Perris Nkomo, a Fashion Designer by vocation but naturally, a lover of all things creative. Zambian born, a Zimbabwean national and educated in France. Is a self taught Fashion Designer with a degree in Visual Communication and Design from Ecole D'art Maryse Eloy in Paris. She juggles being a mom and an Entrepreneur, "two of the busiest but most fulfilling things in my life", she says.

House of Perris is an understated Apparel brand. The creative concept of the house leans heavily on minimalism and borrows elements of the avant garde aesthetic. 'Less is More' is always the guiding principle. House of Perris insists on originality based on unique creative concepts, where each pieces is effortless, comfortable and imbued with style. Currently the brand focuses on Womenswear but is fast expanding into men's and children's apparel.

Perris Nkomo started House of Perris purely out of frustration. One evening, She was hurriedly shopping for a little black dress on the Champs Elysees, for an occasion she had to attend that same night. She couldn't find the exact look that she had in mind and was getting increasing frustrated after searching in all my favourite stores, to no avail. 

That's when she realised that, she had taken for granted the fact that, in the Fashion Capital of the world, she would find anything that she ever imagined to wear. Thinking to herself, "Ah, but this is Paris!" She came to a realisation, that if she couldn't find what she wanted then it was possible that there were other women who were running into the same predicament as her. "I saw this as a gap in the market. From that moment, there was only one way forward and that was to make the dress myself. So, that is what I set out to do. Needless to say, it was too late to make the little black dress for that night, but this is how I was inspired to start designing clothes... and that's how the brand was born.", she said. 

I actually find that the way fashion evolves is an interesting look into the human psyche. We crave that new thing but at the same time we need the comfort of the familiar. That's why I find that fashion tends to run in cycles. The adage, 'there's nothing new under the sun,' is true in this case. 

The evolution of fashion is not so much in how it has changed but more like how it has been adapted to todays society. Look at how men in Shakespeare's day wore tights? A decade ago, that was laughable but now we can't get men out of skinny jeans. Or that jeans were created for and associated with the poor lowly worker, who needed hard wearing fabric for their tough grind, but now, what self respecting tycoon shows up to the office unless he wearing jeans and a T-shirt. (Think Richard Branson) While it's true that there was a time when fashion attire was determined by one’s occupation, social status, location and culture, over the years this has become less and less the case.

Today designers determine what's in fashion. This could be based on factors like creative inspiration, mood, personality and pretty much anything that may take their fancy. So while the cycle turns and we continue to borrow and be inspired by 'vintage' and 'classic' styles, the adaptation of these concepts breathes new and exciting life into today’s fashion. I am not sure if that's true evolution, but it works.

2019 fashion trends! well, I'd say that the beige midi coat is showing up everywhere. This goes with the slim pants which are still going strong from last season. Wool pants suits seem to be making quick a splash as well. The colour palette is more muted this season with a lot of neutral tones. I suppose this makes sense as more and more brands are looking into sustainability and leaning towards more natural materials with less dying done to the fabric. Inevitably, the colours prevalent on the catwalks are reflecting this trend to a large extent.

 

Closet must have! Well, minimal pieces are always a go-to look because, simplicity is easy to wear and to match up with anything. If your closet has pieces with clean lines, strong form and fuss-free patterns, then all your pieces become your 'must-have piece'. 

But if I had to absolutely pick only one piece, then it would have to be a simple boho shift dress- impeccably made in the highest quality of a natural fibre.