Designer spotlight: Silence Beyond Syllables

Silence Beyond Syllables was one of LBD Boutique's first brands and specialises in contemporary, graphic print silk dresses. The label was set up in 2010 by Para Manko, who has worked with Henry Holland and Jonathan Saunders.

Dressed up for evening or down for day, the dresses and pretty skirt in LBD Boutique's Silence Beyond Syllables collection add a unique and modern twist to classic cuts using hand-dyed and digitally printed delicate silks. The graphic designs on her dresses take influence from light refraction and geometric lines, portraying a futuristic take on romance and femininity. Team LBD caught up with Para to find out why her pieces are such must-haves, what the LBD means to her and what she'll be wearing come Valentine's Day. How did Silence Beyond Syllables start? Silence Beyond Syllables was set up in 2010, a year after I graduated from the London College of Fashion. I got a great response to my graduate collection and I started getting orders, so I went on to produce the next collection and have not stopped since! It all happened very organically. I always knew design was something I wanted to go into, and fashion was the best creative way of expressing my ideas.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Much of my work is inspired by contemporary art and my inclination towards travel. My most recent collection portrays a modern futuristic take on romance, the feeling of light and refraction through photography, cubist painters and sculptors. What does the little black dress mean to you? Silence Beyond Syllables is about being elegant, simple and effortlessly cool. It's also about innovating and bringing classic silhouettes and trends like the little black dress back with a twist. The LBD is about feeling elegant, which is what Silence Beyond Syllables aims to achieve. A piece you can comfortably put on just as it is and feel great. Who is your LBD style icon? Leigh Lezark . What is your favourite piece from your collection? The Beige Digital Print Dress. The way the print is constructed gives the body a great shape, the black and grey bolder shapes are slimming and the refraction inspired detail is a great graphic. This is by far my most popular piece as is suits all body shapes and is popular with all ages. What's your go-to dress for a first date, a party, and meeting the parents? Digital Print Mauve Shift Dress for a first date. For a party I'll make a statement in the Digital Print Heart Dress and for meeting the parents I'd go for subtle elegance in the Hombre Silk Shift Dress.

Who is your favourite fashion designer? I love the simplicity yet eclectic mood of Dries van Noten. I turn to artists more than designers, taking a visual aspect from anything and turning it into design for the body. I adore the abstract artist Rothko. Who would you love to see wearing Silence Beyond Syllables? I would love to see the actress and model Charlotte Kemp Muhl wearing one of my dresses. Have we seen these dresses somewhere before...? Yes! My designs have been featured in Grazia, Look and the infamous Style Bubble fashion blog. Markus Lupfer also picked me as one of his top ten designers in ASOS magazine when I released my first collection. How should your dresses be styled? The dresses in the collection are easy to wear and have a simple yet quirky touch so you don't want to go over the top with accessories. I always throw on a pair of black shoe-boots with my dresses, for a cool and classy feel. Any tips on what to wear this Valentine's Day? On Valentine's Day you need to wear something you feel good in, whatever it is. It is important that you feel confident and comfortable in your dress because that's when you will really shine, rather than wearing something you think looks good but doesn't quite fit. What will you be wearing? Silk is always a good option because it feels luxurious and special. Warm bright colours are a great addition to the LBD so you can radiate feelings of love! The Digital Print Heart Dress would be perfect with the sweetheart detailing on the bust, or the digital print silk skirt to feel fun and flirty. And where would you wear this gorgeous attire? I would take my LBD out dancing under the stars. Shop Para's collection in full here.