Fashion: Long Live the King

Clare native Natalie King has graced many a One To Watch list in the fashion world, and it’s easy to see why. King’s luxury womenswear brand is edgy and innovative, featuring clean yet surprising cuts and compelling patterns. Timeless but oozing with personality, King’s collections are perfect for the contemporary fashionista who wants ensembles that can be worn as fierce workwear and as eye-catching evening outfits.
King’s interest in fashion emerged early, as she explains.
“I started to have a real interest in design when I was in my early teens,” she reflects. “I loved going into high-end boutiques and department stores and examining the garments. From shape to fabric, I was enthralled by the whole thing.”
King’s passion not only allowed her to thrive during her fashion studies, it also landed her work experience and jobs with many high-profile designers.
“I studied in UCA in the UK,” she says, “and stayed in London for seven years to get experience after I finished studying. I worked with designers like Betty Jackson, Erdem and Dolce & Gabbana, and gained the experience and knowledge to come back to Ireland and start my own brand.”
King uses a mixture of suedes, leathers, wools, silks and jerseys to create collections that have clean, strong looks. Her most recent collection, for example, features brightly coloured leather, kimono belts and graphic blocks of colour, encapsulating many elements of her style. 
“I love working with leather and like to include it somewhere in each collection,” she enthuses. “In our latest Spring Summer 17 collection, I layered colours and patterns in leather to create a strong look. We had fun in the studio mixing colours and building the patterns up. I love to have strong lines; it gives a silhouette to simpler pieces without the whole shape being unwearable.”
King’s striking designs have gained her many fans in the fashion world, and she’s been delighted to design specially commissioned pieces for many Irish actresses and personalities.
“I enjoyed working with Aoibhin Garrihy and Maria Walsh for the VIP Style Awards,” she says. “It was something different away from the collections. These kind of bespoke and one-off, high-end projects are always interesting, and it’s great when you can be more creative.”
At the moment, King is busy working on her Spring Summer 2018 collection, noting that, “We have some exciting leather and gold hardware mix pieces, and gorgeous fabrics brought in from Italy and France that will be really great to wear.”
If you’re dying to get your hands on some Natalie King designs – and we can’t blame you – there are a number of ways you can get in touch with her.
“I sell through Marion Cuddy Irish Designer Emporium in Powerscourt Townhouse in Dublin,” she says. “I am there every Wednesday for private appointments, as I do a big number of bespoke pieces. I also sell through Chic Boutique in Listowel and directly from our site. The studio is now based in the heart of Limerick, where we also do private appointments.”
And, of course, you can always visit her website, NatalieKingDesign.com, to get more information or just swoon over the collections.