Trelise Cooper, pictured here at her home in Auckland, is an internationally acclaimed fashion designer. Having established herself with a range of popular boutique stores in the 1980s, the New Zealander went on to design clothes for the likes of Liv Tyler, Julia Roberts and even the cast of U.S. sitcom Sex and the City.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
Trelise Cooper, pictured here at her home in Auckland, is an internationally acclaimed fashion designer. Having established herself with a range of popular boutique stores in the 1980s, the New Zealander went on to design clothes for the likes of Liv Tyler, Julia Roberts and even the cast of U.S. sitcom Sex and the City.
CNN
A model exhibits clothes from Cooper's recent Spring range. Noted for her bold use of pattern, attention to detail and intricate stitching, Cooper has ascended the fashion world despite never having trained as either a designer or seamstress.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
A model exhibits clothes from Cooper's recent Spring range. Noted for her bold use of pattern, attention to detail and intricate stitching, Cooper has ascended the fashion world despite never having trained as either a designer or seamstress.
courtesy trelise cooper
The view from Cooper's beach-side home along the Auckland coast. Of her home country, Cooper says it's a source of great creativity and freshness. "Being the first people to see the sun rise each morning, gives us a sort of freshness, an edginess," she said.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
The view from Cooper's beach-side home along the Auckland coast. Of her home country, Cooper says it's a source of great creativity and freshness. "Being the first people to see the sun rise each morning, gives us a sort of freshness, an edginess," she said.
Courtesy trelise cooper
The dusty heat of New Delhi proved a sharp contrast to the breezy Auckland air. For Cooper, the city's "Red Fort" (pictured) epitomizes the flamboyant yet earthy Indian style.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
The dusty heat of New Delhi proved a sharp contrast to the breezy Auckland air. For Cooper, the city's "Red Fort" (pictured) epitomizes the flamboyant yet earthy Indian style.
Getty Images
During her journey, Cooper strolled the streets of New Delhi, taking inspiration from the exotic, bright colors and the traditional stitch-work of the local garments.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
During her journey, Cooper strolled the streets of New Delhi, taking inspiration from the exotic, bright colors and the traditional stitch-work of the local garments.
CNN
Cooper described the crowded shopping district as "exciting and chaotic and noisy and dusty and smoky and hot." This, however, was small price to pay for the astonishing array of fabrics and accessories pouring from every street-side stall and shop.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
Cooper described the crowded shopping district as "exciting and chaotic and noisy and dusty and smoky and hot." This, however, was small price to pay for the astonishing array of fabrics and accessories pouring from every street-side stall and shop.
CNN
The New Zealander was thrilled to find this particular outlet, calling it "a treasure trove of fabrics and other goodies," including textiles, ribbons, bows, buttons and beads. She took samples back with her to her fashion studio in Auckland.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
The New Zealander was thrilled to find this particular outlet, calling it "a treasure trove of fabrics and other goodies," including textiles, ribbons, bows, buttons and beads. She took samples back with her to her fashion studio in Auckland.
CNN
After months of preparation, Cooper's "Fusion Journey" creations were ready for public view. This dress, with its gem-like embellishments, was hand-beaded in Delhi.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
After months of preparation, Cooper's "Fusion Journey" creations were ready for public view. This dress, with its gem-like embellishments, was hand-beaded in Delhi.
Courtesy Trelise Cooper
As this striking rainbow print illustrates, Cooper drew heavily from the Indian palette of vibrant colours to create her new line.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
As this striking rainbow print illustrates, Cooper drew heavily from the Indian palette of vibrant colours to create her new line.
Courtesy Trelise Cooper
Here, the detailed embroidery of the fabric mirrors the intricate henna patterns adorning many Indian women's hands
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
Here, the detailed embroidery of the fabric mirrors the intricate henna patterns adorning many Indian women's hands
Courtesy Trelise Cooper
This fully sequinned dress, meanwhile, is inspired by the azure blue color of the Indian Ocean.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
This fully sequinned dress, meanwhile, is inspired by the azure blue color of the Indian Ocean.
Courtesy Trelise Cooper
Most of all, Cooper returned to New Zealand inspired by the expert craftsmanship she encountered. This dress, with its ruffles and appliqué, was created using the delicate hand-stitching techniques still practiced across India.
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions —
Most of all, Cooper returned to New Zealand inspired by the expert craftsmanship she encountered. This dress, with its ruffles and appliqué, was created using the delicate hand-stitching techniques still practiced across India.
Courtesy Trelise Cooper
New Zealand to New Delhi, a fusion of fashions

Editor’s Note: Part culture show, part travel show, over six weeks Fusion Journeys takes six stars of the creative world to a location of their choice. There, they will create something new inspired by their experience.

Story highlights

New Zealand fashion designer Trelise Cooper flew to New Delhi seeking new styles

Cooper was drawn to the city's tradition of flamboyantly colored clothes

She says that the journey helped her create a line of clothing fused with opulence and romance

CNN  — 

With a star-studded client list that includes Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Roberts and Michelle Pfeiffer, Trelise Cooper is an internationally known fashion designer.

Starting out with a boutique store in Auckland, New Zealand, during the mid-1980s, Cooper’s ascent onto the fashion stage – and the front covers of Vogue and Marie Claire – is made more remarkable by the fact that she never received any formal training as either a designer or seamstress.

Instead, Cooper relied on her self-confessed “obsession” for detail, as well as a natural eye for fashion. “I was born a fashion designer” she says, and soon after she set up shop, her clothes acquired a reputation for their bold use of pattern and intricate stitching.

Cooper took up the “Fusion Journey” challenge to travel from New Zealand to New Delhi, India’s capital. Although it’s a city she had been to on business many times before, she says that she’d never allowed herself the time to study its traditional dress in earnest.

See more Fusion Journeys

There she was tasked with creating a new fashion line that would combine her own sophisticated modern style with the vibrant, brightly colored traditions of Indian dress-making.

In her own words, Cooper retraces the footsteps of her Fusion Journey.

Fashion designer Trelise Cooper
Fashion designer Trelise Cooper
Courtesy Trelise Cooper

Trelise Cooper: I absolutely adore the historical aspect of clothing. My ranges are full of influences from 19th-century French, English, even American vintage styles. So it’s no surprise I have always enjoyed combing through flea markets in small towns and finding rare antique gems to steal some inspiration.

I’m also obsessed with detail, so when I find a Victorian gown or a 50s bridal slip that I like, then it’s important for me to be able to emulate the exact stitching, embroidery or beading used at the time. In the West, unfortunately, most of our expert hand-stitching traditions have been lost – the skills have not been passed on and the seamstress geniuses from the couture houses of Europe have not been replaced.

That is why I’m often traveling to India. It’s one of the very best places in the world to find that expertise still thriving. From one village to the next you find whole families, generations, that have their own specialties of stitch work.

Honestly, I can give them any old historical piece that I’ve found and they will either take it away and recreate it almost perfectly, or they’ll say “hmmm … I don’t know this stitching, but I know a place nearby that does.” It’s a fashion designer’s dream!

So in one sense, I’ve been fusing my clothes with Indian influences for a while. However, I think this was the first time I’ve traveled to India with a conscious intention to create a fusion of styles: their own traditional dress with my more modern, western creations.

I just love the color and the vibrancy that is India. New Delhi is exciting and chaotic and noisy and dusty and smoky and hot. Everything is so full of intense color and I realized that, on a subconscious level at least, I’ve been influenced by Indian style … In fact, when it comes to bold use of colors and the use of these rich, deep dyes, how can anyone deny the huge influence of India on fashion around the world?

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Walking through the streets, you see color combinations that you’d never imagine would work. I recall a beautiful woman wearing a sari in bright, radiant pink mixed with a lime green print. I mean, lime and pink! It sounds garish, but on her, with the quality of the dye and the way the colors had been combined it looked absolutely stunning.

We made our way to a shop that I can only describe as a treasure trove of fabrics and other goodies. This was the place to find all the accessories, textiles, ribbons, bows, buttons, and beads that I could take back to my studio in Auckland to use as inspiration for the final creations.

There were ideas there, old and new, that I’d never thought about. Already I could envisage opportunities to use all sorts of different laces and braids, detailed examples of hand stitching, with some other antique dresses we’d picked up from a local supplier.

Much as I love them personally, I don’t sell things like saris – and I never would – it’s not a style that would appeal to the tastes of my particular customers. However, what I took back to New Zealand, was their techniques, their intense celebratory colors, their detailed embellishments, their expert use of beads and sequins.

I worked on the new line for many months, and these are the elements I hope I managed to incorporate into them. I think they’ve added an opulence, a romance. But I’ll only know I have finished the creative process when someone comes in and says that, no matter what, they have to have it.

The garment takes them on a journey, and so my journey with the garment has finished.