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Miriam Ocáriz's print designs are the most sought-after on the Spanish fashion scene. Over the last few seasons, she has been leaving her unmistakeable mark on the womenswear collections of classic label Armand Basi. Whether it’s working on her own-name collection or for fashion greats, the young Basque designer is gaining in stature both as designer and illustrator.

Ocáriz works closely with an 11-strong team to produce carefully-crafted collections designed to carry the wearer away into a creative world of tasteful originality and exact tailoring. Fashionfromspain.com spoke with her shortly after the presentation of her autumn/winter 2006/07 collection in Madrid:

The creativity of your collections, the intricate detail of your prints and your quality as an illustrator are signs that you come from an artistic background

I studied fine art and fashion design in Bilbao. The thing I liked about fine art was that it gave me the chance for direct artistic expression. What I like about fashion is the end result, the actual garment, though not so much the pattern cutting and nitty-gritty of the production process.

What brought you to fashion?

In my third year of fine art I specialised in graphic techniques. That was when I started combining drawings and fabrics. It was a slow process. I started off with T-shirts which I painted partly by hand and then developed a mini-collection. It was a very gradual entry into fashion. I never gave up on my prints and my drawings, though I did start studying volume, pattern design, fabrics and final construction in greater depth.

Was there a textiles tradition in your family?

Not exactly. But my mother was a great example for me. She loves clothes and even as a little girl, she took me shopping, let me choose things and showed me what to appreciate.

“A Miriam Ocáriz collection without prints would feel contrived”

Describe the Miriam Ocáriz style?

It’s hard to say, perhaps a mixture of the natural and the sophisticated with subtle contrasts.

Do you consider yourself a designer or an illustrator?

I’m a fashion designer. Illustration is part of my job, but the end result is the garments I produce. I tend to draw on paper quite a lot, but when I am drawing for clothes I’m very aware of what I’m doing. I enjoy doing illustrations and prints. It keeps me sane. My work is a gradual process. I do drawings, buy fabrics and eventually it all begins to come together.

Would you create a Miriam Ocáriz collection without prints?

I use more prints and colour in summer than in winter. And I suppose I could have a collection without them. But I like making and using them. It would feel a bit contrived to leave them out altogether. If I ever do, it’ll be because that’s what that collection needs. Illustration is a constant feature in my work but there’s a parallel development in garments, fabric and volume. Part of the collection still involves almost manual silk-screen printing, such as the T-shirts. But usually we use rotary screen-printing and digital printing.