{"id":14612,"date":"2017-11-08T17:40:56","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T22:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/?p=14612"},"modified":"2018-02-23T18:18:24","modified_gmt":"2018-02-23T23:18:24","slug":"pink-tartan-kim-newport-mimran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2017\/11\/08\/pink-tartan-kim-newport-mimran\/","title":{"rendered":"Designer Profile: Pink Tartan’s Kim Newport-Mimran"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kim Newport-Mimran is on fast-forward. She\u2019s prepping photo shoots for the fall collection of her Pink Tartan brand, orchestrating a big studio move and nabbing the finale-show spot at Toronto Fashion Week, a mere week-and-a-half away. But when we chat, the voice on the other end of the line is upbeat, calm even.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to change the space up,\u201d she says of her recent move, speaking with the confidence of a woman who knows what she wants.<\/p>\n

Besides the practical reasons (the convenience of an elevator), there\u2019s the drive to improve e-commerce (by shooting her own digital campaigns) and the desire for a fresh perspective \u2014 all of these paved the way toward a new location. \u201cWe needed to have quicker access to our product,\u201d she explains. \u201cBefore, we used to go through third-party warehousing.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

The bright and big open-concept space of the new studio is a minimalist\u2019s dream. There are no doors, the walls are stark white and the ceilings sky-high, and the beautiful display racks are filled with tidily arranged product. Says Newport- Mimran, \u201cThere\u2019s no place for anything to hide anymore. It\u2019s just a nice, fresh change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trading spaces isn\u2019t the only big change.<\/p>\n

Pink Tartan has up its chic sleeves. The fashion brand, which is known for its sleek, sophisticated designs, is in the throes of arguably one of its biggest business transitions since branching out into retail concept stores in 2010, and that is bringing the manufacturing of most of her products home to Canada.<\/p>\n

After an intense buying trip that had her racking up miles all over the globe, Newport- Mimran felt the urge to take a step back and turn her focus towards Canada. Dubbed #CanadianChic online as well as in brick- and-mortar stores, Pink Tartan is engaging its customers in a \u201ctrue north\u201d shopping experience and connection \u2014 via products made and designed by Canadians, alongside the stories behind them.<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing the manufacturing closer to home allows me to have a closer eye on the product as it\u2019s getting developed,\u201d Newport-Mimran points out. Much like the transparency that people now require in terms of the origin of the food they eat, she believes they also want to know where their clothes are coming from and that they\u2019re sustainable \u2014 instead of simply being ultimately driven by price.<\/p>\n

At the moment, recycled denim is on her radar. Citing environmental concerns associated with manufacturing, Newport-Mimran tapped local embroiderers, beaders and artists to create recycled-denim one-of-a kind pieces that are similar to works of art. \u201cWe are ethical and we make beautiful clothes that are investment pieces. Every piece has a story that we try to pass on, so customers have a relationship with the brand and with what they\u2019re wearing.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

It\u2019s precisely this mindset \u2014 connecting consumers with an experience and lifestyle \u2014 that helped launch Pink Tartan\u2019s first flagship shop, in 2010 \u2014 Seventy Seven in the upscale Yorkville neighbourhood in midtown Toronto. In addition to wares from the brand, clientele are encouraged to shop a mix of home and
\ngift items and off-label with vintage. It\u2019s the same recipe that is currently making Gwyneth Paltrow\u2019s Goop pop-ups a success.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like it when there\u2019s a story and integral reason why the products are chosen to be in the store,\u201d says Newport-Mimram. \u201cIt always relates to the style message I\u2019m putting out every season.\u201d<\/p>\n

In keeping with the brand\u2019s classic DNA, Newport-Mimram revisited the almighty shirt \u2014 wearable but cool \u2014 and teamed up with some of her most trusted Canadian fashion stylists to rework her favourite classics for her fall collection. There\u2019s a trench-coat collaboration with George Antonopoulos, a perfect parka co-creation with Susie Sheffman and a smart editor\u2019s pant co-designed with Zeina Esmail. \u201cI wanted to bring the stylist in at the beginning of the design process versus them editing at the end because they have such a good eye,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no denying the monumental shift from print to digital in the fashion space; yet, for this designer, relying on her instincts matters most, whether it\u2019s curating the products for her website, switching to shooting digitally focused campaigns or giving customers the instant gratification she knows they crave. Take Pink Tartan\u2019s involvement with the newly rebranded Toronto Fashion Week in September this year. While other designers are giving glimpses into their spring offerings, Newport-Mimran decided against it. \u201cI don\u2019t like the gap,\u201d she says. \u201cBy the time spring clothes make it to retail, you\u2019ve forgotten about them. It\u2019s more about letting me show you immediately what I have.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Kim Newport-Mimran<\/a><\/div>\n

 Luckily for Pink Tartan, it has a reputation for a distinct aesthetic, which is why it has attracted fans beyond the fashion set.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always flattering when people love your aesthetic enough to hire you to bring something from their brand to life,\u201d says Newport- Mimran, now referring to her corporate gigs designing uniforms for hip hotels like the 60 Thompson in New York, trendy restaurants like Toronto\u2019s La Palma and her much- talked-about work for Porter Airlines, which, she acknowledges, helped differentiate the marketplace. \u201cIt\u2019s really great because your work lives on.\u201d<\/p>\n

But although quick to credit her career success from learning things the hard way, Newport-Mimran says her role model is her husband and partner of 16 years, Joe Mimran, of Club Monaco and Joe Fresh fame. \u201cHe\u2019s brilliant at everything he does and makes it look so easy, and I know it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

And it\u2019s no surprise that the design-focused duo are avid art collectors and that their meticulously curated homes in Toronto, New York and Palm Beach are frequently featured in home d\u00e9cor magazines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nice thing about art is how it\u2019s all threaded together like fashion,\u201d says Newport- Mimran. \u201cLove of fabrics and [love of] texture are the same, [and] whether it\u2019s for a dress or a couch or chair, colour can really speak to you.\u201d In her particular case, Newport-Mimram favours sculptures. She then notes the Thomas Houseago mask positioned on a plinth, and the Nara painting hanging on a wall in the couple\u2019s room \u2014 a constant reminder of their daughter, Jacqueline, now 16.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

Last year, Kim Newport-Mimran received the Women of Influence distinction. Though flattered to be recognized this way, she maintains that at the end of the day she\u2019s just a rough-and-tumble working girl. \u201cI\u2019m schlepping \u2014 carrying things \u2014 all the time. I\u2019ve got
\na French bulldog. I\u2019ve got a kid. I\u2019m pinning mannequins, doing fittings. But I still want to look good.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that, in essence, is why Pink Tartan appeals to the everywoman.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a POV [point of view] that shows through in the clothes I design. You just have to go out and roll up your sleeves and bring something to market that people like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

By Tania Kwong – *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Winter 2017<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Photos: Pink Tartan<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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