WOMAN.ca Finds Out How Pink Cobra Gets Her Bite

I’ll admit I was nervous to meet the ever-talented Tania Martins face-to-face and talk about her line, Pink Cobra.

She has that air of effortless cool that I envy. That “I stayed up so late last night, don’t take my picture, ok fine take my picture” (and it turns out perfectly) kind of cool that makes me want to hate her. But I don’t.

Pink Cobra, posseses that same kind of cool. And, I don’t hate the clothes either.

The line is made up of simple pieces, that are both chic and timeless, with the perfect balance of edge and femininity. They are dark, sexy, comfortable clothes made to make you feel confident and in control.

Pink Cobra has been strait raved about for five years, and has developed a pretty big cult following. Her campaigns and fashion videos are always beautifully original, creating mystery and well deserved hype around her brand. Martins definitely knows what she’s doing. In every way.

Pink Cobra currently acts as the in-house line at Queen West boutique Carte Blanche where Tania Martins is buyer and co-owner with Dan Augustino. The store was originally called Pink Cobra and is where the two first met.

Tania claims to have named her line Pink Cobra as a way of paying tribute to her pal Dan, and to the time and place where her dreams were first realized.

After all, it was Dan who pushed her to get started.

So, you named your line after the boutique, Pink Cobra, now known as Carte Blanche?
Well, I met Dan seven years ago when he had Pink Cobra. He always wanted to start his own label under the store’s name, like an in-house label. He eventually closed the shop because he had a different opportunity come up, but when he moved back to Toronto we just kind of thought why not start up a label under that name and get going again?
I had just finished school, I was working under someone [Canadian designer Catherine Curtis] and I really just wanted to start my own thing and Dan had that kind of guidance that I needed and the drive and motivation. I mean, I was eager but I was just thinking, “Where do I start? And how do I go about this?” And he just had it all figured out in his head so I said ,”Okay, let’s do this”.

Sounds pretty idyllic for any fashion grad. What’s next? Or are things perfect as is?
Things are pretty great. I love having the shop and just doing it all out of here. Really, I’d like to take Pink Cobra to a trade show and try and get it out there more. When I was on a buying trip in Europe I would wear Pink Cobra to my meetings and there was a lot of interest in the brand. There’s an agency there that said “Get it done on time and then we’ll try and sell it here and put it in our showrooms. So I’m working on Fall/Winter but Carte Blanche is taking up a lot of my time. I’m sort of trying to get everything organized. It’s exciting but I’m wondering when the hell I’m going to find the time.

Oh, I’m sure you will. Have you ever thought of finding someone to take over the buying at Carte Blanche so you could focus more on the line?
Yes, but I’m a bit of a control freak. I think it’s that I haven’t found the right person. If I came across someone that just blows my mind then I’m sure I’d be all for it.

Can you describe a moment when you were most proud of yourself?
I was hired to do the costumes and outfits for Nelly Furtado and her dancers when she was on tour three years ago. That was a big job, and it was really exciting.

How about a time when you were in doubt or felt insecure?
Well, fashion is tricky. I love what I do but you always question [the job]. In the past little while I’ve questioned myself a lot, but it passes and then you get over it, and you move on, and you keep going.

Buying for a successful boutique is busy enough, let alone designing your own line – what’s a typical day like for Tania Martins? Is there one?
There really isn’t a typical day. I mean, the buying happens twice a year for us and those trips are kind of intense. The last trip I went on was London, Milan and Paris in eighteen days. I went to a few fashion shows but I mostly just visit the showrooms because it’s quicker and more efficient. So during that time, my days vary. One day I had six appointments and was running around London while keeping in contact with the store and answering e-mails. When I’m here I’m often busy with special orders, keeping the interns motivated, organizing the studio and working on my line.

So you spend most of your time downstairs in the studio?
I do work the store as well. It’s a really good way to get feedback from clients and see what they like, what they’re looking for and how things fit.

Do you have any collaborations planned with other Canadian designers or artists? Is there anyone you’d like to collaborate with?
I kind of have this little idea that I want to do for next year. I would like to work with twelve different photographers and stylists and get them each to do different photoshoots so that I can put a little something together. I know lots of great people. There are so many young and talented people in Toronto to choose from.

Describe Pink Cobra in three words:
Strong, sexy, androgynous.

Who do you picture as the ideal Pink Cobra woman? Has she changed from when you started? Do you see her changing in the future?
I think the Pink Cobra girl is someone who is always evolving. Someone who is open to change and new looks. Not to say that there isn’t a specific look but I think while the Pink Cobra girl always wants to look put together she’s a little bit like a chameleon.

Do you have any plans to expand Pink Cobra into jewelry, bags, shoes?
I would love that. That would be really great. I have tons of ideas for jewelry and bags but again, I’m just trying to get organized and I’m focused on getting this collection done and then I’ll sort of go from there.

When it comes to your design process, what happens more often – do you envision a concept and then look for the materials to create the pattern and bring it to life or do you search for incredible materials or fabrics and create something inspired by their qualities?
It usually starts with a concept or an idea. Very rarely will I come across a material where I’m just like “Oh my god this is perfect and this is what I’m going to do with it.” You don’t really find beautiful, amazing materials in Toronto. They’re sort of basic. It’s usually more like I have an idea and then I go shopping to find materials that will suit my idea.

You showed at LG Fashion week in 2008, can we expect to see Pink Cobra on the runway again soon?
I would like to say yes but I like the idea of doing something more on my own.  We’ve just kind of done parties and fashion videos. We haven’t done a fashion show in awhile.  I find that Toronto fashion week is a little bit behind compared to other fashion weeks. So, investing the money, putting up with all the stress and to go through all of that really isn’t worth it. It just doesn’t pay off that much. What we end up doing is just more fun because you have a party and you get everyone together in that way.

The downtown aesthetic that you do so well is becoming widely popular with all types, including the uptown crowd. Have you ever considered selling your clothes somewhere uptown as well? Anywhere else? Where would you like to see your line carried in the future?
I do see it being sold uptown. There are a lot of great stores in Toronto. I’m definitely open to it. I also really love Reborn in Montreal.  I haven’t thought about it too much because I’ve sort of been in my own little world.

Do you plan on opening up a Pink Cobra boutique? Where would you choose to open it?
I feel like if I were to open up a private label boutique I would want it to be in London. London or New York. I wouldn’t want it to be in Toronto. I’ve got Carte Blanche.  I find that whenever people have two stores in the same city one of them always goes under. For some reason two stores in the same city doesn’t always work.

You were recently quoted saying that you are excited about the energy in Toronto and the industry here. Apart from, or along with, being one of the most raved about lines here for five years now, how do you feel you are contributing to this? What do you think Pink Cobra brings to the table in regards to making Toronto an exciting place for fashion?
I think Pink Cobra is pretty lighthearted. It’s a fun line that gets a lot of people involved. It’s inspired by the people that I come across everyday. I work with and meet lots of different types of people. It brings together lots of different types of people and that’s exciting. It’s refreshing.

Women from many different social cultures are becoming more and more interested in exploring the edgy side of fashion. That being said, what ONE piece from your line would you recommend a woman from any neighborhood or style pick-up if she wanted to infuse that bit of downtown cool into her wardrobe?
I know! The Wool and Leather Motorcycle Jacket. It’s a bit oversized but still very tailored. I’ve had many different types of clients buy that and it looks great on everyone.

Is that your favorite piece in the line right now?
It’s definitely my favourite. I’ve worn the heck out of it.

Which three items of clothing are you wearing most this season?
My Pink Cobra leather skirt, my Camilla Skovgaard boots and my Pink Cobra static print T-shirt. I’m wearing it today. I can’t take it off.

It’s such a challenge to find a warm but stylish winter coat.  There’s a major gap in the market. I’m curious, what are you using to keep warm?
I hate to say this but Canada Goose, in the dead of winter, is fantastic. But I’ve also been sticking to my Wool Motorcycle Jacket. I did mine with a lamb’s wool lining.  I did a few of them like that or with a quilted lining because some of my clients wanted to wear it further into the winter.

Would you consider designing winter coats?
I’ve done really warm winter coats as special orders for clients. The price point is quite high, mostly because it’s made in Canada. They become very expensive compared to everything else that I do. I would love to do it because I do have some great ideas that I would love to kind of see in reality but I don’t know that I want to go there because it’s really expensive right now.

New Years is approaching! Do you know what you’ll be wearing?
I don’t! I kind of always decide last minute. Whatever I’m in the mood for. It just depends on my mood that day. I still have some Christmas shopping to do so maybe I will come across something!

Visit and shop Pink Cobra here. 

Hayley Brehl
		About the author:
		Hayley Brehl obtained her BA in English and Creative Writing at Concordia University in Montreal. Living there she met designer, Andy The-Anh and assisted him on her days off from poetry class.  That’s when everything changed. She moved back to Toronto and began pursuing a career in fashion. Her favorite things are wedge heels, Indian take-out and her Persian kitten, Moe.
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