ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, March 11, 2002

Designing to a T and way beyond

Fashion lines expand along with markets

By CP

VANCOUVER -- Being a successful, self-taught fashion designer suits Sara Robson Francoeur to a T.

In fact, that's how she started her Narcissist Design label six years ago - with a tee.

"I'd found a T-shirt I really liked and bought several in different colours," says the slender brunette, 29, who shares studio space with three staff, a student and Echo, her exuberant boxer dog.

"When I went back to buy more, they had been discontinued. So I started making them for myself and then started selling them."

A chance meeting put her tees on the shelves of a store specializing in Vancouver designers. Other stores started calling, as did a wholesale representative who provided an entry into the western Canadian market.

"For emerging designers in Vancouver, I think there's a lot of opportunities," she says. "The difficulty is getting to the next stage, outside of the local scene."

Francoeur has managed that, expanding her lines to include most key wardrobe elements. Her market stretches from Victoria to Halifax and includes the western United States.

"I once said I'd never make anything but T-shirts, but I was buying the fabric for them and all of a sudden I was making dresses, pants and skirts," she says.

"I think as your interest grows and your skill level increases, you just want to challenge yourself."

Today, she's setting the mood for spring - fashion pick-me-ups designed to chase away winter blahs.

"I think women are looking for something to cheer themselves up," says Francoeur.

"That's what the collection is all about. We're concentrating on fabrics and prints that inspire mood, and the mood is usually fun."

Her collections, priced from $40 to $300, can be viewed online at www.narcissist.com.

The spring lines range from faux wrap day dresses in bold prints over solids to sexy black knit outfits detailed with soft ruffles lettuce-stitched in contrasting colours.

"It's definitely very feminine, but in an edgy way," she says of her designs.

Her version of the little black dress drapes softly from pleats at the shoulder across the bust to a empire seam, but is still fitted at the waist.

Some of the basic blacks aren't that basic. She's lined a flirty A-line party frock with a rich floral print. A hint of lace peeks through the wrapped front of a pin-striped dress.

For sheer fun, there is a two-layered circular skirt that swirls with citrus colours. Francoeur teams it with a long tank top which she designed to wear with low-rise pants.

"There are very few women over 18 who want their bellies showing," she says. "Unless they're Britney Spears."