21 Years of Designers at Debenhams – Pearce & Fionda interview

To celebrate 21 years of Designers At Debenhams collections, many of the Designers have created one signature piece to be part of a bespoke celebratory collection. Pearce and Fionda have created this amazing black fishtail gown and I had the opportunity to ask them a few questions about being one of the Designers at Debenhams and about their piece from the celebratory collection.

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Q. You were one of the first designers to join the Designers at Debenhams team, what

made you want to join the initiative and how do you think your collections have

evolved over the years?

We wanted to work with Debenhams as we believed we would be able to

extend the availability of our designs to a much wider audience, and

although the designer at Debenhams brand was in its infancy, we could

see that it had great potential.

Q. How do you translate the luxurious red carpet quality of your designs into a more

affordable high street collection? Which elements are really important for you that

you won’t compromise on?

Our red carpet Pearce fionda dresses are quite intricate in their cut and

construction, and very time consuming to manufacture. in our piif range

we concentrate on the essence of the style, emulating the silhouette

and proportion without the complexity. The Debenhams team can source

similar fabrics , embroidery and beadwork at a more affordable price

without sacrificing quality.

Q. What does the process involve to move the design from concept to shop floor when

creating your Pearce II Fionda for Debenhams designs?

Research and design ideas are the start point of all our designs, these

are then worked up into toiles and first samples which need to be

perfected before moving on to the final pre production sample. When

this is finalised it then moves straight into production.

Q. Your Pearce II Fionda collection at Debenhams is aimed at the evening wear market

– what kind of woman wears your collection, describe her in three words?

 Confident, Modern & Chic.

Q. Your piece as part of the celebratory collection is a black fishtail gown which is

simply beautiful – would you say this is your signature look and shape and why do

you love this silhouette so much?

This is one of our signature looks! This silhouette has personified

elegance through the ages, and has a proportion that is inherent in its
construction that flatters and accentuates the female form.