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As Fashion Weekend Manchester approaches, Andrew Watson catches up with award-winning local fashion stylist and illustrator Paula McNamara to find out what it takes to survive in her cut-throat industry.
"You can't miss me - I'm very tall and have a black bob; people say I look like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction," said Paula McNamara in our first telephone conversation, and as she gets up to greet me I realise she was not joking. She looks like she has just walked out of the Quentin Tarantino film to materialise in Kro Piccadilly and lost the make-up and John Travolta on the way. But the weirdest thing is she fits right in so when a waitress takes our lunch order she does not ask her if she would like a burger and a five-dollar shake (she orders the salmon fishcakes and grapefruit juice, by the way, just in case you were wondering).
Despite her striking appearance, she is quite shy and looks uncomfortable talking about herself. Yet she has much to shout about.
According to her CV, she was born in Manchester, studied fashion in Salford and took part in the One Tree Project, organised by Garry Olson and Peter Toaig, when she left college.
She explains: "The One Tree Project involved 75 artists who created various works of art and craft from a single oak tree donated by Tatton Park. I produced a collection of costumes constructed mainly from the leaves, branches and sawdust left after the tree was removed. This organic matter was complemented by artificial materials, such as plastics, wire and diamanté, to show that natural and unnatural materials can be carefully balanced to work together. The importance of this environmental project was that it began in Manchester, toured the country and now the idea has been adopted by other countries."
Her recent focus is on fashion illustration and she could boast (if she were the boasting type) a few solo exhibitions in Manchester and beyond, including two at Harvey Nichols Manchester and one at Love Ketchup in London.
This summer she was crowned Best of Manchester (fashion category) in a highly contested competition to find the best creatives in the city in fashion, visual arts and music. The awards ceremony, which was held at Urbis and presented by Peter Saville, saw McNamara beat off stiff competition from Gorgeous Couture creative director Warren Bardsley and fashion label Me & Yu.
"I wasn't expecting to win, I was shocked," she exclaims. "When they called my name all I could think of was 'I wish I hadn't drunk so much beforehand'."
Her face brightens up when she talks about her illustration work, which combines interiors, architecture and fashion and is influenced by Aubrey Beardsley, Toulouse Lautrec, Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt and Erte.
"I draw inspiration from the Art Deco period and the stylish illustrative Vogue covers of the 1920s and 30s, but adding a modern twist," she says. "My style has become quite architectural; I love details and the simplicity and purity of working in line. But I don't totally abandon technology - I take full advantage of the colour palette that Photoshop has to offer, enjoying the purity of hand-drawn drawings and allowing modern technology to enhance my work."
A look at her fascinating portfolio makes you realise the 'Best of Manchester' judges were absolutely right about her. This lady should be able to have her pick of projects, but with fashion illustration work being so thin on the ground she is happy to do whatever pays the bills, including working on TV commercials for kitchens and photoshoots for Barbie products. She says it's all good fun, but would she not be better off in London?
"Good question. I often thought about moving down South, but not anymore. I love visiting London but I would go crazy living there. It's so far from the Peak District where I go rambling. I'm comfortable here."
McNamara may sound upbeat but she is fully aware that the fashion industry in Manchester is a very tough world. This, she says, makes the precious few survivors worth some respect.
"I admire the people who survive within the fashion industry, like Oi Polloi, Rags to Bitches, Ringspun, Gorgeous Couture, Me & Yu, Helen Littler, all the independents in Afflecks Palace, the tailor on the corner of Oak Street, and Louise and Eulin at White Peg Laundry who wash everyone's smalls and repair their clothing, all based in the Northern Quarter.
"I admire independents and their survival on getting it right. This is no easy task, it's a cut-throat industry. Whether you're a designer or in retail, providing a service, it's about having the knack of not trying to compete with the large high-street retailers but providing a product and service to the more discerning shopper that the high street does not offer.
"Gorgeous Couture is a good example of a fashion design company that made it big. This is the success that we should be celebrating and supporting. I would never wear a Gorgeous Couture frock (Girls Aloud do). But I admire Warren's determination to survive in this industry and be taken seriously."
High-profile fashion events like last year's Little Black Dress and the forthcoming Fashion Weekend are doing a good job putting local designers in the spotlight and giving the local fashion industry a boost. But McNamara thinks the city can do much more to support local talent.
"Make sure that affordable premises are available for new designers and retailers, like Islington Mill - that needs desperate financial help - and Lower Ormand Street. We need affordable units for creatives.
"Keep areas like the Northern Quarter independent; make sure the likes of McDonald's do not get their greasy mitts on the area.
"Let designers use St Ann's Square to sell their collections, that's where the customer is, instead of that smelly dark corridor on Tib Street - how can they compete with Primark opposite?"
Facts have an annoying way of asserting their inescapability. And the fact is that the number of fashion designers and independent retailers going out of business is depressingly large and ever-growing. Equally depressing is the fact that many local talented fashion designers and stylists feel they have to move to London and abroad to succeed. But when those who stay behind have the talent and passion of Paula McNamara, can you blame me for leaving the interview with a smile on my face?
Check out Paula McNamara's work on www.paulamcnamara.net