’t that common in London.
Describe the perfect night out in London to wear a Poster Girl dress…
Tash: A Poster Girl piece is that one item in your wardrobe which is your go to for any night out, whether it be to a local bar in East or big night West! You’ll always be the centre of attention…
What can we look forward to from Poster Girl 1.1?
We can’t give away much but we’re so excited as we’ve been incredibly lucky to shoot in a space designed by one of our favourite architects Zaha Hadid!
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