International Digital Fashion Week Interview
The Growing Success of Womenswear Brand Inner Be Leaf:
An Interview
An Interview
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Inner Be Leaf has found tremendous success this year. Looking ahead to growing markets and increased availability in stores, the emerging brand has amassed a strong following through its beautiful story. So, we sat down with the team at Inner Be Leaf to learn more about the brand’s success.
Q: Tell us about your brand. What is your story?
A: Inner Be Leaf is a nature-inspired line of women’s clothing by Designer Savita Gilbert. Some pieces are made from fashion fabric printed with watercolor art. Other pieces are designed to incorporate subtle elements of nature-inspired themes. Elegance, classy styles, and fluid lines are hallmarks of Inner Be Leaf clothing.
Designer Savita Gilbert’s artistic journey began as a watercolor artist with a talent for dress designing. She was a hobbyist until the pandemic arrived. That is when Savita came to the profound realization that art is not an option. Art brings joy and we just can’t have enough of it. Joy is essential for mental health and wellness; a stark lesson learnt from the global pandemic.
Savita and her husband Mark co-founded the brand Inner Be Leaf and organized a socially distanced fashion show during the pandemic. Everything began at a launch event in Bethesda, Maryland. The purpose of the show was to bring joy and sparkle to the neighborhood during a gloomy time. The response to the fashion show was so incredible that very swiftly, Inner Be Leaf made its way to the DC Fashion Week, NY Fashion Week, International Digital Fashion Week and Swim Fashion Week runways.
Q: What is the inspiration behind your collection this season?
A: While our classic styles remain, this collection is definitely influenced by Barbie pink, Renaissance silver, and denim fever! These colors find themselves in multiple items, while uniquely styled denim is also an integral part of this new collection.
Q: Your video on IDFW Season 7 features models of a variety of sizes. Would you say inclusive sizing is an important part of your brand?
A: Inclusivity is definitely part of our brand! As our name Inner Be Leaf suggests, we are about dressing personalities who are on a mission to bring something positive to the world, regardless of size and shape. We try to reach audiences who have a hard time finding something beautiful to wear. We go about this in two ways. One method is incorporating a whole range of sizes in flattering styles for a given product. The second method is creating a universal size that fits a range of sizes with adjustable elements. We are innovating heavily in this endeavor and it’s an ongoing challenge. So far, the response has been extremely positive!
Q: What details are most important to your collection this season?
A: First, we have officially made foil swimwear a thing! Our eye-catching, sleek, shimmering swimwear comes with our iconic watercolor prints. Second, our universal sizes are really catching on! We do plan to keep bringing more expandable dresses, cleverly designed to elegantly sash or belt up.
Q: Your collections always feature fabulous prints as a key part of your brand. Tell us about the prints featured in this collection. Do you have any favorites? Is there one that you really enjoyed the process of designing?
A: The prints on Inner Be Leaf clothing are created from watercolor art by Savita Gilbert that is symbolic and inspirational. One of our new prints (found on our wrap-around scarf) is entitled “Sunset Rose”, a tribute to the nation’s capital, where Inner Be Leaf has its roots. Roses are the official flower of the District of Columbia. Washington, DC is also known for its colorful sunsets, due to its proximity to the Chesapeake bay.
A personal favorite that Savita enjoyed creating is the turquoise and gold leaf print found on our high-cut foil swimsuit. Gold leaves signify dedication and success, while turquoise signifies a vastness (of ocean or sky). This print is an encouragement to women to dedicate themselves to expressing the vastness of who they are inside and making their mark in the world.
Q: Where can our readers find more of your work?
A: We did expos in New York/New Jersey, and we are available online on our website. We are excited to announce that we will be available in 2024 in more retail stores around the country.
Online, our website has blog posts and a write-up about our story. We also encourage people to research our website where printed items have a detailed description of the significance and inspiration behind the artwork on them. We are on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as well.
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to tell our readers?
A: We thank readers for your tremendous support and feedback as we grow. We are grateful to International Digital Fashion Week where we debut new collections each season. 2024 is already looking to be a momentous year in which we are expanding the availability of our items significantly to new markets! So, stay tuned!
Image Credits:
Photography by Daniel Mears (@danielmears_2112 & @bluehouseproductions)
Models: Rachel LaBatt (@rachel_labatt), Sumaya Mahmud (@sumayammd), Ebony Rose Sherrill (@ebony_rosesherrill), Kim Le (@kimleallday), Alexis Zurdo (@im.alexis.renae), and Ajitha Srinivasan (@ajithamusic)
A: Inner Be Leaf is a nature-inspired line of women’s clothing by Designer Savita Gilbert. Some pieces are made from fashion fabric printed with watercolor art. Other pieces are designed to incorporate subtle elements of nature-inspired themes. Elegance, classy styles, and fluid lines are hallmarks of Inner Be Leaf clothing.
Designer Savita Gilbert’s artistic journey began as a watercolor artist with a talent for dress designing. She was a hobbyist until the pandemic arrived. That is when Savita came to the profound realization that art is not an option. Art brings joy and we just can’t have enough of it. Joy is essential for mental health and wellness; a stark lesson learnt from the global pandemic.
Savita and her husband Mark co-founded the brand Inner Be Leaf and organized a socially distanced fashion show during the pandemic. Everything began at a launch event in Bethesda, Maryland. The purpose of the show was to bring joy and sparkle to the neighborhood during a gloomy time. The response to the fashion show was so incredible that very swiftly, Inner Be Leaf made its way to the DC Fashion Week, NY Fashion Week, International Digital Fashion Week and Swim Fashion Week runways.
Q: What is the inspiration behind your collection this season?
A: While our classic styles remain, this collection is definitely influenced by Barbie pink, Renaissance silver, and denim fever! These colors find themselves in multiple items, while uniquely styled denim is also an integral part of this new collection.
Q: Your video on IDFW Season 7 features models of a variety of sizes. Would you say inclusive sizing is an important part of your brand?
A: Inclusivity is definitely part of our brand! As our name Inner Be Leaf suggests, we are about dressing personalities who are on a mission to bring something positive to the world, regardless of size and shape. We try to reach audiences who have a hard time finding something beautiful to wear. We go about this in two ways. One method is incorporating a whole range of sizes in flattering styles for a given product. The second method is creating a universal size that fits a range of sizes with adjustable elements. We are innovating heavily in this endeavor and it’s an ongoing challenge. So far, the response has been extremely positive!
Q: What details are most important to your collection this season?
A: First, we have officially made foil swimwear a thing! Our eye-catching, sleek, shimmering swimwear comes with our iconic watercolor prints. Second, our universal sizes are really catching on! We do plan to keep bringing more expandable dresses, cleverly designed to elegantly sash or belt up.
Q: Your collections always feature fabulous prints as a key part of your brand. Tell us about the prints featured in this collection. Do you have any favorites? Is there one that you really enjoyed the process of designing?
A: The prints on Inner Be Leaf clothing are created from watercolor art by Savita Gilbert that is symbolic and inspirational. One of our new prints (found on our wrap-around scarf) is entitled “Sunset Rose”, a tribute to the nation’s capital, where Inner Be Leaf has its roots. Roses are the official flower of the District of Columbia. Washington, DC is also known for its colorful sunsets, due to its proximity to the Chesapeake bay.
A personal favorite that Savita enjoyed creating is the turquoise and gold leaf print found on our high-cut foil swimsuit. Gold leaves signify dedication and success, while turquoise signifies a vastness (of ocean or sky). This print is an encouragement to women to dedicate themselves to expressing the vastness of who they are inside and making their mark in the world.
Q: Where can our readers find more of your work?
A: We did expos in New York/New Jersey, and we are available online on our website. We are excited to announce that we will be available in 2024 in more retail stores around the country.
Online, our website has blog posts and a write-up about our story. We also encourage people to research our website where printed items have a detailed description of the significance and inspiration behind the artwork on them. We are on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as well.
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to tell our readers?
A: We thank readers for your tremendous support and feedback as we grow. We are grateful to International Digital Fashion Week where we debut new collections each season. 2024 is already looking to be a momentous year in which we are expanding the availability of our items significantly to new markets! So, stay tuned!
Image Credits:
Photography by Daniel Mears (@danielmears_2112 & @bluehouseproductions)
Models: Rachel LaBatt (@rachel_labatt), Sumaya Mahmud (@sumayammd), Ebony Rose Sherrill (@ebony_rosesherrill), Kim Le (@kimleallday), Alexis Zurdo (@im.alexis.renae), and Ajitha Srinivasan (@ajithamusic)
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