A Quick-Fire Q&A with Larissa Banks

This month we launched our #pledgeforlarissa PledgeMe campaign so that we can hire Larissa to help grow Space Between. We sat down with Larissa to learn a little more about her...

Who on earth are you?

I am a Wellington born and bred designer who loves comedy, conversation, and cake. 

Why did you choose fashion and textiles as your creative outlet?

Fashion and textiles are what I have always been most passionate about. Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to make a difference and connect with people. For me, this is the perfect way to do that. We all wear clothes, we cover our furnishings in our homes and spaces. It is a very basic yet unique way in which we identify ourselves and the world around us. For most people this brings them joy. I love being a part of that. 

Why should we care about sustainable fashion?

For the same reason we care about the food that we eat. If we look at fast food, it is made quickly with low cost ingredients. Consuming it fills you up in the short term but never sustains you, so you end up buying more food. Fast fashion can be viewed in the same way – it is clothing made quickly from low cost materials. The more you consume the more energy that is burned. It fulfils a purpose briefly but it won’t last, so you end up buying more clothes. I think there needs to be a huge shift in focus from clothing as disposable objects. Caring about sustainable fashion means caring about the clothes you put on your body, the people who made them and the impact they have on the Earth. 

What inspires you as a designer?

Travel and new experiences inspire my designs. If ever I have a creative block, going someplace new will refresh my perspective on my work. If I am not in the position to go travelling, seeing live music, going for a bush walk, or a gallery exhibition always spark new ideas. I am a big fan of all things quirky or kitsch – mix that with anything involving glitter and the creative juices will be flowing out of me like a blender with the lid off!

Favourite spot in Wellington?

Precisely? The corner of Marjoribanks Street and Kent Terrace. If you stand there and look up towards Victoria University at sunset, there is something really magical about it. My dad also wired the lights for Courtenay Place when it was being built, which makes that area more special for me. On that spot you are also a very short distance from the beach, the bush, and the best café in Wellington – Deluxe. 

Favourite fashion item you own?

A vintage, quilted, cropped jacket with leaves and flowers in delicious autumn colours. I feel genuinely sad when the weather is too warm to wear it!

Biggest fashion faux-pas?

Getting tomato sauce down my white top (kebabs are not first-date food, don’t do it).

In 2017, I hope...

…to be working with Space Between full time!