Interview by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of Tallulah

We got to chat with Tallulah, the founder of Bardo Collective, about creating clothes that last and her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Growing up did you often experiment with your style or design clothing?

I absolutely went through a lot of phases growing up, with moving around to different cities greatly influencing my style. Living in Rome, you wear a lot of pretty, summer dresses, yet you want to be able to run through the cobbled stones with ease. Living in New York, I went more rock n’ roll with heels and leather jackets. In Paris, I kept the rock n’ roll aesthetic but added elegance – a blazer, white shirt, and red lipstick over ripped jeans. I think I really got to know my style and what I like from traveling and trying new looks – I like to think of myself as a chameleon and change/experiment with where I travel to. 

It’s a big move to create a clothing company. What motivated you to create Bardo Collective?

It’s no easy task to start a brand and it took a lot of time to decide to do a second one. I had to carefully think out exactly what it would be without rushing into anything. BARDO is a love letter to simplicity and timelessness. I took everything I learned from my last brand (that I sold last year) and put it into this one. I figured that such an experience over nine years could only lead to an even better one with something new and streamlined with a clean intention. I’m also now in my 30’s and have a different attitude about dressing and style in general, as opposed to my last brand I started at age 24. Each style in BARDO is carefully thought out and designed so that it can be for any age or style of woman, with the ability to add your own twist or edge. It’s meant to be collected over time with pieces you can add, so you can build out a staple wardrobe. With 2020’s lockdown, I surrounded myself with inspiration and the gift of time to really put some thought into it. I want it to be the most uncomplicated brand that focuses on quality, timelessness, and making women feel incredibly confident, comfortable, and sexy. I want to make clothing that women feel unbelievably chic in, but also impossibly comfortable in so that they feel free and can relax in. I’m proud of where we are in such a short time since it took passion, motivation, and believing in the brand to make it all happen. 

Your summer collection has dropped. What is the inspiration behind the colorful collection?

Our brand is actually not adhering to the fashion calendar. For now, we can make pieces as the inspiration hits and it has been so much fun for us. The styles we started with are staple styles and we will be introducing new colors over the months, as well as new styles that add to existing ones – think of it like we are building out your wardrobe. So when you wear the sets or blazer day-to-day, you will think “how amazing would this be in Lime Green!” And then we go make it. Or, if we need a new dress to go perfectly with the new blazer, for example, I will come up with color ideas through inspiration via art or even daydreaming in my colorful garden. California’s nature is very inspiring and every color in our collection right now is one that I can spot out my office window. I love artists like James Turrell, Yves Klein, or Rothko who play with a large variety of colors. I also love how it makes you feel when you put on the same dress, but in a different color – totally different versions of yourself! It’s really fun to play with and the psychology behind color – it’s extremely fascinating to me. 

Bardo Collective has a sustainability focus. Do you think sustainable clothing is where the fashion industry needs to start focusing its attention as a whole?

Bardo is a brand intended for people to buy staple pieces to keep forever. They aren’t ‘fashion’ pieces per se – but more like the items in your wardrobe you always feel you need, but can’t find and will treasure forever. So, focusing on pieces that last is crucial when we are in a world of such fast fashion and people are throwing items away after an average of 3.4 wears. There is so much STUFF in the world and we need much less than we think. We have an atelier with incredible sewers who we know by name, with everything beautifully made right here in LA. Our silk is from mills where the silkworms are let free to become butterflies once they have cocoon and the amount of times we have been told to move to a factory overseas and have our price cut in half is crazy. We should all know exactly what our entire production line looks like and we are proud of that. We love that there is a story, meaning, and purpose behind our clothing and that they are made to last forever. We believe that this is how we should be when buying clothes – mindfully and with the intention to keep them for years to come. The whole industry needs to take a step back and think about what’s important to them and then take one step at a time towards change. It’s our responsibility to look after our planet and every little step counts. 

Who would be some of your dream clients for Bardo Collective?

There are a variety of celebrities and influencers who we would love to see our pieces on, including Zoe Kravitz, Jemima Kirke, Amal Clooney, Delfina Delettrez, and Joan Didion to name a few. But honestly, the everyday woman that we dress is what gets me most excited and who I am designing for. There’s nothing more rewarding than having a client walk through the door to purchase a shirt and watch them fall in love with the brand. Knowing you are making a woman feel the way they do in BARDO is the ultimate dream and feels validating that the original vision has come to life. 

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

I would say the number one thing is to embrace ‘failures’ (I don’t even like to call them that). This is the only way you learn what not to do or how to pivot and grow. So many people, including myself, fall apart when things go wrong, but now I know that you move on and do it differently. I look back on those mistakes now and am incredibly grateful for them. The other thing is to build a great team and look after them like family. There’s nothing more precious than the people who believe in you and work hard next to you to make your dreams happen.