Firstly, who is Yasmin Sewell?

Buyer, stylist, fashion consultant, British Fashion Council committee member, creative director. The list goes on. Yasmin Sewell is truly an inspiration. Sewell is someone who not only knows fashion, but indeed to many she is fashion.

With stores and brands under her belt by her early twenties, she progressed through her career as a buyer to where she is today – owner of some of the coolest brands in town.

Read on, as we explore two of Yasmin’s creations, Beach In The East and être cécile, both on sale with us today.

Where did the idea for the Beach In The East pop-up project come from?
We were responding to the increasing need to come up with exciting new retail concepts, and so in reaction to a new trend and moment in fashion, Beach In The East was created as my first pop-up project with Paper Mache Tiger, in the heart of East London’s Shoreditch.

What was unique about the concept?
The pop-up store gave customers the surreal and transportive opportunity to escape into a summer world, inspired by the nostalgia of 70s California, Z-Boys, the Lords of Dogtown and being young, wild and free.

Meshing the mood of that era with the trends of today, in a custom-designed full-size replica concrete swimming pool installation (an homage to the LA skate scene), Beach In The East offered an array of bespoke and exclusive products created especially for the unique retail concept.

What designers did you work with for Beach In The East?
Across ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories, Beach In The East served up an exciting range of collaborations with some of today’s most exciting international designers and brands, including Acne, Sophia Webster, Thomas Tait, House of Holland, Peridot London, Frederick Maxwell Kingery, Reece Hudson, Jill Urwin, Joe Duke, Eddie Borgo, Silver Spoon Attire, Shackleton Bags and of course être cécile.

That brings us nicely onto our next question! What inspired you to create être cécile (EC)?
We felt like there was a gap in the market that really needed filling. Jemma (Dyas) and I both have a real love for wearing great tees and sweatshirts, but we were finding that if you wanted anything interesting, you had to pay £400 for a designer brand. Neither of us are designers, but we felt that we both know what people want to wear, and thought, why not start our own brand? We couldn’t find what we wanted to be wearing, so we decided to take things into our own hands!

What makes EC different from other brands?
Street-wear and t-shirt brands have had a real moment over the past couple of years, but most of them are still about that very casual, laid-back vibe. Where EC is different is that it’s designed to be able to put back with things like a tailored trouser or a Stella McCartney blazer, if that’s how you want to wear it. It’s about being able to wear a t-shirt or a sweatshirt, and still managing to feel really put-together.

What’s your favourite item from the collections so far?
I wear EC almost every day, so it’s hard to pinpoint a favourite, but I loved our collaboration with Laura Brown – that was really fun, and I love the CHARGE! Print. It feels very passionate, very French.

Your pieces have been worn by a lot of incredibly influential celebrities (Cara Delevingne etc), who would you love to see in your brand?
I recently saw Lupita Nyong’o in our Cheetah Insignia short sleeve sweat… she looked as incredible as you’d expect. That was quite an amazing moment – she’s just the girl of 2014, isn’t she? Christy Turlington was another highlight this year. I don’t think I can beat that!

What style advice would you give to someone wanting to buy your pieces?
EC is a brand for everyone – there’s not just one kind of ‘Cécile’ girl. Our customers are very varied, and seeing how girls all over the world incorporate it into their personal style is just as rewarding as seeing it worn by celebrities. The brand’s followers form a little global girl gang – I think the great thing about girls who wear Cécile is a sense of fun and confidence. If you have those things, you’ll look great in the brand.

You’re also a hugely popular street-styler! How do you decide what to wear every day?
What I decide to wear depends on what I have happening in my day. My schedule can be a bit mad, but if I’m going into the office or jumping on a plane, I’ll almost always be wearing at least one piece of EC, whether it’s a t-shirt, sweatshirt or joggers. I guess you could say they’re my wardrobe safety net! Given the opportunity though, I’m always ready to jump into lady mode and wear a really elegant skirt and heels. In a way my wardrobe explains the two very different sides of my personality.

What are your key pieces that every woman should own?
This will vary from person to person depending on their shape, but I think that key staples in a wardrobe include a great white shirt, blazer, tailored trousers, a piece of statement outerwear (for those days where you’re uninspired), and as cliché as it sounds, a fallback black dress. And of course a series of great t-shirts: which you can naturally look to Être Cécile for…

What are your plans for the brand in the future?
I’m really excited about where EC is headed – we’ve recently injected more categories into the brand, including denim, outerwear, dresses and skirts, so it’s truly becoming a womenswear brand, rather than the t-shirt label it was born as. We have some amazing collaborations coming up, and it’s such a thrill watching EC grow and develop into something much bigger than we ever imagined. It’s a lot of work, but a really rewarding creative outlet for us.

 

Here at BrandAlley, we’ve fallen in love with what we’ve seen and heard, and have had a bit of fun pulling out our fave pieces, and styling them out as we would wear them. Here are a few of our fave looks:

 

To get your hands on your fave pieces, check out both  Beach In The East and être cécile on sale today.