Dan Castle, the founder of fashion label Castle Starr isn't your typical designer. Fact is, he's not a designer at all and he's fine with that. A businessman by profession, he used that financial acumen to partner with successful designers to create an elegant, wearable line of clothes that work just as well in editorial spreads as they do on city streets.

What led you to begin a fashion label?
Although my background is in finance, my family has been in the fashion industry for 20 years and I have been exposed to the industry, its challenges and rewards, for most of my life. The focus in fashion always seems to be on the artistic and visual aspect of the business, but the profit and loss and the cash flows of the business are just as important.

What was it like getting started?
I partnered with people who have found considerable success in this business, partners that are reliable and have a wealth of knowledge to share with me. As I've heard before, money is easy to come by. It is the matrix of manufacturing, sourcing, sales and marketing that a design team requires and I have the best team that money can't buy.

How do you balance the creative aspect of a fashion with the commercial side?
That is the most important question to consider once you have your team established. I tell the Castle Starr designers that there needs to be both in every style we create. Castle Starr has very unique use of fabrics and embellishments so we focus on silhouettes that are wearable and create that balance.

Tell us about your upcoming spring collection.
The Castle Starr spring collection is special because it encompasses the delicate balance of modern beauty intertwined with the vintage embellishments that make every piece stand out. The fabrics are easy on the body but there is a structure to each piece that gives it that regal appearance.

Why has Castle Starr has been so successful so quickly?
Too many designers or companies get caught up in the bright lights, fashion shows, celebs and launch parties. We focus on building a strong and focused collection that will continue to inspire for a long time to come. Castle Starr spends its time and energy on the uniqueness and quality of our products first and foremost.

Is there any celebrity who you would love to see wearing Castle Starr?
I hear that Ariela Suster, the fashion editor at In Style wears Castle Starr to many of her events and that means more to me then any A-lister because she doesn't have a stylist sending her free dresses every week. She really appreciates what we do and she is exposed to every brand in the world because of her job, but she chooses us.

Where would you like to take Castle Starr?
I want the Castle Starr man or woman to always be surprised and impressed with each collection and that will never change. When you have a special event, Castle Starr should be the first collection you think of.

- Interview by Ann John

RANDOM TANGENT:
Castles are different than fortresses because they can be used for offensive purposes in hostile territory or as a residence, as opposed to a fortress, because those are purely defensive.

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