If there’s one thing in life I wish I had, it’s the aptitude to make things with my hands.

I’ve always been creative – or tried to be more to the point – but there’s been something about the finer dexterity required for a needle and thread that I’ve struggled with.

Ilse Jacobsen, however does not share my dextrous worries, nor my lack of creativity and adventure with fabrics and textiles, befitting of the most established of designer and apparel crafter. She is the Dane behind her label Ilse Jacobsen Hornbæk (pron. Horn-beak) and wields such tools herself with such flare and gusto that her clothing and footwear are reflective of nothing less for the cold, wet winter months.

Since the label’s birth in 1993, Ilse has been creating garments and pieces for women that are truly an extension of herself and a testament to what the designer believes womenswear should be: simple, comfortable, elegant and femenine while maintaining practicality as a staple throughout.

Her collection, entitled Rub & Rain is a perfect range of pieces for the wardrobe this winter. The boots bear a slight resemblance to a more made-with-love version of Doc Martens and coats a more popping femeninely-shaped offering.

What makes Ilse Jacobsen so apt in this day an age of environmental sensibilities and preference for real versus fake fabrics and materials, is that all of the labels pieces are based around the international brand’s preference for such things, tieing in handsomly with its style for quality, statement and wearability.

As every wearer of a rain coat or water proof piece of clothing of some describtion can all too easily enthuse, the chemically-fuelled, nose up-turning fragrance of cheap PVC and rubber is not a great thing of beauty and hardly befitting of someone whom takes pride in their image. Ilse’s adaptation of this stigma and its inversion gave way to her adoption of top quality rubbers and materials from Malaysia with which she hand makes her boots and coats for women.

The amount of time and effort invested into each piece is breathtaking considering each boot comprises 27 individual parts, is lined with cotton fleece and a woolen inner sole rendering them warm, comfortable and ideal for this foul, fluctuating Melbourne weather.

Such finery in rubber footwear without the cheap rubber sheen, and coats is seldom come across and are sure to make a Melburnian winter somewhat more bearable.

All of Ilse’s winter pieces are available from Frankies295: www.frankies295.com.au at 295 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick 03 9523 7688, info@frankies295.com.au and online at www.frankies295.com.au

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About the author

James Banham
James is a fashion and style writer from Melbourne. By day a well spoken retail professional, by night a fierce and passionate blogger and writer for onlines and print. Fashion is what makes his world go 'round, retail his bread and butter and good clothes his zest of life. With a great interest in emerging and independent talent Australia-wide, James loves scratching the surface of what the fashion industry has to offer, all the while acknowledging those who've made the world what it is today.

1 Comment for STYLE: Ilse Jacobsen

JC Lloyd-Southwell d'Anvers

Another beautifully articulated piece on what else goes on in the world of fashion out of Melbourne, congratulations to Ilse Jacobsen to whom a GODT GÅET is so well deserved and to Mr Banham himself: your wordsmithery and attention to detail is second to none! Please keep these posts coming on a more frequent basis! xx