ABBI TIPPETT TALKS WHISPER & WOLF

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

You are living in Australia now, but you are originally from England. How did you end up “in the land down under”?

That's right! I'm born and raised in the UK! My dad came travelling here as a teenager and he fell in love with the place and the idea of Australia as his future home.

Have you always been a creative soul?

You see, growing up I had always been creative in whatever way it was, like collaging in books to making my own jewelry, pottery or tye-dying my t-shirts, and selling them in primary school, to now be where I am now, and starting my very own journey with an intimate label. I always wanted to be able to sew my own clothes but never had or found the patience to. Unfortunately that's a trait of an Aries, impatient!

I do believe any creative outlet will be a personal journey. Whether someone is writing a song or designing a lingerie set. To go from envisioning something, to creating it, it involves a lot. Where did it start?

I feel like people don't understand how much time, effort, love and dedication goes into one's piece, exactly like you said, It could be a song, painting or like in my circumstance, lingerie, I did struggle with body image and finding the comfortability of myself at a very young age, so I guess that played a massive role in why I chose to design lingerie. Being able to create a piece that helps comfort a woman in her beautiful figure is what brings me comfort. With Whisper & Wolf I want to create this community where women do not feel judged and where we can all empower each other as individuals and a community.

Aesthetically the attention to detail is just incredible, in a way that's rarely seen in lingerie, the ‘Sienna’ has this very tasteful, refined, gracefulness to it. It vibes off of oldschool Hollywood in a way?

Well thank you! Yeah the 'Sienna' set really does have an oldschool era vibe, that was my whole vibe inspired with this first piece. I envisioned women with silk gloves, pearls, old cars. I am sure you can get the envisionment! I just have this love for that particular style, 60's-80's classy but sexy underwear style.

What fabrics did you use for the set?

The ‘Sienna’ set is a polyester satin. Having started my brand at the age of eighteen years old and only working a casual working job I had to source the best possible fabric in my price range that worked so amazingly for the both of us, the ‘Sienna’ set fabric has such a beautiful shine through the fabric providing elegance and class.

Did you go through a lot of samples before you got the set to be exactly how you wanted it to be?

As I said before I feel as if some people don't realise how much time and effort goes into one's art, so yes! Many samples! Whilst creating my first piece for the ‘Sienna’ set, I had around four or five different sample sets with different fabrics, shapes, straps, and cuts! 

 Is those first samples still around somewhere?

I gave two of the samples away to friends and I use the other ones for shoots and things like that.

Do you have a favourite colour among the three now available?

Honestly I've been asked this so many times, and I can never decide! I kinda switch up between the three of what colour is my fave. (Laughs) So its kinda a weekly thing.

Is this ‘Sienna’ set telling for the Whisper & Wolf-style going forward, or will you keep exploring and draw inspiration from other things too?

Whisper & Wolf has an angelic, fairy, y2k-theme to it and i think that's definitely my vibe and I already have soo many beautiful new samples to yet be released such as corsets, pjs, slip dresses, and so on!

Whether wearing a ‘Sienna’ set, or any of the garments you will design in the future, what energy is it that you always want the women wearing Whisper & Wolf to experience?

Whilst wearing one of my garments from Whisper & Wolf, I want to be able to create a safe, happy, sense of belonging, encouraging and empowering platform. At Whisper & Wolf it's in my best interest to help women feel as confident as they can feel in the things I create for them that hug their angelic figures. We are each unique individuals and we all carry so much beauty. Underwear plays a pretty big role in everyday life, I believe lingerie is the best way for a woman to feel sexy, elegant, fierce, and not only that but, most importantly, comfort.