Isabella Rose Taylor

Photo Courtesy Of Isabella Rose Taylor

WHAT'S GROWING UP AND LIVING IN AUSTIN, TEXAS LIKE?

I think growing up in Austin has been really great. We have lakes here to go paddle boarding on, which is something I enjoy doing. There are plenty of outdoor activities and events going on every weekend. There’s also a big music scene here if you love music. I would say that Austin has a small town feel with all the big city amenities. One warning about Austin is that it's very hot in the summer so you need to be by water!

YOU STARTED PAINTING AT THE TENDER AGE OF THREE. DO YOU COME FROM A LONG LINE OF PICASSOS OR IS THE ABILITY INNATE AND INDVIDUAL TO YOU? 
I do not come from a family of artists! Painting has been something that I loved right from the very beginning. I started with finger painting and just never stopped. Today I primarily paint with oil paints and do mixed media.  

  
HOW DID YOU TRANSITION FROM THINKING "THIS LOOKS GOOD ON A WALL" TO "THIS SHOULD BE WORN”? 
That's a great question. When I was more involved with mixed media I was looking to incorporate fabric into my art. However, when I was playing around with this idea I could see how it could apply to clothing. My art and my clothing designs influence each other many times and most times it's not consciously. I can think of my first Resort collection a year ago which incorporated the same colors that I was using in my portrait series. I didn’t even realize that I was doing it, it just happens!

HOW HAVE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SUPPORTED YOU IN YOUR VENTURE? 
Both my family and friends have been tremendously supportive of me and I feel very, very grateful for that.

  
HOW DO YOU BALANCE BEING A TEENAGER WITH HAVING TO SET ASIDE TIME TO CONCEPTUALIZE IDEAS FOR UPCOMING COLLECTIONS IN ADDITION TO RUNNING A BUSINESS? 
It’s definitely a balancing act of managing everything. I always keep in my mind that if something isn’t working in my schedule, I can change it. There are many times when I have to prioritize what I am doing including making time for just hanging out with friends and family. I normally schedule my classes in the mornings and design and paint in the afternoons. Weekends are normally reserved for fun!

NORDSTROM, PLEASE, DO TELL 
I’m so excited to have my clothing line at Nordstrom. This is an absolute dream come true for me and it just feels really surreal. I am just so honored to be in their stores and online. When I found out I was going to be in Nordstrom, I happy cried.

WILL YOUR CLOTHING LINE CONTINIOUSLY BE LIMITED TO JUNIORS OR DO YOU SEE IT AS AN ORGANIC PROCESS?

I think for now I'm limiting myself to a Juniors’ line but I do have every intention to do a Women’s line in the future when I get a little older.

  

WHO ARE THE ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS YOU LOOK UP TO? 
This is a very long list but my absolute favorite artists are De Kooning, Twombly, Basquiat and Rothko. My favorite designers that I look up to are Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, Karl Lagerfeld and Dries Van Noten.

  

WHAT'S THE BEST THING IN POP CULTURE AS WE SPEAK? 
Right now, Anna Kendrick’s tweets - love her.

  

ON A SCALE OF ONE-TO-I CAN'T EVEN, HOW EXCITED ARE YOU ABOUT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK RIGHT NOW? 
I can’t even tell you how excited I am! I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience. Some days I wake up and double check that I’m not dreaming. I’m so grateful for the partnership with Dell to present my runway show in NYC!