We are of the same generation, so I remember a young Stanley Carroll gaining some momentum in the local design scene as I was beginning my own design career, circa 1980-something … although we did not actually meet til about a year ago. And I must confess that I have always been an admirer, he showed promise then for garments with solid fit, which were easy to wear, but at the same time unique and incorporating unexpected details.
Now decades later, I have to say Stanley Carroll hasn’t changed much :)
He still designs men’s and women’s clothes that are simple and wearable, cleverly cut in soft fabrics to work on many different body types. Each of his pieces are well-made and totally on trend, but still manage to deliver his signature twist in some way.
Stanley is a survivor in a hard business to survive in! For decades he made a respectable name for himself locally, then retreated to his native Europe for the better part of the past decade, having burned out on the “business” side of the fashion game. He found his smile again, as well as a wife, before returning to Canada several years ago and rekindling his creative drive to design. Until recently he marketed his designs & did custom work through special events and pop-up shops at his south Edmonton studio. I caught up with Stanley earlier in 2019 and toured this studio, discovering delightful drapey fabrics with beautiful graphic art prints of famous Klimpt and Picasso masterpieces, to name two of my favorites.
As is the case for many designers today, his focus has shifted away from seasonal lines. He now concentrates on building a line that is always evolving in response to the customer. Going forward his next adventure will be providing the creative force behind Van Mil, his Dutch clothing brand developed and produced in Canada, and aimed at the ready-to-wear market. Check out a photo gallery of the hot new Van Mil line here!
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Stanley Carroll
Stanley Carroll is alive and well … Somewhere in Canada