PINGUSH and the collection

about the designer….                                                                                                                                                                   

 

Meet Carina Hildebrandt, immerse yourself in her rich, tantalizing colours and strong simple elegant designs and you will want to change your wardrobe forever. It started with a chance encounter with Alpaca wool and a feeling not unlike falling in love. What followed was unplanned but, looking back, appears inevitable and has uncovered a talent in designing sophisticated, timeless, contemporary, effortlessly chic clothing that is addictive in it’s comfort and the way it makes you feel. Quite simply it will transform the way you dress and you will never look back.

 

Her designing process is entirely instinctive and driven by a desire to create a wardrobe that eradicates the stress that so many women experience when dressing. She is determined to banish the perceived impossibility of owning the right outfit for every occasion and the frustration of cupboards full of pieces that work with no other or are uncomfortable to wear.

 

The PINGUSH colour range is a jewel box of strong natural hues: soft and smokey in Spring/Summer, rich and sumptuous in Autumn/Winter. The breadth of the range is based on the premise that most women only look amazing in specific shades of a handful of colours. “There is no point buying the right garment in the wrong colour or the wrong garment in your favorite colour. We’ve all done it! It’s hard walking away from something that you’ve fallen in love with even if only one aspect of it is perfect for you. It leads to the overwhelming and frustrating wardrobes most women have with 90% of it unworn. I believe every element of the piece should work perfectly on the customer so we work tirelessly on the fit of each item to be flattering on everyone and then offer it in a wide enough range of colours so that there is something for everyone. PINGUSH clothing is, for the most part, classic and timeless and we do fantastic colours so a lot of the time customers will come back for the same item in multiple colours and buy the summer and winter versions. If it works it works and we all know how good that feels !”

 

Carina grew up in Hong Kong and a childhood filled with travel. Overnight sleeper trains in India, houseboats in Kashmir, hostels in Tibet and treasures…

“ I remember sitting on planes hugging clay pots on my lap, filled with market finds of antique Indian mirrored skirts, batiks or unusual plant cuttings – the days before restricted baggage! ”.

 

Inevitably influenced by the financial buzz of entrepreneurial HK there followed a Mathematics degree at King’s College, London and a few years working in finance. Her enduring passions were however old Chinese furniture, colour, textiles and any interior design book she could get her hands on. In 1999 an impulsive course in “Drawing for Beginners” changed everything and was the catalyst to her studying  Interior Design at the KLC School of Design in Chelsea.  PINGUSH was intended as a sideline to her Interior Design Business but the “PINGUSH Look” came so naturally and its success was so immediate that the future was set the minute she finished setting up at her first retail event.

 

There is now a dedicated workshop in Peru and a showroom ( By Appt.) in Barnes. What started as an accessories collection evolved quickly, after the design of her signature piece the PINGUSH 100% Baby Alpaca Fine Knit Coat, into a unique clothing brand with Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections and a complete system of dressing. She has an innate and unique understanding of what is possible using Baby Alpaca as a fibre and has taken her knitwear to a whole new level. Her fine knit Organic Cotton dresses are equally inspired, unbeatably flattering and versatile with their soft sumptuous feel. More luxury fabrics to come….

 

Colours

Colour is the true essence of PINGUSH and it is the amazing array that we work with and the stunning colour combinations that we stumble across that truly excites us and brings the collection to life. Our colour palette is inspired by nature. As much as possible we choose subtle hues, off-tones that are strong in their own right yet softer and more flattering than most primary colours. Often it is the combination of the colour with the particular texture of the material that provides the depth and interest of the item. We hope you will allow yourself to follow some more spontaneous colour choices rather than sticking only to more obvious wardrobe staples.

 

Our Alpaca

We use only 100% Peruvian Baby Alpaca. Every element of production takes place in Peru from the shearing of the Alpaca in the Andean mountains to the manufacture and attachment of our labels.

Alpacas are cousins to the Llama and their wool has evolved to become the warmest and one of the finest of all wools. Its hollow fibres create a unique thermal quality trapping heat in the winter, yet items ‘breath’ and are cool and lightweight for the summer. “Baby Alpaca” is the new growth from the summer shearing of an Adult Alpaca , which provides the lightest, softest and smoothest fleece.

The absence of lanolin in the wool and the smoothness of the fibres allow most people, including those sensitive or allergic to other wools, to wear Alpaca. This smoothness also means that items do not “pill” or form fluff balls and therefore it wears extremely well.

The Suede and Leather

Italy has a rich history in the Suede and Leather industry stretching back centuries. Despite more competitive prices available now around the world, the quality of hides, the depth and richness of colours and the Italian workmanship, which comes only from years of experience, continues to be unsurpassable. All our bags and belts are made to our specifications in little workshops in Tuscany near to the concerias where all the best suedes and colour ranges are available. All handles are made from top quality chocolate coloured leathers.

Tagua

Tagua is a seed from a palm that grows in the Amazon. Beneath its tough brown shell and skin lies a creamy coloured seed, which, once dried for many months, becomes hard as a stone able to be carved and polished with a marbling effect that makes it resemble ivory. It is often referred to as “Vegetable ivory” and is used widely in the button industry worldwide. Our tagua are dyed with vegetable dyes to match our Alpaca and Suede colours as closely as possible. It is still possible to see the unique marbling of the seed through the natural dyes.

Fair Trade

We use only small family run factories and workshops where we can ensure that workers are well looked after.

Alpaca Care

Hand Wash (recommended)

• Gentle hand wash in luke warm water
• Rinse well
• Wrap in a towel to remove excess water
• Dry flat and reshape whilst damp
• Do not tumble dry

Machine Wash

• Place the item in a pillow case or net delicates bag.
• Select a delicate cycle with a temperature up to 30 degrees C.
• Use a mild detergent.
• Wrap in a towel to remove excess water.
• Dry flat and reshape whilst damp.
• Do not tumble dry.
• Alpaca knitwear may also be dry cleaned.
• Iron on a cool setting.

Suede Care

• We recommend preventative care to keep Suede looking its best.
• Spray with Suede Protector, available in most supermarkets, and use a good quality Suede Brush, preferably rubber as metal brushes can be too harsh.
• Repeat every few months.