Lara Presber

Photo by Noah Fallis

Much like many a modern woman, having one career is just not enough.

An architect before she was a designer, Lara Presber has found a way to weave the two together.

Her labels slogan, 'Inhabitable spaces inspiring wearable pieces', is all about using structures to inspire sustainability in her designs.

Photo by Noah Fallis

"I'm not crazy and make everything out of bamboo, but sustainability makes a lot of sense right now," said Presber.

Looking for inspiration for her Fall 2011 collection, she found out about the Vakko Design Center in  Turkey by taking a poll on Facebook.

"It's a building that's all about reuse," said Presber.

The Vakko Design Center was built on a tight timeline and not only incorporated an abandoned concrete structure, but the architect, Joshua Prince-Ramus, was also able to use plans that had been slated for project in California that was cancelled before construction.

Presber incorporated these ideas into her Fall 2011 collection by combining some of her archive patterns into the new designs, as well as working a few of the buildings structural elements into the clothing.

"I added a taffeta 'x' to some pieces to give the delicate silk greater structure," said Presber. "And the kaleidoscopic print was inspired by the mirrors in the main atrium."

Photo by Noah Fallis

The main theme between this collection and all she makes is the level of quality.

"It's kind of like how our grandparents lived,"said Presber. "You buy something because you want to wear it for ten years."

Her Fall 2011 collection is available here in Calgary at her flagship store, and just in time for the holidays to, with many nice cocktail dresses to spice up your season.