Annette Ishida
Who? Annette Ishida confesses to being a recluse, preferring her own company to the social scene. Her curiosity about clothing began when she realised it could serve two purposes: show off the body or hide it. Luckily for Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Karen Mok Man-wai and Gigi Leung Wing-kei, who regularly step out in Ishida's designs, her desire to blend into the crowd has not infiltrated her designs, which are sexy yet wearable.
How did it happen? By the time Ishida was seven she was knitting outfits for her dolls and sewing clothes for herself. Although born in New York, she grew up in Delaware. When she was 22, she returned to her birthplace to study at the Parsons School of Design. Three years later, in 1985, she started working as an assistant knitwear designer for the Calvin Klein Collection and gradually was promoted to knitwear designer.
In 1988, she moved to Italy, where she freelanced for Calvin Klein and Salvatore Ferragamo. She was given the opportunity to branch out into swimwear and hosiery back at Calvin Klein. In 1995, she moved to Tse as knitwear design director and worked alongside Narciso Rodriguez, Victor Alfaro and Hussein Chalayan. At the end of 2001, Ishida moved back to Italy to join Prada as knitwear designer for Prada's women and men's collections and also designed for its fashion label, Genny.
In 2003, she returned to New York where she spent one season at Donna Karan before taking the reins from Richard Chai at Tse, taking with her the expertise she had gained during three years away. Ishida is now vice-president of design at Tse.
What do the designs look like? At Calvin Klein, Ishida was all about minimalism, with an element of androgyny. Ferragamo saw her stray into sportswear, while at Prada she returned to the eclectic intellectual woman. But it was at Tse where Ishida could express her love of modern and feminine designs. The autumn 2004 collection is a prime example: leather, lace and sequins on clingy cashmere knitwear; bias-cut skirts to show off the body; little belts and ties emphasise the waist.
What does the designer say? 'I love to learn. I like looking at everything to understand what's going on.'
Where are her clothes available? There are Tse boutiques in Alexandra House, Central, and at The Peninsula, Tsim Sha Tsui, Oriental Plaza in Beijing, Plaza 66 in Shanghai and in select department stores in Seoul. The label is also sold at Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges in London.
