Vespertine — The fashion brand that blooms by night

Tuuli: Can you tell me a bit about your background and what led you to start Vespertine?

Katy Close: I grew up in Glasgow and moved to London aged 20. I interned at Vivienne Westwood and then studied product design for the fashion industry at London College of Fashion. For the early part of my career, I worked as a designer for different brands, most recently spending four years at Raey, Matches’ in-house label. I always had an idea to create my own line fusing music and fashion and it got to the point where it was now or never. I took the leap!

T: What was your initial inspiration and has your philosophy changed since you first launched?
KC: The initial idea for Vespertine started way back. Music culture is such a huge part of my life, and I love vintage fashion. I wanted to create a brand that had this romantic rock vibe to it and looked cool but still beautiful quality with a luxury feel. I met my now business partner and friend, Lili Sumner (model and filmmaker), up in the Scottish Highlands in January 2023 and she loved the idea. The initial concept was to create the ultimate blouse that you could wear to a gig/festival/date but elevated so feeling sensual and special.
I discovered the meaning of the word Vespertine when listening to a podcast about the iconography of Bjork’s albums (the brilliant Sonic Symbolism). It’s the specific word for living things that flourish or bloom in the evening. I instantly knew that it was the name. We all know the word nocturnal but so few know the word Vespertine. So thanks Björk for being a genius. We bow down.
Our philosophy hasn’t changed since launch, but we definitely lean into a soft aesthetic. After the huge success of our Lomond romance ruffle blouse, it made sense to go further down that route and offer more colourways. It showed us people are looking for something statement and cool but also feminine and soft. I also apply that femininity to the men as to our delight we’ve had many wearing this blouse. We also wanted to pursue something that felt fresh after the oversized Dad silhouettes that were so prevalent.

This excerpt was taken from HUNGER Issue 31: The Dreamers. Full story is available in stores worldwide now.