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In a city commonly dressed head-to-toe in black, it is a great feat for Melbourne label Violet and I to have made such a mark with its bubbly, feminine collections.

Bucking black, designer Anna Linklater offers up a palette of gorgeous pastels and vibrant colours in everything from cropped embellished tees, to bohemian, flowing dressed. “Black has its place, and some outfits look amazing in all black. But all the time? We all need sunshine and colour in our lives”, Linklater says.

Violet and I began while Linklater was painting and making bags to save for a trip to Spain. She made the initial 11 styles for herself, but the label grew as her friends started making requests. Linklater and her label now enjoy something of a cult following in Melbourne. As for the name: “I decided that I needed a name to print on my little swing tags. I was obsessed with the colour and word Violet, so Violet and I is like me and my alter ego”.

Since then Linklater has gone on to present three collections, with a fourth in the pipeline. Inspiration for each has been drawn from everything from 70s road trip in a Mustang to an obsession with Helena Christensen. The latest collection, ‘Rose of the Taj’, is the epitome of femininity with soft dancing skirts, silk bustiers and sheaths with hints of frill and peppered with sequins.

There is also something for every occasion — her chiffon maxi dresses ideal for those warm summer nights, while bright swimsuits and silk camisoles are perfect to team with ripped denim shorts. “Rose of the Taj is loosely based around my idea of a proper English girl being whisked away into a bustling vibrant Indian city,” Linklater says. “There are pastels and ballet skirts muddled with Bollywood inspired tops and richer colours.”

Linklater says she is intent on designing not only for whimsical self, but more so for the everyday woman. She claims that Violet and I is designed for friends, not models. “I don’t believe in the saying ‘real women’ – I’ve never met a woman that hasn’t been real yet, it’s more that I don’t design with a supermodel in mind (except for Helena Christensen, and that was her style). I’d love to see Jessica Hart wearing Violet and I just as much as I’d love to see the girl down the street wearing Violet and I.”

Linklater also does her best to avoid fads, aiming to design the wardrobe of a lifetime, rather than a season. “Violet and I keeps up with current silhouettes, but I am more inspired in designing a collection that is influenced by a unique story or theme, rather than everything being bang on trend and having pieces that you could get in Sportsgirl or Topshop.”

It probably won’t come as a surprise that she feels most comfortable with warmer weather wear, either. “I definitely design what I love to wear but I have to admit, my second collection (‘The Musings’, winter 2010) went a little off track. In hindsight it was too vintage and not really me. I actually struggle with designing winter collections as I am such a summer lover.” We can’t hold that against her.

As for the future, Linklater says she won’t be compromising on style. “I’m never going to get a girl that loves black leather pants and a stone-wash denim jacket buying Violet and I. The girls that love the label are similar to myself, they love wearing flowing dresses and are most likely beach lovers.” As summer approaches, a piece from Violet and I may just be the perfect addition to those fabulously hot days and balmy nights.

‘Rose of the Taj’ will be on display at the Stonington Spring Fashion parade, as well as her very own pop-up store in Prahran. She will also be partnering with the Butterfly Foundation to create a series of one-of-a-kind garments to help raise money for those with eating disorders.