She’s designed lavish gowns for A-lister kids like Harper Beckham and Suri Cruise in the past, and now she’s taking on the rest of the fashion world with her Perth-based children’s luxury brand, ‘Mischka Aoki’. Here are all the details you never knew about Winnie, the designer behind that VMAs dress we can’t stop talking about!
In case you missed it, the dress in question is a limited edition ‘Grand Royale’ gown custom-made to fit Beyoncé’s 4-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy and commissioned by her superstar mother. With each rose gold laser-cut flower applied to the metallic singlet by hand, it’s fair to say this intricate design may very well live up to it’s $11,000 price tag. (Some, even more elaborate designs can reach up to $14,000).
“I would love to actually [have been] there right at the spot [of the VMAs], as it must [have been] really amazing to see Blue wearing the dress in person,” Winnie gushed to marie claire via email. “We watched the even live from TV and even that [made us] feel really excited, I just can’t put it into words.”
The dress is now sold out, and Winnie says her media team have been fielding enquiries from the press “non stop” since the VMAs.
Winnie began creating children’s clothing back in 2009, after she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in design from Perth’s Curtin University.
Naming the brand after her now 8-year-old daughter Mischka, Winnie says the launch was inspired by a gap in the market for childrenswear that “would be both luxurious and stylish”.
The Indonesian-born fashionista says that after showcasing her impressive designs at the Perth Fashion Festival in 2010, ‘Mischka Aoki’ took off. Now, she divides her time between an office in Milan and her home in Australia. “I would love to spend more time in Australia,” Winnie says. ” I miss Perth, my close friends, the fresh air.. all the lovely things that Aussie has to offer.”
With every design being fully customisable, Mischka Aoki pieces are truly luxurious works of art for pint-sized fashionistas. Winnie says that the average clientele of the range are Royal Families, Fortune 500 families and “mini fashion celebrities” from around the globe (such as Blue Ivy, Harper Beckham and North West). “[The] Mischka Aoki girl is someone who is confident, who [has] a distinct character and who dares to stand out from the crowd.”
Winnie’s plans for the future? To launch ‘Little Miss Aoki’, a more affordable, ready-to-wear range for Spring 2017, so that young girls who aren’t the offspring of Hollywood royalty can get the glam look too.
