Lucas Leclere is always welcome on 1Granary; we have written about him previously where he spoke mainly about his time working at Chanel and since then, many things have happened. Finally, we are glad to post his interview and tons of pics from his graduate collection, research and photo shoot. Lucas had designed all the fabrics he used for his designs, as well as trimmings and custom made shoes! After the CSM grad show, it wasn’t over for Lucas and his best friend Louis Barthelemy (FDM) because they both presented their graduate collections in the frame of the Paris couture week! Lucas is fun, though sometimes is a self described “pretentious, self obsessed boy” and that’s why we love him!

1Granary would like to thank Lucas for a fun interview and for all the good times.

Was it hard for you to get into CSM? What was your background and journey to BA Womenswear?

I would not know if it is hard to get in to CSM since I got in in one piece. I had no second option anyway.

Describe your final year; what was the hardest and most fun?

I had studied law for two months until I woke up and decided my life was too short to die of boredom in France. France is not a country for youngsters nor for anything fun really.

Tell us about your final collection (inspiration, techniques you have used, difficulties and struggles…)

My final year has been by far the most exciting year of them all, for which I have had the chance to weave my own fabrics and prints thanks to my sponsors. I also got the most amazing helpers that allowed me to push things further and accomplish looks that were very complete with trousers and jackets and so on.

Kings X made my life shit, but I would brush it off by calling my friends in Paris for the ones in London were too busy working.

I started my research in France when the Arab Spring was blossoming. People in North Africa used the slogans from the French Revolution. I decided to go where the revolution had burst in its most decadent and dramatic way – Versailles. There it was, the arts and stunning crafts produced for the monarchy and the rebellious ground breaking ideas. Revolutions happen with fire, blood and savagery, thus, I applied the same to my fabrics. I burned, destroyed, ripped, shredded them for I wanted them to tell a story, to have a past in their core, without having a disheveled absurd punk look that would make you look like a tramp. I tailored coats and jackets for I wanted the whole impression to be structured on top of ‘flou’ pieces. I experimented a lot with Sellotape, paint, lace, human hair and mink, and all of it turned out much more embellished than I thought it would be. Now because I was in London I wanted a wink to a British culture. In its most absurd and retrograde way, Great Britain is still a monarchy, and I was inspired by a Dichotomy of its religious, royal structure and its punk and extravagant history (think ecstasy, techno music, club culture, nu rave and so on). Thus, I worked on the UK flag that is so vulgarized that it is even more beautiful. Its structure and impact is immediate, I used it in all black onto lace leggings and half of it to structure a pink pleated dress.

How did you choose your soundtrack and why?

My friend Jerry Bouthier, whom I had met at Family And Boombox (now Ponystep) and who is the best DJ in the world, made the soundtrack for me. It meant a lot since he created it at Boombox, which was the soundtrack of my London years and I was lucky that he found the time to do it since he is such a busy man touring the world with his records. We chose music and riffs we liked, I told him I wanted the introduction of Rameau’s ‘Forets Paisibles’ theme from ‘Les Indes Galantes’ (an opera that Louise Vidée Le Brun, the official painter of Marie Antoinette, hated although everybody adored it). He then applied his magic touch and shredded the music and sampled it in the most surprising and exciting way ever. It could not have suited the collection better for it was metallic yet electro and demented at the same time with delicate moments of extreme softness.

What is your most precious memory from the time in CSM?

CSM makes a difference for it leaves you free. My best souvenir there is everyday, for you meet your best friends as well as the most absurd retards that make life more exciting and fun. There is no place like this in the world. I would have become a stuck up, bitter, uptight, unconfident, bourgeois cunt without it. Now I’m only a f which I think is a great improvement.   

What was the best advice you got in CSM from the tutors?

If you know nothing, have no talent and no memory, you have all the chances to get a good job in a respectable studio (I have names). Also, work until you drop dead, sleep, and then start again. If fashion resists you, don’t force your way in; its a waste of time. Go sell ice creams in Buyukadam, you’ll have more fun and be more fulfilled.

What would you put into the survival kit on the final year?

A brain should do if you know how to use it.

If you had 1,000,000 pounds, what would you do?

I would do exactly the same thing I am doing right now.

How would you describe your personal style?

I could not ever describe my personal style for it is up to others to appreciate it. I always sound cocky, vain, empty and pretentious when one does. I do not wear sneakers unless I have to run. (And I never do.) I only own one pair of converse. I buy 90% of my shoes at Crockett and Jones and never go shopping. I eventually come across something I like and buy it. I despise high street for I find it overpriced and rude, stealing other’s ideas to have them produced by underpaid workers, stuffed in a pig farm can – not being an ideal way of selling clothing. And being shoved in a multicolored warehouse with a loud music, shouting in your ears with no one to help you and have to queue to try on an ill fitted dress that gives you a rash on the neck, cannot be an ideal way of shopping either. I repulse middle of the road brands who charge more for the same low quality as the high street and who disguise themselves into creative labels. I hate so called luxury labels that are directed by marketing and have their clothes produced in China and Romania with bad fabrics (85% of them do). I shop in the few that please me. I don’t ever make anything for myself for once my day is over, I’d rather read or draw than sew for my own. I have things made that I designed (shoes, jackets) and it is much more satisfying for I am not the best at sewing linings and I can’t make shoes.

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1Granary is super excited to announce that MAIA BERGMAN is now officially the first designer whom we represent! She is a real star and we are over the moon!!!

The girl just came back from Argentina; she had several shows and shot a cover for the September Issue of Harper’s Bazaar Argentina with Tati Cotliar, a friend, photographed by Battellini.

While she was away, here in London Maia’s collection was requested by Dazed&Confused for the October Issue, Another, I-D, Revs Magazine and Wonderland to name just a few. MAC Cosmetics had picked one look for the 2013 campaign styled by Nicola Formichetti and any garments available were wanted for “shocking” Girls Aloud reunion! So keep your eyes peeled for Maia’s hot pieces on Cheryl Cole, LOL! And not only…Sir Elton John wants to wear her designs too, and that’s a BIGGIE! Maia will be collaborating with Savile Row’s Richard James, bespoke tailors, to create a special capsule collection for the superstar to shine on stage. We can’t wait for Maia to shower Elton John with her plastic beads and are so proud of her! 

As the LFW approaches, CSM’s fashion grad studs are preparing for the shows. On FRIDAY, 14^thSeptember, Maia is going to exhibit her collection during the Vauxhall Fashion Scout along with other CSM recent grads Aisling Farrell, Caroline Minar, Charlotte Helyar, Serena Gili and Shengwei Wang.1Granary is going to be there, so should you!

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In a room full of pink balloons during the last day at CSM Degree Show,1Granary met up with Louis Barthelemy, recent CSM graduate, who also happens to be a Styliste Foulard at Christian Dior Couture, to speak about his graduate collection and life at Christian Dior.  Louis was inspired by the Countess di Castiglione, 19th century italian aristocrat, mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France and a fashion icon and muse before the photographic lens of faded 19th century. Louis’s collection was thought through from head to toe: impressive in their scale and form the custom made head pieces, romantic variations of boulé silhouette, colourful and playful prints that would linger through the pleats of luxurious fabrics and sky-scraper heels tied with velvet ribbons – perfect gear for the Countess to seduce a stranger on her last party at a nightclub! “Lustrous and lustful” would be the words to describe Barthelemy’s graduate collection. And Louis would be probably best described as a blossoming flower with Christian Dior’s Bois d’Argent scent.

P.S. Louis has also presented his grad collection along with Lucas Leclere (of whom we posted earlier) during the Paris Couture week.

Tell us about your background.

I am French, I was born in Léon. I moved to London at the age of ten with my family. My father was already working in the UK, so my mother, brother and I went to live with him. I went to the French Lycée in South Kensington, and I was basically brought up there. It was a very academic, conservative environment, but then again, being in London allowed us to really blossom, it really gave me that passion for… fashion! Every Fashion Week the National History Museum were organising a Fashion Week there, it was very exciting as a little kid to see all those models walking around and seeing all this fashion scene happening in front of the school. Since, I’ve decided to stay in the UK and continue my studies at Central Saint Martins. It’s only been two years since I’ve been back in France and rediscovering the French lifestyle, that I had missed for almost thirteen years.

So, after high school you applied for Central Saint Martins?

Yes, straight away for Foundation.

How would you describe your years here at CSM?

I did the foundation, so I was here for four years in total. I think the foundation, for me, was the most incredible experience because there were no conditions. From that conservative environment to that creative, energetic, completely camp world that Saint Martins offers I was in shock. I discovered myself completely and discovered amazing people – my best friends now. The foundation year gave me the will to stay longer on the CSM adventure.

I had initially applied for womenswear, but I failed. I had just turned eighteen and was very immature, I was not so body-conscious and aware of the body, it was a great lesson. So I got on Fashion Design and Marketing by default, really. I had no clue about marketing and it’s actually there where I was doing the course that I blossomed, and I discovered prints and many other mediums. Now that I think back to the course, I really don’t regret going through that pathway. It was a smaller class, you get to be more focused. We had amazing tutors, who had joined the course for a specific project, such as Stephen Jones. Having to work and show your student project to professional people from the industry is important.

Who inspired and influenced you the most during the school years?

I had my friend Lucas, who was initially my boyfriend. I think throughout the whole process of our studies, despite all the drama that you can imagine, he was… he was my left arm, helper, friend. His advice was the only one I really listened to.

During my year out, I met this incredible woman, Danielle, who gave me the chance to express myself freely at Dior Design, in scarves. She gave me so much confidence, she taught me almost everything. She introduced me to amazing people in the industry.

I had another friend called Daul Kim, who was a Korean model and we met during London Fashion Week. During my second year, she helped me to be a lot more focused and she gave me a lot of confidence, as well. I think, thanks to her, I’ve been able to get to places I never would have thought of. She helped me to shine in interviews for internships.

What was your final year like?

I haven’t had the time to look back at it. It’s been intense and went so quickly. I feel like another person… it is really an accomplishment. I had to organise myself very differently. Throughout the whole year, I have to admit, I felt extremely lonely, but luckily I had my friend Lucas. Without him, I think, I would have gone through depression. I had literally no spare time. During weekdays, I’d work at Dior, or sometimes at the weekend, or the evening. I would go to CSM one day a week, or once every two weeks to see teachers for tutorials. The time I had left was used to produce a collection. I gave myself my own timetable, knowing that if I had to follow the school ones with all the holidays, it would have been almost impossible to produce anything. I remember back in September, I was fabric sourcing and I had done all the research before going to university. I just carried on working on it like a sadistic, obsessed person. I’ve had the chance to work with amazing suppliers, who I met through Dior. They’ve been extremely supportive, so thanks to them I’ve had prints, accessories and hats of amazing quality. This has allowed me to work on prints with a different approach to volume. At Dior, I normally work flat on the scarves. This is something that I have found completely overwhelming and I’m willing to carry on doing in the future.

Tell us about your collection.

The collection is inspired by the Countess Castiglione, who was an Italian countess. She was sent to France at the court of Napoleon the Third when Italy was being invaded by Austrians to plead the cause of her country. She was a beautiful woman and was  seventeen, she seduced the Emperor and became his mistress. And Napoleon, being seduced by Castiglione, decided to protect Italy from the Austrians. After that affair, she returned to her native country, came back to Paris, single and fabulous. She attended a lot of parties where she would wear contemporary couture of the time and she had all these men at her knees. She was such a seducing character. The characteristics and personality adhere to that woman I dreamt of when I initially wanted to design that collection. It’s based on Castiglione, who wakes up after a hundred years in Paris to go for her last appearance in the palace, a former theatre that turned into a night club in the seventies. It introduced gay culture and disco, to houses that were conservative until then – Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton. It was an extremely eclectic crowd. The idea is Castiglione comes to the club in her flamboyant clothes.

This is when I wanted to introduce prints to the collection. It’s a medium that I’ve loved a lot during my year out and tell that amusing anecdote throughout the prints. This is why you see many men standing above her, Castiglione herself, a caricature, the art deco graphics, drinking champagne, wearing heart shaped sunglasses in the nightclub. I’ve tried to recreate the very puffed, boulé silhouette in different ways through pleats.

Who is your ideal lady?

My dream lady is probably a female alter ego, extremely confident, a lot of humour. She hides behind that very cool attitude, a lot of fantasy and freedom. She is extremely glamourous and feminine. Fashion is an industry obsessed with youth and beauty, you have to flaunt it!

In three words, how would you describe your whole experience at CSM?

It has been blossoming, overwhelming and quite lonely – but in a good way!

Can you tell us any crazy or memorable stories from your years here?

Memorable stories at CSM… I remember in foundation, this whole new scene of nightlife that I’d never seen before at Boombox. I was seventeen, we’d go there every Sunday. I was obsessed! I’d be dancing in my pants in Kensington till one in the morning… Or evening?! Being in the same class as Lucas was fun as well. As back in Charing Cross, I don’t know why we were like little raunchy teenage dogs, we’d always meet up in the bathroom and have sex. It was amazing to do this where no one cared really. It’s fine to be camp and filthy! This year I haven’t experienced anything similar. I’ve come in during the morning and left in the evening, missing out on all that student life.

For you, what is special about Saint Martins?

It is special because Saint Martins gives you all the freedom you want. There is almost no structure, no education; you are left alone and it doesn’t impose anything to you. So if you are a creative mind, you can feel free and express yourself as you wish. As opposed to French fashion schools, who are extremely based on technique and neglect, the whole creative side. But in order to be creative, I believe you need a lot of time and freedom to find yourself, CSM allows you all of this.

What is the most important thing you learnt at school?

Never take yourself seriously.

For the past two years you’ve been working for Dior, tell us about it?

Initially, I wanted to go to Italy to do an internship. It’s a country I’ve always loved and I’ve always wanted to live there. In the end, I got put forward for an internship by my tutor to go to Galliano, a designer I love. I went to the interview, got the position, went there for three months. I got a job at couture, I got along very well with the Galliano team, and it was the house I’d always dreamt of working for. I didn’t ever think that this could ever happen! I had previously had an experience working at Hermes with Marios Schwab, but that fantasy, that dream of Dior was ther.

Then at Dior, I studied Haute Couture in the Galliano studio. At some point I’d been proposed to draw scarves. Since they had no scarf designer at the time, they really wanted to expand on those accessories. I started really casually. My boss at the time, Danielle, said to me, “Louis take it easy, don’t freak out, life is beautiful at Dior. We are asking you to draw, just do your best and we’ll see from that.” That really positive and shared environment allowed me to feel completely free. In only a few months, I felt so comfortable there that they proposed a position for one more year. So I had to postpone my final year at Saint Martins, which in a way was good because I don’t think I was ready to go back. During this year, I had been designing and producing so many scarves that they offered me a proper position as a scarf designer; designing all kinds of textile accessories for the house. At the time when they proposed that contract, I mentioned the fact that I wanted to finish at Saint Martins because the college had approached me, telling me that either I come back or I don’t. The house (Dior) have been very supportive, offering me to finalise my studies and my collection while I still produce scarves for them.

What are your duties at Dior?

I’m in charge of designing scarves mainly. Illustration and graphic design take up most of my time. From the drawings, they are sent away to be printed. which are then studied and translated into frames. From those frames, I decline the drawings in different colour variations. Other duties involved are designing textiles, accessories, such as stoles and cashmere. Also fur accessories for women, capes and evening stoles. It’s an interesting position because you are focused on small products. It is very straightforward. You draw what is on a scarf, or you work on a drawing which is then weaved in a jacquard, so you get into a bit of textiles, or you work with fur, or embroidery. I think to start with, it was a great exercise because you work with so many different suppliers in different medium.

Did you ever want to do womenswear?

I do in the future, but I’m glad I’m going through this stage because I’m able to discover lots more of different things. I’ve discovered a love for prints, colours, fur pieces and the technicalities involved. The world of fur is it’s own universe. In the few years coming, I wish to carry on working on prints, but on a different scale. In the future for sure, I would like to do womenswear, but I am at this stage where I feel I have so much to learn from prints.

Apart from work, what do you do for fun?

I love partying, dancing – always at home! I love chilling with friends, going to exhibitions and travelling to art fairs. I am obsessed with working out, I adore swimming, travelling and sex.

What would be your advice for students on the industry?

I would advise a second year student to take a year out, elsewhere to London. I believe the industry really is abroad in Paris, Italy and New York. Missing out on the year out is crazy. It is the most important year of the whole degree. You learn everything, meet so many people and you gain so much confidence from being involved in tasks that have an impact on a company’s collection.

Then in final year – be yourself. Always follow your instinct and your heart, be stubborn, but question yourself constantly. If you have a good friend, or soul mate that will help you question, it will help a lot. Stick to your own timetable, don’t try to fit in boxes. You know yourself, your limits and what you are good at. Just try to give yourself a routine and stick to it. Please avoid alcohol towards the end of the year. You’ll gain weight, you’ll look gross and you won’t be so productive.

Do you think that it is important to be skinny in the industry?

It is extremely important, actually! (Laugshs) It helps, but the most important thing is to have a lot of humour and be comfortable with yourself, without being in anyone’s face. Good education and humour will save you, never take yourself seriously even if you look like a tough nazi officer!

Tell us more about Dior.

Dior is, surprisingly, an extremely corporate environment. You’d be surprised that when working in accessories, how exposed you are to marketing. You work very closely with people in production team, giving you budgets and targets. I had no clue, especially at Dior. It imposed a routine and discipline that really helps you be more focused. It’s a shock when you discover a couture house that is really exposed to this. To me, Dior is a house I recognise myself in, in the archives, in the crazy, hysterical, Galliano years. I love the contrast and sense of opulence that comes out of the creations in the house. It is something that moves and fills me. I’ve really missed not working there this year, Dior is  almost a home to me. You have a family, you get to stay there a bit too much. It can be a love-hate relationship, going through ups and downs, but that is what makes you passionate about this house. Sometimes you sit completely grey and dull, the next day it feels pink, fresh and romantic. I felt bipolar when I was there!

For students who want to apply there, is it best to have portfolios that fit Dior?

I don’t think you need to correspond to the Dior aesthetic. My work from second year, before I entered the house, it was similar, but not especially Gallianoesque. You should know that when you start, you’ll be working on small details that will be digested by so many different people. You need to be ready to get yourself involved in small aspects of the creative process. You learn so much from it.

Do you want to stay in Dior?

Yes. For the moment, I don’t question myself, Dior has been so supportive and understanding towards my ambitions and university. I am extremely thankful, and look forward to going back full time, doing my very best. Who knows how long it is going to last. I wish to catch the train and continue the journey.

Interviewed by Altynai Osmoeva

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Having just graduated from the BA Fashion Print course at CSM,  Victoria Sowerby worked with the up and coming fashion photographer Leonn Ward to shoot her new lookbook that we are very excited to showcase.

Since graduation her collection has been shot for VOID and USED magazine for publication next month and worked with Y’OH & Adidas at the 2012 Olympics.

Why Central Saint Martins?

I never went to an open day or knew much about the uni itself, only that it was good and PJ Harvey went there, so it must be cool as fuck.

Why menswear?

I think you can get away with a lot more with menswear. Keeping the silhouette simple you can go mental on fabrication and print.

What was the idea behind your collection?

The Fall song “Theme From Sparta F.C’ and the film ‘The Firm’ pretty much sum it up.

There’s something about the way big burley Northen men dress to go to the football. I’m originally from the North East of England and would always go to watch Boro games when I was younger. I love how these ultra masculine meatheads don’t think twice about donning a bright red velour tracksuit.

What was the hardest after you have graduated?

Nothing really prepares you for graduation, you’re suddenly out of the student bubble and it’s a scrabble for jobs or a long walk to the job center. A lucky few will get jobs straight from the fashion show but in this economic climate it takes a lot more effort and determination to get employees to consider you.

Anything you would do differently if you could go back?

Sometimes I look at my collection and think “what the hell was I thinking?! Nonperformance sportswear?” But I wouldn’t change a thing . . . well maybe I’d of got Paul Gascoigne or Kevin Keegan to model in the show.

Who’s your favorite tutor, and what was the best advice he/she gave you during your studies?
I think I learnt the most on foundation. Will and Auds gave me the kick up the arse I needed to get started. It’s definitely important to listen to your tutors but in the end you’ve got to remember it’s your collection and you only really get one shot. So you have to be your hardest critic.

victoria-sowerby.com

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This picture was never published because of the crocodile… Long story… We always thought that our model Liza couldn’t look better than she does here.

Photographer: Nikolay Biryukov

Make-up and hair: Marina Keri

Model: Liza Serpova/ Premier Model Management

Stylist/producer: Olya Kuryshchuk

Clothes: Flaminia Saccucci

Gorgeous beautiful green lovely Mr. Crocodile: Hackney Road shop

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As part of his BA Fashion degree at Central Saint Martins, menswear design student Alex Rouach presented his final collection in May 2012 entitled ‘The Rebirth of Slick’. The pieces took inspiration from the jazz age, with stiff collars, bi-tonal brogues, and briefcases lit up with neon trim. Known professionally as Alexander Jules Rouach, he answers some questions for 1Granary today about how he develops his craft and what happens when he goes shopping.

Where did you grow up?

London, NW.

How did you develop an interest in fashion and menswear specifically?

I was never too interested in fashion specifically; for me, it was always about presentation or style. At a young age I understood the importance of ‘dress’ and how it could affect the way an individual is perceived. Although I had little knowledge of [fashion] and its players, I always felt I had a foresight for trend and [have always] believed it’s more important to know what’s emerging in the streets than to know the year McQueen graduated from CSM.

The reason I chose menswear over womenswear is simply because I can’t say with conviction that I know what girls need. I’m strictly a menswear designer.

What are some hallmarks of your design aesthetic or signature pieces from your collection?

I re-evaluated my design aesthetic in my final year. I decided to cut out the unnecessary [parts] and go back to basics, avoiding pointless design [elements] for the sake of design. What I did keep the same were my reference points. I made sure the collection emanated a certain ‘funk’ or mood. It’s something I have always aimed to achieve in my work.

Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?

Italy.

What do you wear and where do you shop?

Wifebeaters. Ebay – I’m lazy [when it comes to] shopping.

What other menswear designers do you admire or take inspiration from?

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In the middle of her BA womenswear degree at CSM, British designer Betsy Humfrey was whisked away to intern and then work full-time for Balenciaga. She returned to CSM after two years to finish her degree and graduated in 2012. Her spring collection, full of modern silhouettes and eye-catching prints, is fit for every urban girl’s wardrobe. Today, 1 Granary chats with Betsy about her years at CSM and how she juggles design with music.

Why do you design?

I design to make a living, but love it too!

It is so hard to achieve success in fashion industry, and still thousands
of kids are applying each year to study in CSM. Are you not scared by the competition and horrible pressure?

There is a lot of competition and pressure but i find, its good to keep in mind that at the end of the day, i just design frocks.

Tell about your time in CSM? How did it change you and what most valuable did you learn?

The first couple of years at CSM for me are a bit of a blur of dressing up,partying and waking up in strange places. The final year was much more work. The womenswear corse is very free. You are left to your own devices so you learn quickly how to organise and and teach yourself. I think the greatest learning experience of my time at CSM was during my year in industry. This gave me an invaluable insight into what the fashion industry is actually like and how designers really work. It is hard to pin point what the most valuable thing i learnt durring this time as I learnt so much at Balenciaga. It opend my eyes to new techniques, I developed a greater understanding of the design process from start to finish and lurnt that if you work hard and keep a possative aproach to the task in had your half way there!

How did you get to Balenciaga? What were your main responsibilities?

During my year in industry I was very fortunate to be offered the opportunity to intern at Balenciaga.

From this I was offered a job, working with the extremely talented and very entertaining head designer Alistair Carr for the main line womenswear.

During this time I designed clothing and accessories for the show and assisted Alistair. Within this role I worked with prints, designed accesories, garments, textile design, embroidery design, leather design, and developing new techniques.

How was your 2 years there and did work in Balenciaga changed your aesthetic or working process?

Hectic! I loved my time at Balenciaga. It was a wonderful and exciting place to work. Fast moving and extremely creative. It was a brilliant experience and I miss working with Alistair very much!
I learnt a great deal of which I feel has enriched my work and the way in which I approach design.

Why did you came back to finish your degree?

Leaving was a very difficult and massive decision to make as you can imagine!

Along side my design work I am also a musician. I was having to go back to London for gigs etc, the commute each week was proving quite tricky! I felt it was the time to come back to London to finish my degree and focus on my music.

What do you think was the most important in your portfolio and personality, that helped you to get job at such iconic brand.

I’m not sure about my portfolio at that point in time ( .. scary pvc outfits … Shocking!) I work hard, I think that work well in a team and I try to keep jolly and i think this helps. coffee that’s crucial too. I was very lucky also that Nicolas and Alistair liked my work and used it for the show in my first season and this is what secured my the position.

How important is music for you? Does it influence your designing? Do you plan to choose or continue doing both: music and fashion?

Music is incredibly important to me. I remixed a track myself for my CSM show, I think music is an extremely important tool for the designer and helps set the clothes alight. For the moment I am focusing on my music but in the future would like to be in the position to do both. ( but that’s a bit of a dream )

When do you plan to finish your album? Can we hear anything already now? (we would love to post any of your tracks)

Fingers crossed this year! nothing ready as yet but I will send it your way when its done! x

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I was a tomboy, playing football with boys and [getting] dressed with my brother’s clothes. I never wanted to wear a skirt! I don’t remember when I started drawing. My dad used to love drawing and painting. So we often went camping with our sketchbook and did a lots of drawing in the forest.

 It is a common opinion that fashion world is very tough, unlike your designs. Do you feel the pressure and competition?

Experiments! I wish I had done more and more experiments when I was student! I [would] love to be back in school to spend day and night in the print room again.

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London-based graduate Holly Fowler has gone from strength to strength following her graduation from Central Saint Martins in 2012. Having worked for renowned companies such as Galliano, Vuitton and DVF, Holly’s graduate collection was bought in its entirety by luxury high-end fashion brand, Browns.

All Holly’s pieces are unique; she chooses to paint directly onto the garments she creates, shunning conventional digitized printing. Inspired by jewellery, Maharajas and British Regalia, Holly has an extensive catalogue of gem studies, all used as reference points when appliqueing paint to fabric. The results are exquisite one-of-a-kind pieces – trompe l’oeil gowns that baffle the eye and excite the senses.

Holly’s latest collection has just hit the shelves of Bergdorf Goodman in New York. Here, she talks to 1 Granary about her time at the college and how her signature aesthetic has developed.

Tell us about your time in CSM? What are your best memories? 

I loved being a student at CSM I have so many great memories! The Grayson Perry project was pretty amazing. Also, the end of school party when Pulp played was incredible! Lots of memories just from being in the print room and messing around in class are just as fun.

The fashion design with print pathway is gorgeous because it brings together all the different disciplines of fine art into textiles and fashion. It encourages you to design fabrics and textures and think about illustration and colour.

The illustration classes were amazing too, Petra Borner is an incredible teacher and illustrator, I remember she would put on the most wonderful music and this wonderful Australian woman called Vanessa would wear swathes of fabric and robes and sit cross legged or draped across a kind of table in the middle of the room and we would all throw watercolour paint and charcoal onto paper and the music would be playing and it was really special – that feeling of the whole class drawing altogether.

In your opinion what makes CSM special? Was it special for you?

Of course – because of the amazing friends I made there. Also, because of the tutors, who were wise yet incredibly demanding. Above all, I think its the freedom you’re given. You’re encouraged to experiment. To really question what you’re doing and to think about the image you’re creating. Design/ style/music/ film/ fashion all rolls into one and you learn a unique way of saying something through design.

What was most difficult part of the course?

The essays! Analytical writing and post modernist theory are not my strengths!

What was most difficult during your final collection? Do you have any advice to the students who will graduate this May?

During final year the most difficult thing for me was the pressure. It seems as if with your final collection you must create a perfect representation of you and the way you design. It is a daunting prospect, and I think it becomes very overwhelming. But I could see what I wanted my collection to look like in my head and I concentrated on bringing it to life and remembering that at the end of the day- it is just clothes!

My advice to graduating students would be that your final collection is not the end – it is the beginning! These clothes are part of a long journey ! And enjoy all the time in your class and with your friends because it will be over so quickly! Oh and also always take on board Judith Found’s advice, she’s an amazing teacher and she’s really good fun too!

What are the main things you have learnt in CSM?

That it’s not the end result, it’s the process you go through to get there.

Tell us about your internships. How would you describe your whole experience? What did you learn during them and did they change your perception of fashion and designing in a particular way?

Yes definitely, my internships changed the way I saw and thought about fashion completely – coming straight out of college and going into industry like that. Fashion is such a raw and creative idea at college, at least to me it was, and suddenly being surrounded by the reality of a fashion house, taking a raw concept and translating it into desirable, luxury clothes- the fabrics, the fittings, the process of a collection, it was a real learning curve. In Paris I was at Chloe in the print department, assisting two wonderful women who taught me so so much, but above all the art of dyeing and colour and the way to use and place fabrics. Then I went to John Galliano which was a fantasy, you really never knew what was going to happen each day. There was a lot of champagne and amazing things like frog skins, jewels as big as your fist and a huge 6ft tassle sitting in the studio that someone had brought back from a couture show. I learnt so much about embroidery and embellishment there, and their atelier is enchanting- everyone wears white coats and takes tea together in the afternoon. My last internship was in New York at Diane von Furstenberg, which was incredibly glamorous. The studio used to be underneath her apartment and there was a real sense that this was her home and her place of work, I learnt so much about embellishments there, the team is really small, really close and has this spirited energy.

I think ultimately my internships made me realise that I love working with people, and in a team- and that good relationships are really the crux of any good fashion house.

Do you enjoy working in fashion industry? Is it different from what you expected? 

Yes I do enjoy working in fashion but it is very different from how I expected. I find that now, running my own label I have become a pattern cutter, seamstress, PR agent, web designer, saleswoman, production manager, photographer, writer, accountant, art director and a cleaner, courier and coffee girl all in the same moment of being a designer!

It is really really hard work, and sometimes I get down about it. But every day I wake up and I am excited by what I have to do and I know how lucky I have been to have the support and opportunity from Browns in London and Bergdorf Goodman in New York as stockists. I ‘m really excited for this year.

What were your first months after graduation like?

Very odd, it was this amazing party time, and we were going out and celebrating so much, but then there was such a fear for the future and all these big questions to answer. I was really lucky because Browns bought my graduate collection which of course I was over the moon about! And then I started working freelance for Louis Vuitton, so I had work and projects to focus on.

What is beauty to you?

David Bowie!

What inspires you?

Maharajas, princesses, roses, jewellery and gold. I love history and real life stories about kings, queens and princesses. The Tsars of Russia, the Indian Empire, the British Royal Family, I find them totally inspiring.

Who are your favourite artists?

I adore Jean Cocteau’s illustrations! Also my wonderful friends Stephen Doherty and Eloise Jephson are the most incredible illustrators.

The late Munnu Kasliwal of The Gem Palace was an outstanding jeweller – his attention to detail is second to none. I love Louis Francois Cartier too; he crafted the most beautiful jewellery creations and watches.

I love the Pre- Raphaelites brotherhood especially Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

www.hollyfowler.co.uk

The post Holly Fowler appeared first on 1 Granary.

Dominique Caplan graduated from Central Saint Martins with a first class honours in Textile Design in 2012. Both during and after her time at the college, Dominique has worked with an array of incredible textile and fashion designers, including Mary Katrantzou, Elaine Ng and Texprint.

Through the degree course, Dominique primarily specialised in weave but also mastered the disciplines of Jacquard, ARM looms and print. She has also won awards with the Worshipful Company of Weavers and the Rosemary House Creative Weavers scholarship, alongside a nomination for Texprint.

Currently, Dominique works for Dashing Tweeds with Director, Kirsty McDougall, helping with the production of hand-woven fabrics for Jonathan Saunders and Erdem.

Tell us about the textiles course? How is it structured?

The textile design degree at Central Saint Martins equips students with essential skills and knowledge across the board. The first year encourages students to experiment and to develop creative ways of thinking outside the box. There is an emphasis on colour education, which becomes increasingly useful throughout the course. Students will also gain experience through a series of group and self-directed projects in 2 of the 3 main textile areas; print, weave and knit.

In the second year students do not specialize in a specific area until after Christmas.  The second year concentrates on developing knowledge and key skills in the chosen subject area.  Through industry based projects and experimenting using a wide range of techniques and materials, the second year allows students to discover what they may wish to explore in the final year. The final year is self-directed with a final major project leading to the final year collections.  This is an exciting and intense year and students emerge confident in their abilities as designers.

Can you do fashion after graduating this course and what do you think is most exciting about it?

With projects for both fashion and interiors, students can choose where to situate themselves for their final year.  This ideally places those who want to enter the fashion industry as textile designers in a position to be able to do so… so long as there are the jobs available!

For me the most exciting part of the course was the final major project.  Despite being highly pressured, I was determined to produce a really exciting collection that would be a testament to my time at CSM. I was challenged to develop conviction in my ideas and confidence in myself as a designer and I think this will prove to be of fundamental use over the next few years.

Can you advise students who are now on their first and second years?

Enjoy your time and make use of everything.  The new building has the most amazing resources and you can go into other departments to inform your own work.  Be extra nice to the technicians and you will find life a lot easier!

What inspires you the most?

I am most inspired by original ideas and concepts.  An interesting starting point is everything – if you begin with innovation then your collection is bound to be innovative.

Who are your favorite artists and textile designers?

I always find this a really tricky question, as designers’ and artists’ work evolves constantly.  For my final collection I looked at Etro and Paul Smith for market research and enjoy their slightly quirkier take on menswear.  However, most recently the Tim Walker; Story Teller exhibition was really fantastic.  I love work with humour that is intelligently and beautifully executed.

What was the inspiration behind your final work which you showed at the graduate show? What were the main difficulties during your final year?

The inspiration for my final collection was The End Game – a computer game dual reality/fantasy that I created.  My first difficulty was finding my starting point.  I knew that I wanted to develop a menswear collection, but whereas some of my peers had ideas already for what they wanted to research, I was literally clueless.  In the end I started by making a list of things that inspired me and ways of working that I enjoyed.  I love fantasy, humour and stories and through creating a set of models the concept of a computer game naturally evolved. The End Game created a fantastic branding idea for a niche menswear market, targeting the young professional secret gamer.

Once I had my innovative starting point, sampling and creating the right textile aesthetic became a priority.  I have a tendency to go off in too many directions, so it was a real challenge to keep focused and to develop a cohesive collection whilst still accomplishing everything I wanted to.  In the end I had menswear prints, weaves (both aacquard and ARM loom) and jewellery, but I did it in such a way as to make it all justifiable!

What are you doing now? Is it hard to be a recent graduate? Anything you imagined differently?

I imagined it would be tough, but not this tough! I had no illusions that I would just walk straight into a job, but it is now 6 months down the line – 4 months of applying for jobs, and I am still struggling.  The interviews I have attended have been positive, but my portfolio is not ‘commercial’ enough.  I tried to explain that innovation is what CSM is all about – we deal in innovation and creativity, but that does not mean that we cannot design commercially.

I was very fortunate coming out of Uni as I won a competition – Texprint – which allowed me to exhibit my work in London and then Indigo, Paris.  This provided me with the opportunity to develop another collection and to gain exposure to the industry.  I managed to sell some of my printed and woven designs and was commissioned to weave a jacquard length for a designer.  I am now going to Paris fashion week with said designer and hopefully may get involved with his next collection.

Since Texprint, I have interned with London based fashion and textile designers.  This has been a real eye opener and I feel that I have learnt a lot about myself in this time.  Small jobs and freelance work is starting to trickle in and I am also working on some other projects and ideas.  I think the most important thing is not to get too down about it – most graduates are in the same boat and it really is not you… it’s the economy.  You just have to do what you can and keep on doing what you love.

What are your plans? And are you open for collaborations with fashion students and graduates?

I would love the opportunity to collaborate with other students/ graduates – so if any of you are reading this then please do send me an e-mail!  Collaboration is definitely the way forward and I am currently already starting a small project with a fellow graduate.  We are constantly surprised by what our shared creativity procures and it keeps things fresh and exciting.  Working with a fashion graduate would be really fantastic, because it is a whole other skill set that I just don’t have.  To do a true collaboration, where you are working together to create a collection that has equal emphasis on both cut and textile is something I hope one day to have the opportunity of doing.  In the mean time I intend to get myself a loom and start weaving and hope that the work keeps on coming in!

The post Dominique Caplan appeared first on 1 Granary.

Take a look into the life of a Final Year Fashion Student at Central Saint Martins - Check out the article by Final Year FDM student Hannah Lambert with photography from 1 Granary’s very own, Seena Shahmardi, on VOGUE.COM

The post Vogue.com – London Calling: Countdown to the Central Saint Martins Graduate Show appeared first on 1 Granary.

Morning, London!

Some of them privileged fashion folk and fashion parents…and us will see a great show tonight – the BA Fashion Graduate Collections Show.

There is something of a prom atmosphere at 1Granary Square. It is all quite exciting, having in mind the previous graduates to bow at that catwalk. Im not gonna do that cocky-namedropping again but you know the story. Okay, just one – Celine’s very own Phoebe Philo is awarding the winner tonight. She herself graduated from Womenswear in 1997.

And since 1Granary fights for democracy and equal rights, we will keep you posted all day long with backstage bites like this one.

Thank you Tommaso Albertini for a great video from the internal show backstage!

It might be useful to follow us on Instagram @1Granary.

To everyone in the show: toi toi toi, break a leg, all the best, good luck! We cant wait to put your collections in the second issue!

Love,

1Granary Team

The post BA Central Saint Martins Internal Show: Sneak Peek appeared first on 1 Granary.

Changes happen, but the spirit lives on. Since our move to the 1 Granary building, Central Saint Martins has been undergoing a lot of transformations. On 28^th May, we saw a new wave of fashion hopefuls showcasing their graduation collections right at the entrance of CSM’s new base. These students have experienced both the historical Charing Cross building and the current contemporary landmark in King’s Cross. From these collections, we saw a lot of promises, fresh ideas and of course blood and sweat (and maybe some tears). While we are moving towards becoming the new art school of the 21^st century, it’s clear that these students are still embracing the spirit and tradition of CSM: be rebellious, be different and be yourself!

The show is a typical CSM event— a celebration of creativity. 40 carefully selected fashion design students from 5 different pathways— womenswear, menswear, knitwear, fashion design with marketing and print— provide us with a wide range of exciting and for many, shocking concepts. The show was anything but boring; we saw new colours, new silhouettes, new techniques, new everything!

We all know that CSM is no shortage of big fashion stars, and so was the show. Creative director of Céline Phoebe Philo and designer Giles Deacon were the guests of honour, the former presented the prestigious L’Oréal Professional Award to womenswear designer Mao Usami at the end of the show. Apart from them, our beloved artist Grayson Perry was also spotted in the audience.

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As for the highlights of the show, we would like to present to you 13 outstanding collections, we hope you will enjoy the beautiful garments made by these talented kids with a bright future ahead of them!

Inspired by kitsch and the willfully ugly, Nathaniel Lyles’s collection was a kaleidoscope prism of enameled copper wires in crazy colours. This was layering to the nth degree, with a lot of transparent fabric strips and pieces piled up to create optical illusions on the model’s form. The patterns might be more reminiscent of “cheap acrylics tapestries from the carboot” than traditional high fashion prints, but this collection was about putting things that are horrible together to create something unexpectedly fabulous.

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http://krystynakozhoma.com

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The post Central Saint Martins BA Graduate Fashion Show 2013 appeared first on 1 Granary.

Quoting good old Bob Dylan there in the title, here is also some evidence to support the fact that chaos is a friend of final year students, too.

During final collections, the table that every student gets turns into their second home, guarded more than the black gates of Mordor.

Here is a sneaky bird’s eye of what’s happening there.

Grace Lim and Carrie-Ann Stein (Lnitwear)

Morgan Levy (Print)

Hana Nishioka (Knitwear)

Jolene Fung (Print)

Min Nan Hui (Print)

Matty Bovan (Knitwear)

Yang Yang (Womenswear)

Heidi Leung (Womenswear)

Vingi Wong (Print)

Vivien Chong (Print) 

The post Chaos is a Friend of Mine: Designer’s Work Space appeared first on 1 Granary.

If I told you that the starting point of Lucy Frances Offen’s Fashion Print graduation collection was the protocol of royal dress, you’d probably laugh in my face. Glittery florals with holographic effects, a black patent leather bra with plant-shaped cutouts with green neon fur poking through them, a see-through printed shirtdress covered in Swarovski crystals layered with a shiny black laser-cut skirt… Uhm, royal dress? Sure, a princess gone wild maybe.

Actually, that’s not too far off. When Lucy returned to London last summer after an internship in Stockholm, she was pretty overwhelmed by all the patriotism in London. The Queen had just had her Golden Jubilee, the Olympics were coming up and Kate Middleton was – as always – everywhere.  Back in the countryside, out of sheer boredom she started flicking through a pile of magazines about the jubilee her mum had kept for her. ‘There were photos of the young Queen walking through the royal gardens and portraits with these beautiful painted landscapes in the background. England was so ridiculously patriotic at that time; it seemed perfect to base my collection around the protocol of royal dress and how a ‘princess’ should look in the public eye. Even though behind closed doors she might be a completely different person.’

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And that’s where the naughtier influences started to come in. ‘It was all a bit too feminine, pretty and safe when I first started, but then I thought: are they actually like this? ’Cause you really only see a projection of their personality.’  And then when she discovered that Princess Margaret had actually been a bit of a man-eater, she decided to make everything a bit saucier. ‘Apparently she was a bit of a minx out of the public eye; it’s rumoured she had a lot of men. Working with the more sultry influences created a nice juxtaposition with the floral feminine side that I was already working on.’

More and more research led her to Chris Levine’s holographic portrait of the Queen blinking her eyes at the National Portrait Gallery. Lucy loved it and after experimenting with different techniques, she added double-layered printing, combining crystalised and solid fabrics with printed chiffons to create the 3D effect.

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And then she was lucky enough to win the Swarovski sponsorship when she came back to uni after the summer. It went perfectly with her 3D royalty theme: ‘You know, the idea of the crown jewels and the femininity of my designs went perfectly with the brand. And I could really play around with the holographic theme using the crystals, as they are so reflective, I was able to incorporate them into the accessories too, covering the shoes and trapping them in printed perspex for the bracelets I designed in a collaboration with jewellery designer Conor Joseph.’

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All the furry bits, where did they come from? ‘I found these amazing images of the Queen and Princess Margaret on the tube when they were younger, wearing these huge fur coats and they just look incredible – so unexpectedly fabulous. I really wanted to incorporate that somehow, and then I started to play around with laser-cutting on top of fur and making it poke through – 3D again.’ And to finish it off, Lucy had matching Swarovski furry backpacks and clutches made for her by Louise Graham.

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Looking back, what was the hardest part of the past year? ‘It was so difficult to get everything done in the space of time; everything ends up taking SO much longer than you originally think… It was challenging; despite having three incredible helpers and help with the accessories, I somehow would end up working till 5 in the morning. And then I’d be back at uni when the building opened at 8.30am. You constantly want it to end, and then the moment it does, you really miss it. Your body gets so used to all the stress and the lack of sleep… We’ve all grown to love it I think.’

So no social life, I’m guessing? ‘Not towards the end no – there was a time when me and my classmate Lily would finish when uni closed in the evening and sit under the departures board in King’s Cross station with a gin and tonic from M&S… That was a bit of a low point in our lives…”

But despite the slight lack of a social life, it does seem like this year has brought people from all pathways on BA Fashion together.  ‘Charing Cross was great, but everyone was tucked away and we didn’t really mix… But now everything’s so much more open, we all work in the studios together. I think that’s kind of got everyone through the year – I’ve become such good friends with people that I didn’t really even know before. Things have been really good in general this year, with the facilities etc and the tutors have been amazing.’

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From Judith coming in extra hours over Easter to teach everyone how to do proper screen repeats (‘She’s literally incredible’), to Patrick and Esme showing new ways of doing pattern-cutting, to Brian and Natalie giving great insights and showing techniques of how to do things, to David telling everyone to stop faffing and ‘just get on with it’ (‘which is what you need’), to all of them encouraging students to go out (‘You need to have a life outside, otherwise your work just isn’t interesting’), it seems like Fashion Print is one big super-dedicated family.

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I wonder how Elisa’s been, considering it was her first year as head of Fashion Print. ‘She’s been amazing. She’s pushed us a lot…like, A LOT. In the best way. She’s been determined that we’re all going to do really well; I’d get about five emails a day from her. She’s given us every opportunity she could find: internships, scholarships, everything. She honestly wanted us to do the best we physically could. It just shows that she really, really cares.’

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At the end, are you happy about your collection? ‘Yeah I think so, obviously there’s always room for improvement… But I went through a stage of not even knowing how it was all going to look ’cause I made so many last-minute changes, but thankfully when I finally saw it all together I was surprisingly happy with it. The starting point was also quite personal, to do with my family and how they influenced me. My mum’s even got a little room at home with all these shelves full of royal plates and memorabilia. And my grandma is literally like the Queen – 92 and always immaculately dressed, still so glamorous – I really wanted to create something that was associated with them.’

Would you wear it yourself? ‘I think I would! From the beginning I wanted to design a collection that was wearable and desirable for people my age. It’s so nice when you can just identify a collection because it looks like the designer. And in the end, surprisingly it does kind of look like me…’

What’s for the future? ‘I’m gonna leave my options completely open, I think that’s the best way to be. There’s a massive list of where I’d like to work: the ‘dream jobs’ I’ve had a few interviews and entered competitions etc too, so we’ll see what happens…  When it comes to favourite designers? Hmm, I just like designers who create clothes you actually want to go out, buy and wear. Prada, Miu Miu, Celine, Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane… I’d love to be a print designer as well, rather than doing the fashion side. I enjoy all the embellishment and textiles. But for now I’m going to have a little break and take a much-needed holiday. I mean, the last year’s been so hectic, it’s just been such a lot of work that after a while you do need some kind of break… Although it’s been such a good experience and it’s gone so, so fast. It’s been like hell, but in a good way. We all complain but secretly we really love it. I’m happy that I’ve had such a great time but I really don’t want to leave Saint Martins, it’s been incredible. I’d happily do the whole thing all over again.’

All photography by Sandra Leko.

The post Lucy in the sky with diamonds – err… Swarovski crystals appeared first on 1 Granary.

Fashion Print graduate Xue Li’s neon-tribal menswear collection is definitely one of the most memorable collections we saw in the 2013 BA Fashion show. From the horn-like head pieces to the playful silhouettes, from the unique and expressive textiles and embroideries to the bold neon prints, Xue Li’s collection was an explosion of ideas and creativity on the runway.

For the many people out there who, like us, find Li’s collection fantastically intriguing and would like to hear the stories behind his work, today is your luck day, we present to you our conversation with the very talented Xue Li from Shenzhen China.

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Why did you want to become a fashion designer and why CSM?

I remember looking at Rei Kawakubo’s and John Galliano’s collections on style.com when I was in high school, that was the time when I started to find fashion really interesting and fun to look at. Now, being a fashion student, I finally understand that fashion is a lot of hard work, but it’s still fun to do though!
After completing my fashion degree at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (one of the most famous art colleges in China), I felt like I hadn’t learnt enough, I wanted to expose myself to a much more creative atmosphere, that’s why I came to CSM.

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I love CSM’s unique creative environment, you have the freedom to do anything, the tutors here are really open-minded and they won’t try to limit your creativity. I can really focus on exploring myself as a designer here.
One thing I don’t like about the experience here is that some students have a certain attitude or arrogance that I am still not very used to. But as frustrating as it might be sometimes, it gives you the power to work even harder.
The eternal question: King’s Cross or Charring Cross?

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To be honest, without the new facilities in our new campus, I couldn’t have made the collection I presented in the show, but having said that, I still really miss the Charring Cross building a lot, especially the print room there. I feel like in charring cross, every one was so much closer, and now, every one seems so distant.

I think there are always bad things and good things you can say about a place, it’s best for us to be able to adapt to different environments. Things like sublimation printing and laser cutting, are now all available to us in the new building. So instead of complaining about it, every one should try to fully utilize what we have got now.
But again, I do miss being in soho, going for a drink in the middle of a day.

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What are the inspirations behind your final collection?

The starting point of my collection is based on my visit to the Long-horn Miao village, it is one of the ethnic minority groups in southwest China. I am really interested in the contrast between minority and avant-garde. I wanted to present them in an harmonious way, some sort of ethnic avant-garde. I went there at the start of my placement year, it was a really inspiring experience, and surprising to see colours like neon pink and neon orange in their clothes.
There are two artists that inspired me apart from the trip to the village, one of them is a performance artist called Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, I was really inspired by how organic and original her performance art is, I can see the correlation between her work and the lifestyle of the minority group. The other one is an American artist called Philippe pastor, I love the colours, the scale, the use of wood and how he represents the elements fire, water and sand in his work.
In terms of materials, I made use of coloured wood sticks as embroideries, the horn headpieces are actually from the Long-horn Miao village, they are traditional headdresses for women and children in the village.

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Is there a favourite piece from the collection that you would like to talk about?

A black wrap dress in one of the looks, is probably my favourite piece. I made use of a very old and traditional technique I learnt from the village called tin embroidery. Traditionally they cut sheets of tin into tiny strips, and then sew them into the garments. There was an old man in the village who doesn’t even speak mandarin, I had to talk through his son, and I learnt that it’s a technique that has been passed on from generation to generation in the village. I insisted to use this technique in my collection as it is a valuable heritage that even a lot of Chinese people have never heard of. However the material is too expensive that I was only able to use for two pieces.

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Make sure you manage your resources really well, be super organized with everything. For example, the accessories I got from the Long-horn Miao village, I actually lost some of them and therefore was unable to use them in my collection.

Just keep on pushing yourself to work harder and remember that this is your chance to take risks.

Tell us something about your internship experiences. What did you gain from them?

I did work placements in Alexander Mcqueen, John Galliano and Mary Katrantzou before. I have also been helping my friend Yifang Wan (winner of L’Oréal Professionnel Young Designer of the year 2010) with her own label. Working in Mary Katrantzou was an incredibly rewarding experience, as it was a start-up brand when I was there, and I got to learn a large variety of things. I also learnt some printing techniques that I have been developing ever since. John Galliano, in contrast, was already a very well-established company, seeing galliano’s previous sketches, samples and paperwork allowed me to gain a lot of knowledge of idea developments and research methods.

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I don’t think I am quite ready to start a label yet, but that’s definitely something I will want to do in the future. I really want to stay in London, but it’s not an easy thing to do with the working visa and other problems. I will also try to apply for a scholarship for MA Fashion. The thing is, every one is saying that China is a fast-growing economy with a lot of opportunities, commercial-wise, I can’t disagree, however, London really supports new talents and young designers, when compared to China

Finally, do you have some advice for current or potential CSM students?

Explore youself! This is the most important thing you need to do as a design student no matter where you are. And also, always be humble, be nice to other people and work really really hard!

Xue Li’s Website: xueli.co.uk
Photos by Jun Li for the “The Eye Has to Travel” series

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For menswear designer and BA Fashion Print graduate, Beth Postle, opening the degree show was the pinnacle of year’s worth of intensive concentration and hard work. Beth’s 2D prints, which were spliced across her garments, had more than a little of a Picasso feel about them and set the tone for a show that was to be as experimental as it was beautiful.

Beth’s structured garments fell around the body in a way that mirrored the sculptures of the human body they were inspired by and, with their white and pastel palette, challenged traditional conception of menswear. Beth explains that she found reconciling menswear with print with a difficult process, often leaving her feeling looked down upon because she was not doing traditional tailoring. We couldn’t disagree more, finding the collection to present refreshing new ideas about menswear – just what the industry needs.

Beth, we love your BA final collection, especially your prints. Where did these originate from?

I have always been obsessed with black outlines, I think this stems from my love for Niki De Saint Phalle’s sculptures of the human form. Every print or design I draw is outlined with thick black pen. In the first few years I don’t think I really understood what I was doing with the black line. It was mainly an illustration tool until I realised that making and designing with these cartoon-like drawings would bring them to life. The focus of the collection is the naïve portrait prints that are spread across the looks and fragmented by each garment. The shapes are simple and bold. The two-dimensional forms are influenced by 1920’s Soviet costume and a 1970s paper costume book for children.

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Do your draw your ideas from the same general area for each new project or does it change every time?

In many explanations of my work people have drawn on cubism and Picasso and, although this was not necessarily intentional, I have always had Picasso postcards on my wall and have always been subconsciously obsessed with cubism. I came up with this idea of fragmenting the prints from one single image I found in an ‘80s menswear magazine. It was a picture of a guys tie with a jazzy floral print that matched his shirt perfectly, when he walked it left a white space where the tie had been. I really liked the idea of the space left behind. When the layers of my collection are taken off one at a time, the white spaces left create something very interesting and when different looks are mixed together it’s almost like one of those paper games you played as a kid where you fold the paper back and draw a part of the body to make a mystery person.

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Your garments are very different to traditional menswear, were you designing with a particular customer in mind when you did this?

I don’t think I had a particular market in mind. I suppose I was completely driven by the aesthetics, bringing the drawings to life rather than actually creating something wearable. I find it boring researching clothing which already exists. Since the beginning I had it in mind to use the prints on t-shirts and more wearable items, I think the garments in my collection were just showcase pieces for the prints.

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Designing your final collection is a lengthy process, how do you feel about it now it is finished?

I’m not completely happy with the collection. A year is a long time to work on one thing. My ideas stayed the same from the very beginning unlike lots of other people but I think this frustrated me, I kept having days where I would scrap everything and try something new but it would only ever last a day. I think I just needed to get other ideas out of my system. One day I started drawing dogs on big dresses for men. I just needed to get it out there so I could realise it was shit and carry on with the project. But I am bored with it now and I want to start something new. I guess it would be more worrying if I wasn’t bored. I change my mind about things very quickly even before something is finished I’m thinking about the next thing.

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What advice would you give to someone just about to embark on their final collection?

I would say not to think too much about what you’re doing. I think if you start building it up in your head you won’t get anywhere, nothing will be good enough because you think it needs to be the best thing you’ve ever done. Just treat it as any other project because at the end of the day you have so much time to change things. And you shouldn’t be precious about anything. Or hold on to anything in particular. Let things go and change as you progress. I became obsessed with the fabric being stark white and, although to many people it is white, to me it wasn’t white enough and this hindered me moving forward. What you have to realise is people are seeing this for the first time and don’t know what you intended.

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What would you be doing if you weren’t in fashion?

I’ve always wanted to own my own pub in London. Unfortunately I don’t have the money to buy a property and start my own business at the moment, but I play the Euro millions every week so fingers crossed.

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Finally, tell us a little about your time at CSM.

In foundation everyone who was doing the fashion pathway seemed to have mapped out the journey since they were young. I had no idea what I was doing there, I was completely out of my depth. I remember thinking everyone was super weird and and that I was really boring and normal and that I didn’t fit in, but that went away when I realised how nice everyone was.

Moving to London at 18 was really daunting I had only ever been a few times before on family trips and to see my sister. I never planned to live here, I wanted to go to Glasgow school of art but I didn’t want to do a foundation at home and it was really important to me to move away from Wolverhampton. After the first year London wasn’t that scary anymore.

The post Beth Postle’s Thick Black Mark appeared first on 1 Granary.

Last year, we interviewed Molly Goddard about her amazing BA knitwear final collection. Now, a year later, Molly’s first ASOS collection has sold out and she’s just finished her first year on the renowned CSM MA Fashion course. About time to have a little catch-up – and hopefully get a sneak peek into her MA collection.

Of course we’re all really curious about your ASOS collection – how did it come about?

A week or two after the show, the ASOS fashion director sent me an email saying “Would you like to come for a meeting, we’d love to work with you.” They were so nice about it: I basically got free rein and could choose whether I did or didn’t want my name attached to it, whether I wanted a contract… In the end I designed one whole collection for them: eight dresses that were a move away from my BA. But because the team keeps changing there a lot of the communication was lost – it’s like an empire, it’s fucking big – and things kept on moving around… And then they were like “Actually, we want you to do almost exactly what you did for your BA.” So I edited the white, shorter dress I did last year – and that was it.

What was your favourite part of the whole experience?

I got so excited by all the techniques you could do there – you go in and there are rooms and rooms of things. And I was like “I wanna have a whole dress that’s smocked with embroidery on top and extra hand-embroidery here and machine embroidery there!!” The techniques they can do are amazing and still quite cheap. Initially my dresses were all made of lace and crochet pieces, but then they changed and we used machine-embroidered pieces. And I had my own pattern cutter, didn’t have to do flats or anything. He was amazing.

Is that something you’d like to keep doing, designing for such a huge audience, doing something that’s so affordable?

Yeah, that’s also why I was so excited by it. Someone asked me if they could buy the big, finale dress from my BA collection and I asked 7K or something. Which is a LOT, ’cause I didn’t really want to sell it. If the dress could’ve paid a year’s rent then great, otherwise I didn’t want to do it. They didn’t buy it – I’m quite relieved they didn’t… I couldn’t make any of them again really. This one was made of crochet pieces I’d found over months and months. And it was really fun ’cause I’d search on eBay and spend 50 pounds on things, and then they’d arrive in the post and they’d be tiny little coaster-sized crochet pieces… Also, in interviews everyone was suddenly saying it was Spice Girls and Barbie-influenced, which I don’t remember ever saying… It was all from babies’ dresses, the shapes and everything… just amazing!! I do buy baby clothes, though my boyfriend and friends find it a bit weird… But I’m always like “Aaaaah I love this!!”Photography

Any info on your MA collection – you must’ve done your pre-collection by now??

I started my pre-collection, but I kept changing my mind – and that’s one of the reasons I’ve decided to defer my MA for a year now. Basically I don’t know what I want at the moment – I think I need a bit of a break. And that’s fine, as long as you keep moving and keep changing. Last year after I graduated from my BA I did the ASOS thing and then went straight into MA. Including my foundation that’s six years of CSM education in a row…

What did Louise say about your pre-collection? What’s she really taught you during the past year?

That there wasn’t a lot of what I’m good at doing, which is what she told a lot of the people who got into MA straight from BA. All of our BAs did quite well and got quite a bit of coverage, so I think all of us wanted to try something new. In fact when we got to pre-collection, Louise was saying “Why are you trying to do something so different? Just stick to what you’re good at – surely there was an idea you didn’t follow through with during your BA, why don’t you explore that now?” On MA your mind is totally messed around with and you lose confidence quite massively… Louise can just see through everything; she knows it when you don’t love what you’re doing. And I got to a point in my MA where I was like “I need to like this a little bit more again, I need to become a little more excited about this”, rather than producing, producing, producing and being exhausted the whole time. You’ve got to have conviction about what you’re doing, which is the hardest thing on the MA.

So what are your plans for this year, now that you’ve deferred?

The ASOS collection’s sold out, and I keep getting emails from people saying “I can’t buy one from ASOS, where can I buy something from you?” So this week I realised I’m going to do something along the same vein as Lovetits – a project I did with my sister a few years ago. I’ll go and produce five things, five dresses, a variation on a top and a skirt, keeping quite close to BA and ASOS. Not totally different but a bit different. Something I can produce easily and quickly and can sell for not too much. Just to sell stuff online, and maybe in a few shops. Just to make some money and keep things going for a little bit, and to keep active.

Has it helped you a lot that your sister Alice is a stylist and has her own magazine?

Yes, a lot. ’Cause she’s constantly researching and doing different projects. Though we have very different, opposite tastes they go together really well.Photography: Sarah Edwards; Model: Alice Goddard

So have you worked together?

Not really, though she already helps me with styling… and she’s a skinny model size so she’s my fitting model for everything, which is soooo good. I owe her a lot of favours. We did do the Lovetits thing together, though that was literally just a bit of fun. This one day I was just thinking “Ah what shall I wear tonight?” and I made something. And then friends started asking me if I could make one for them, and then friends of friends started asking me… We made money for a bit, but it wasn’t particularly well organised. It was always Alice being like “Molly, we’re a week late, we need to make one!!” But I can definitely imagine working with her at some point.

And would you want to have your own label in the future?

At the moment I’ve realised it’s a lot more to do with figuring out what kind of life I want to have. It’d be perfect to have my own label and have money to live comfortably, and have time to see people… But I think I definitely want to work at a few fashion houses first to figure out what works best for me. Different fashion houses can be so different in dynamics: at some places everyone leaves at 6, whereas in other companies they all work till midnight. I’d absolutely love to work at Prada – every time I see their shows I’m like “I wish I’d done that!”

Looking back, what advice would you now give to yourself in foundation?

In retrospect, find the thing that you’re good at and just stick to it – and it will progress naturally. Everyone in MA thinks they need to reinvent the wheel and you’ll keep doing all these new things that no one’s ever seen before… And you know, I had so much fun with my BA, and it really shows. I really loved it. I had fun working with people, and the difficult thing about MA is working by yourself. On BA you talk to people about what you’re doing, whereas on MA you’re not really meant to share your work. You work long hours, so you don’t really get to see your friends and chat about things. And I think when I go back I want to change that – I want to be organised so that I can finish at eight every night.  When I was really stressed during BA, I’d just say to myself “You know what, I’m so stressed, I’m just going to go out and see my friends and I’m not going to feel guilty about it.” That’s the main thing – it should be fun. At the end, it shows when you’ve had fun. Just have more fun, remember why you like it.

The post Catching up with Molly Goddard appeared first on 1 Granary.

If you see Yuki Hagino’s BA final collection, it’s pretty clear why she’s been receiving praise across the board. The London Evening Standard called her designs “heavenly”, whilst Elle UK say that she “provided one of the standout pieces of the show”. The Business of Fashion cherry picked her as one of the top six CSM designers to watch out for – and for good reason! Having previously studied architecture back in Japan, Yuki has ended her time in fashion knit by presenting a stunning collection of sculptural garments, contrasting hard origami pleats with the softness of cotton.

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Could you describe how your previous studies in architecture have influenced your work as a designer?

I think the similarity between fashion and architecture is the covering of a human’s body. It can be said that clothes are the second skin and architecture is the third skin. Fashion and architecture have a common point here. I tried to express this connection between fashion and architecture in my collection. I learned about designing space and atmosphere by studying architectural design. I naturally keep that in my mind when I design fashion.

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Why did you choose knitwear?

Because I can handle various materials, colours and shapes with hand work. I believe that this is the essential of fashion design.

What were the main ideas behind your final collection?

The collection title is “Sculpting Mind”. Clothes decorate the outer human and at the same time they reflect a human’s inner feeling / emotion. I expressed the shape of the mind through fashion design.

In the beginning of the design process, I was playing with origami paper and developing interesting pleated forms. I was also playing with it on the small mannequin (30 cm size). After that, I was trying to drape the pleated paper on the human-scale mannequin. At first, I was designing separate pieces of the pleated parts and fabric parts in one look. But in the process of the human-scale draping, I changed my design to integrate the pleated parts into the fabric, as in my graduate collection. I thought this was the beautiful and new way to show the big contrast between the hardness of pleated parts and the softness of the cotton fabric.

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And I have a few reasons to choose the white cotton fabric. I think white colour is no colour and nothing, but eloquence. I can feel many feelings in white. Sometimes confident, clean, sophisticated, pure but sallow, cold etc. I think white can inspire people to imagine anything. So white is the best colour for my collection, because my concept is to express the mind on garments. Physically, white can show the pleated part beautifully with the contrast of the shadows and I chose the papery clean cotton to show my pieces as sophisticated and clean.

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What do you think makes good knitwear?

Curiosity. Knitwear is about the harmony and ambivalence of materials and people need to challenge themselves to find new processes. Knitters should have a strong curiosity to explore these ideas.

Are there any designers, artists or other creatives who have particularly influenced you as a designer?

Rei Kawakubo

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How would you define CSM in a word?

Innocent

Any plans for the future?

Freelance designer based in Japan.

Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to give to the CSM fashion troops?
: )

The post Sculpting Mind – Yuki Hagino appeared first on 1 Granary.

“I love vintage Versace. Donnatella tries to revive the eighties, when Gianni had great concepts, but it seems misplaced, it’s not new or fresh. When I now think about a Versace woman, I would see her as quite unintelligent, without anything to do, really.” Krystina Kozhoma sits opposite me on a white chair next to ditto coloured oriental lilies, sun shining on her elegant features. Her black bralet, flared pink skirt, and metallic black, embellished leather sandals make her look as if she has walked straight out of a Balenciaga ad; ready to watch Wimbledon with G&T’s.

Her mannerisms –the way she walks and talks- subtly hints of sexiness, and her BA graduate collection was an incarnation of just that: keeping it hot when showing off the right pieces of flesh, and making it bad-ass with rows of rough metal rings. “It just comes naturally. Whatever I do, it’s always sexy. I just think there’s nothing bad about being sexual as long as you don’t look like a streetwalker.” These dresses aren’t about trashiness, but more like mixing couture with embellishment. The garments aren’t necessarily conceptual, she says. “Obviously the skintight dresses are about a close connection with the body; showing the contours of the female body. If it was just skintight dresses, it would probably look really slutty, but the metal elements make it edgy, you know? It makes it less provocative, less sexual.”

Tell me a bit about your final collection.

My research started with taxidermy and a lot of samples were based on substituting animal skin and fur with knitwear. Lisa Black’s taxidermy deer with metallic spine, a mix of nature and something man-made, intrigued me and I immediately visualized mixing lycra with metal. My inspiration is mostly based on fine art, but I also had some really gross stuff in my research, like people doing operations. It also included a lot of S&M, tight laces, which you can see back in my work. My initial idea was to make the shape of a corset, so I did placements with metal to emphasize the lines of the breasts. In the future I’d like to make pieces that are more wearable, maybe not as short; less metal pieces so you don’t suffer when you walk [laughs].

Do you have a muse?

I like classical women. To me, Brigitte Bardot was the most beautiful woman alive and Audrey Hepburn had this amazing grace, aristocratic features and a wise, confident face.  I’m not sure if my dresses actually fit her. When you think about dressing someone, it’s completely different to what you’re actually making.

Especially when choosing muses that aren’t contemporary…

Rooney Mara, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, was actually one of my main inspirations. Her sexuality isn’t right in your face, but in the movie she’s got such a bad-ass attitude, strength, piercings. I watched the movie while making the collection, which really inspired me to go on. I’ve got a folder with her images. I wanted her to be my model.

What changes did you go through at Saint Martins?

In the first two years, you mainly make samples, you design and draw. When you make a garment, it doesn’t have to be perfectly finished. Accordingly, I would never be able to construct a proper garment and reach a certain level of perfection. Especially my internship year has made me a perfectionist in finishing garments. With my final collection, none of the dresses are 100% what I expected: the calculations aren’t always right and you’ve only got 8 weeks to finish the whole collection. At a point you realize there is no time to keep remaking all the garments when a small detail isn’t quite right. You just gotta go with the flow.

 Has CSM shaped you as an artist/person?

You don’t learn from tutors, you learn from each other. You see brilliant people around you, and it’s very competitive so you continuously think: ‘wow she’s got mind-blowing ideas, next project I will be better’. You really want to push yourself to your limits.

Before crit you always think “IF I HAD ONE MORE DAY”. It’s always that ‘one day more’. It teaches you how to manage time; you can organize your working process easier. Saint Martins changed my mind and ideas, it made me more confident in my toiles as well; all these crits are like judging day: you stand in front of all these people with your work shaking in your hands…

CSM final year students go through lots of all-nighters…

Normally, it’s going to bed at 3 and waking up at 8, going back to business. The worst thing is waking up in the morning knowing it’s the same shit, different day. It’s hard. You’ve got to have a strong willpower. There’s only one thought on repeat in your mind: “I’ve got to finish this, I have a deadline”. You don’t care about sleep, something inside drives you; it’s like running a marathon and there is a dog behind you. You can’t stop. If you stop it will eat you. You want to be able to look back and think, ‘yes I didn’t waste my time: this was worth it.’

Do you think your placement year has given you a new approach to your final collection?

You take something for yourself from all internships and in most final collections you can find elements of the designers your classmates work for. Obviously, I learned a great deal about working with lycra when I worked with Mark Fast, and Balmain taught me a lot about hardware. When you see their work on the catwalk, you’re left clueless how they put the things together. The mystery unravels when you see past collections, all the samples, how they use metal and embellishment in their designs.

The spirit of this femme fatale is alive in her clothes and make you want to shroud yourself  in a little something sexy, screaming fuck you to the conventional ways of the fashion world, for there is no way these dresses won’t raise a feeling of punk.

Photography: Nikolay Biryukov

MUA: Marina Keri

Styling: Olya Kuryshchuk

Model: Nadia Araújo @Select 

The post Cyborg sexy is the new conventional punk: In conversation with Krystina Kozhoma appeared first on 1 Granary.