Over the course of a couple of years we have posted numerous interviews covering as many facets of the men's style and fashion industry as possible. We have heard the thoughts of many of our favourite designers, stylists, journalists, buyers and shop owners and this is an area of the blog that we will continue to grow. As we have built up quite an archive we thought that it was about time we organised them and made them a little easier to browse and read.
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Designers:
Christophe Lemaire, April 2011. Twenty years since starting his own label and the designer has remained relatively unknown. One gets the feeling that this is just how he prefers it. Lemaire is a designer far more interested in style than fashion, the trends and fanfare of fashion are far less important to him than the simple quality of his creations. However, AW11 is a significant season for the design talent. Last month saw the unveiling of his highly anticipated Hermes debut. Whilst filling the rather large shoes of Jean Paul Gaultier with widespread acclaim, Lemaire continued the quiet evolution of his own label. To mark this significant season, we were fortunate enough to ask the designer about the maturity of his label and his hopes for the future whilst taking a closer look at his latest creations.
Sebastian Tarek, March 2011. AW11 saw the unveiling of the debut collection of Sebastian Tarek’s beautiful, bespoke and handmade men’s shoes. It was in the eclectic surroundings of the NEWGEN MEN and Fashion East Installations that I first caught glimpse of this carefully crafted designs. Tarek's shoes placed on a simple workbench really captured my imagination. I was keen to learn more. First, we chatted to the craftsman about his work, the evolution of the label and heard about his experiences at Menswear Day. We soon continued the discussion and learn more about his trade before offering a serving of studio porn.
James Small, March, 2011. As the schedule at Menswear Day becomes ever more tightly packed with each passing season, competition for a showing space is fast becoming a struggle. James Small narrowly missed out on an on schedule slot but thankfully the show did indeed go on, albeit without me. Fortunately, London menswear is more than just one hectic day and think week I was afforded the opportunity to be talked through Small's third collection, Marching Band. Taking its inspiration from the ragamuffin regiments of the American Civil War, Small created a complete wardrobe of military influenced pieces for the man of today. Here we talk to the man himself and learn about the origins of the label, the trials and tribulations of being a designer and take a closer look at the fabric rich collection.
Mr Hare, March 2011. Here we unveiled Mr Hare's fifth collection. Entitled Idolescents, it is a reimagination of all of the shoes that he wanted as a teenager but could never afford in addition to all of the ones that he could afford made better. Simply, Idolescents. To mark the next chapter of Mr Hare, we sat down with the man himself to take a closer look at his latest designs and talk through the continued rise of his shoe company.
Bunney, March 2011. For AW11, I have had two opportunities to inspect the latest additions to the lineup including the beautifully crafted series of padlocks, a well defined lucky rabbit's foot and a Gallic makeover given to the studs. The Showroom Next Door provided the first opportunity and this was quickly followed by Bunney's addition to the exciting design talent showcase that made up NEWGEN MEN and Fashion East's Installations. Despite the hectic nature of Menswear Day, the latter afforded an opportunity to speak with the man himself and to learn more about his well crafted additions.
Matthew Murphy, January 2011. Both of us at Style Salvage have a soft spot for this particular homely department store and the fabric it is famous for. Designers have always been inspired by Liberty's ever growing archive of prints. Last year alone, the venerable department store launched a number of interesting collaborations, from affordable florals at Target to shoes by Repetto, Nike Dunks adorned with florals and luggage by Merci.The latest to be inspired is b store. In an exciting collaboration, the design and textile forces behind two of our favourite stores have combined to create a truly covetable capsule collection that celebrates some of the finest prints on offer, including the much loved pepper print. Here, while showcasing the Jason Hughes styled and Laurence Ellis shot look book, we talk to b store's very own Matthew Murphy to learn about his love of Liberty, discuss the retail landscape in the capital and find out how the Savile Row store will blow out ten candles in a series of events throughout the year.
Andrew Bunney, December 2010. Jewellery designer Bunney and master shoemaker Mr Hare decided to create a shoe horn like no other. With this shoe horn, there are a number of different components that require some kind of specialist trade so Hare and Bunney spent a great deal of time sourcing the finest workshops and craftsmen across the country to help create their shared vision. The result is a thing of real beauty. Here we talk to Andrew Bunney to hear how the collaboration evolved and to find out more about the craftsmanship behind the object.
The Inoue Brothers, June 2010. Progressing from their collaboration with the indigenous Andean knitters of Bolivia, the brothers and have ventured to the continent of the century, Africa for the Ubuntu Project. To mark the launch, we caught up with one half of The Inoue Brothers, Satoru, to learn as much as we could about the project.
Paula Gerbase, April 2010. Gerbase is the designer behind the recently launched 1205 label. Here discuss how experiences at CSM, working with Alistair Carr and on Savile Row alike influenced her design aesthetic and take a closer look at her designs for SS11.
Oliver Spencer, April 2010. Oliver Spencer founded his eponymous label in 2002 and has always made clothing that is seen rather than heard. Here we talk about the community spirit of Lamb's Conduit Street, the importance of craft and manufacture and how Oli sees the brand evolving over the next few years...
Nick Thomas, February 2010. John Smedley may have been churning out quality knitwear for two hundred and twenty five years, but it has lost none of its passion, sense of craft and desire to innovate. Here we talk to the young Head Menswear designer about his path to John Smedley, the hands-on satisfaction of knitwear and here his thoughts on the Aw10 collection.
Hannah Martin, February 2010. With a prestigious Central Saint Martins design education and a handful of awards behind her, it comes as no surprise that Hannah Martin is shaking up the world of luxury jewellery as we know it. The look is elegant, sexy and decidedly rock n’ roll. We set out to learn more about her and the craft of jewellery design and what better way than to visit Hannah Martin at her studio for a cup of tea and a chat. Here we talk to the designer about her work placement at Cartier, Russian gangsters, the influence of Count Saint Germain on her next collection and seeing her at LFW through her collaborations with Carolyn Massey and Hannah Marshall.
Matthew Miller, December 2009. RCA's MA show is one of the best (and most exciting) places to discover the fashion stars of the future. Back in June 2009, we found such a star in Matthew Miller. To mark the release of his look book we caught up with the recent graduate to talk about his time at the RCA and his hopes for the future.
Harris Elliot, August 2009. Harris' personal need to find a stylish yet practical laptop case evolved into a thoroughly modern, yet understated luxury luggage brand. The collection is both designed and manufactured in the UK and we just fell in love with his quilted range. We caught up with Harris to discuss how the brand evolved from a laptop case, the collaboration with bstore and wanting to dress Obama in Casely-Hayford one day.
Omar Kashoura, July 2009. Steve has been a huge fan of Omar's ever since he stumbled across one of his designs in The Shop at Bluebird over two years ago. Since then we have been following his rise with great interest. Here we visit Omar at his studio just as he applies the finishing touches to his SS10 collection, Popeye in Trouville.
Patrick Grant, March 2009. As the steering force behind the revival of the 187 year old Savile Row firm of tailors, Nortons & Sons Grant has turned his attention to the resurrection of E. Tautz. Since its relaunch for AW09 E. Tautz has deservedly gone from strength-to-strength. Here we talk about the effect of the recession on buying, the art of wardrobe building and the need for more tailors.
Interview with Marc Hare, February. Mr Hare is a shoeist. His passion for shoes - as documented on his own blog has made him a firm favourite on our blogroll. He took this passion a step further than most and designed his own range of shoes. We could not resit finding out more.
Jaiden rVa James, February 2009. Jaiden rVa James are a design duo (Rasharn de Vera Agyemang and Jaiden James) who aim to deliver cutting edge but always wearable designs whilst respecting and explore the male anatomy. Here we talk to the duo about the the rise of London menswear and look forward to their participation in Menswear Day.
Makin Jan Ma, February 2009. Film, photography, fashion, illustration, poetry are intertwined as Makin uses all of these mediums to express the ideas overflowing from his mind. With his SS09 Collection "You are my milky way" the Japanese London-based designer takes us on an intergalactic journey with wearable spaceship and outer space prints. It was one we enjoyed.
Martyn Bal, February 2009. Martyn Bal learned his trade at some of our favourite menswear designers and we just love what he is doing on his own label so we were thrilled when he agreed to speak to us.
Carolyn Massey, February 2009. Massey long been one of our favourite designers. She has established herself as one of the key names in British menswear, producing both her own soft, relaxed luxury clothes and a number of salivation inducing pieces for her Topman line. As well as looking back on an extremely successful 2008, the interview looks forward to her upcoming solo show and the designer reveals her love of Stephen Fry and his Fair Isle jumpers...
Carola Euler, October 2008. Euler is one of most exciting talents designing menswear today and we were fortunate enough to steal a few moments with her.
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Brands:
Sunspel, January 2011. Based in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, Sunspel have spent the last one hundred and fifty years perfecting the art of timeless clothing. Despite being in our underwear drawer, it was the appointment of JW Anderson at the creative helm and the opening of their first stand alone store on Redchurch Street that really brought the brand to our attention. Here we talk to JW Anderson about his role at the label, the fabric developments for SS11 and discuss his hopes for the future.
Veja, December 2010. The two founders of Veja have embarked on an intriguing retail project located in a neighbourhood that favours slow shopping, a few steps away from the Saint Martin Canal, and its cafés, and terraces.Centre commercial offers labels made in France, Great Britain and Denmark and houses second-hand bicycles, vintage furniture and art works. It is a collective space, uniting local, social and environmental initiatives. The retail space showcases their varied but ultimately complimentary influences. Here we speak with Veja's Aurélie Dumont to learn more about the store and the brands plan for the future.
Seventy Eight Per Cent, November 2010. Seventy Eight Percent's passion for bags was clear and contagious the moment my eyes fell on their much loved Back to School collection. With the launch of a new collection, Harrison Fold and a plethora of new products, we caught up with the man behind the label, Shai Levy to discuss the evolution of the brand and to take a closer look at the latest designs.
Private White VC, October 2010. Private White V.C is based on the everyday wardrobe of Private Jack White and its debut collection is a celebration of his endeavours both in battle and as a craftsman. To mark the launch of the label for AW10 and in preparation for the label's pop up venture on Lamb's Conduit Street, we spoke with the Great Grandson of Private White and now director of Private White V.C, James Eden, to learn more about the evolution of the label and the inspirational man behind it.
ASOS Black, September 2010. ASOS Black was borne from the desire to explore the finer aspects of modern menswear. Precision of cut, fabrication and fine detailing are key facets that excite us all and thankfully that includes ASOS' talented design team. To mark the launch of the line we met up with one of the creative minds behind it all, head designer John Mooney, to talk us through it all.
French and English Confectioner's, August 2011. The wonderfully named shoe and accessories label French & English Confectioner's first came to our attention after one one of its breathtakingly beautiful, hand made patent leather rucksacks was included as one of Fantastic Man's daily recommendations. The tradition of hand-making shoes has all but died out in this country but Lucie Gonnord uses old equipment and vintage lasts to help keep the tradition alive. Here we talk to the designer about her creations and are allowed a rare glimpse of her secret London workshop.
Camo, June 2010. For SS11, designer Stefano Ughetti examined the roots of Biellese farmers and shepherds living a simple and proud life. Through using fabrics made in North West Italy, Stefano celebrates his heritage while supporting local industry and Italian craftsmanship. Here we talk to the designer about his experiences at Pitti, creating his SS11 collection and his hopes for the future.
Millican, April 2010. Millican are a travel and outdoor lifestyle brand for eco-friendly travellers and curiously deep thinkers alike. Based in the Lake District, the brand is named after Millican Dalton (1867-1947), a self-styled “professor of adventure” who gave up a career as a London insurance clerk for life in a Borrowdale cave. Here we talk to one of the co-founders of the brand, Jorrit Jorritsma about the beginnings and evolution of the brand before being introduced to the bags. People are everything to the brand. From the friends who inspire the creations themselves to the producers and experts which surround the brand and over the course of the interview we learn that bit more about all of them
Percival, February 2010. The label is the brainchild of two twenty somethings, Chris Gove and Luke Stenzhorn, neither of which have a fashion design background but they do have a great deal of enthusiasm for the craft of menswear. After a number of years of not being satisfied with fits and fabric options the duo decided to take matters in to their own hands and launched their own clothing line.The debut collection consists of sixteen garments across all styles and colours using an array of mouth watering fabrics. We caught up with Chris and Luke to find out as much as we could about both them and the label.
Chris and Tibor, January 2010. Chris & Tibor is an East London based fashion brand which has been quietly creating quality leather bags and accessories since 2006. It is is the combined result of designer Chris Liu's quest to own the perfect gym bag and fellow partner Tibor Matyas' desire to create a comprehensive and stylish bag collection for men. As they enter their seventh season, 2010 looks to be an exciting year for the design duo and sees them launch their estore.
Casely-Hayford, December 2009. One of the real highlights of the extended Menswear Day back in September was Casely-Hayford's collection entitled Kings of the Kings Land. Inspired by the raw energy of Kingsland Road (where their studio is based) they unveiled a new style tribe, the 'Afropunk.' Steve left the Fashion East Menswear Installations inspired by what he had seen but was impatient to learn more about this collection in particular. With this in mind, we caught up with Charlie and Joe to talk about the collection in more detail and to find out about their exciting plans for the year ahead whilst revealing their SS10 look book for the very first time
Hentsch Man, December 2009. Hentsch Man evolved from a seemingly simple search (in theory not practice) for the perfect white shirt. The two friends (Max and Alexia) set about designing their perfect shirt and when they felt they got it right, they placed a small order. After the shirts were soon snapped up by friends and family, the duo set about expanding their offering without compromising their core values of simplicity and function. Over the last year, the pair have added trousers, boxer shorts, footwear and luggage to create a more complete menswear collection. The collection has now found it's second temporary home in Princes Arcade off Jermyn Street. To celebrate we caught up with Alexia Hentsch and explored the new space and the evolving offering.
YMC, November 2009. This British born brand were one of the very first brands we featured here on the blog. Formed in 1996, YMC have played a key role in the resurgence of workwear and have seen so much so we jumped at the chance to speak to them about their experiences in the industry, their own personal style and how they see the brand devoloping over the next few years.
Albam, November 2009. Founded in Nottingham in 2006 by James Shaw and Alastair Rae initially as an online mail order company with just seven designs in the catalogue, albam have gone from strength to strength and deservedly so. Albam continues to manufacture their products in Great Britain and where possible and, when it is not, they look as close to home as possible for alternatives. They now have good friends in Portugal, USA and Italy adding to the craftsmanship which is a fundamental facet of the label. We love how the duo aim to bring as much product back to Britain and how they have spent the last couple of years building a business which is enabling their British factories to grow and develop along with them. We spoke with James and Alastair to find out more about the the brand and their plans for the future.
Lodger, September 2009 (Part One and Part Two). Nathan Brown and his team at Lodger have an irrational passion for beautiful shoes and we think this should be applauded. The mix of continuous design, in combination with cutting edge technology and traditional craftsmanship makes Lodger a truly unique shoe company. In part one we discus Brown's love affair with shoes, the catalysts for launching Lodger and his favourite shoes thus far. In part two we talk about the balance between technology and traditional craftsmanship and Brown shares his address book recommendations.
Universal Works, July 2009. After many years of working in the fashion industry David Keyte and his team wanted to make something they were proud of, not over-designed but well cut and craftsman-made. All garments and accessories are made in small, highly skilled factories and are designed for purpose and to live way beyond one season of fashion. Here we excitedly chat about the launch of the label, Josef Beuys and menswear of the 50s and 80s.
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Graduates:
Yan Liang, February 2011. The LCF MA show was a feast of menswear. Out of this year's crop of twenty two showing students amazingly fourteen were from the menswear discipline. Liang's research focused on the interaction and relationship between disease and wood. Through examining the unique and unusual malformations and deformed trees she translated a collection which mixed fabric and raw material to stunning effect. Here we talk to the design talent to learn about her experiences at LCF and her hopes for the future.
Matteo Molinari, February 2011. The LCF MA show was a feast of menswear. It was Matteo Molinari's crocheted tailoring and reimagined classics that made the biggest impact on the graduation catwalk and ultimately saw him walk away with the grand prize. His highly desirable and beautifully tailored collection fused modern tailoring with traditional craftsmanship to stunning effect. Here we talk to the design talent to learn about his experiences at LCF and his hopes for the future.
Trine Lindegard, October 2010. For her RCA MA graduate collection, Lindegard drew inspiration from her childhood memories of being surrounded by weird and wonderful eccentrics and collectors when she grew up in Denmark. Her fabric choices of corduroy and waxed cottons along with the silhouettes recall these rather geeky people, whilst the embellishments echo their collections. here we learn about her recently launched brand Trine Lindegaard, discuss her experiences at the RCA and acquire her advice for future menswear design students.
Lewis Chong, June 2010. RCA's The Hammerson Fashion Innovation Award restores my faith in the future of fashion journalism. One of my favourite finalists was Lewis Chong who was nominated for a magazine project based on augemented reality, Binary. Here we talk to the talented graduate to learn more about his project, his thoughts on the industry and his hopes for the future...
Matteo Molinari, February 2011. The LCF MA show was a feast of menswear. It was Matteo Molinari's crocheted tailoring and reimagined classics that made the biggest impact on the graduation catwalk and ultimately saw him walk away with the grand prize. His highly desirable and beautifully tailored collection fused modern tailoring with traditional craftsmanship to stunning effect. Here we talk to the design talent to learn about his experiences at LCF and his hopes for the future.
Trine Lindegard, October 2010. For her RCA MA graduate collection, Lindegard drew inspiration from her childhood memories of being surrounded by weird and wonderful eccentrics and collectors when she grew up in Denmark. Her fabric choices of corduroy and waxed cottons along with the silhouettes recall these rather geeky people, whilst the embellishments echo their collections. here we learn about her recently launched brand Trine Lindegaard, discuss her experiences at the RCA and acquire her advice for future menswear design students.
Lewis Chong, June 2010. RCA's The Hammerson Fashion Innovation Award restores my faith in the future of fashion journalism. One of my favourite finalists was Lewis Chong who was nominated for a magazine project based on augemented reality, Binary. Here we talk to the talented graduate to learn more about his project, his thoughts on the industry and his hopes for the future...
Le Lin Tiffany Tang, June 2010. RCA's MA graduate show is undoubtedly one of the most exciting places to discover the fashion stars of the future. This year's Menswear graduates are not only creating an overall look but are breaking new ground in terms of fabric manipulation and experimentation. It was Le Lin Tiffany Tang's Crash inspired metal infused tailoring that really captured my imagination. Here we talk to the exciting young designer about her time at the RCA, collaborating with an MA Textile student and her hope for finding employment...
Thomas Crisp, June 2010. Thomas Crisp secured the top prize for Menswear at this year’s GFW Gala Event with a collection which included immaculately executed leather jackets and beautifully tailored pieces that were exquisitely accessorized with neck scarves. Here we talk to the exciting design prospect to learn more about his winning collection, life at Ravensbourne and his hopes for the future...
Amber Siegel, April 2010. Every once in a whole a graduate comes along that you know will become a fashion star of the future, Amber along with her design partner Wouter (interviewed below) before her are such examples. Siegel's graduate collection was inspired and driven by incident and observations drawn from an altogether different species. It is more thematic than conceptual and we took great delight in talking through her the collection a week before the internal show.
Wouter Baartmans, February 2010. From the nineteen students who showcased thier LCF MA collections it was the menswear design graduates that really shone through. Baartmans' graduation collection was inspired by the great depression of the 1920s and the emergence of new cinema. It looks at an area of menswear history that was very defined but this exciting young graduate certainly had fun creating new characters as he mixed tailoring, with sportswear and prints with furs. We jumped at the chance to inspect Baartman's intricate detailing up close and to chat through the evolution of his inspirations, his experiences at LCF and not least his hopes for the future
Sarah Williams, February 2010. Despite the recent focus on heritage, traditional skills and techniques are still not valued as they once were. The traditional crafts and techniques are not being passed on to the next generations. Williams' MA project was designed to challenge this. The aim was to assess the feasibility of utilising regional historical craftsmanship in order to produce a collection of original fashion artefacts. Williams' hoped to use craft to produce something which has never been seen before and would challenge the fashion industry's view on craftsmanship and how it can be used to produce something completely original.
Nicomede Talavera, October 2009. Talevera is a Central Saint Martin’s BA Menswear Fashion Design student who (at the time of this interview) has just embarked on his placement year. Surprisingly, Talavera has found time to complete a fourteen look capsule collection and along with the obvious creative talent it demonstrates has the business nous to promote his debut offering through the blogosphere. We were surprised and excited when we opened the speculative email from the young talent and just had to find out more about the menswear design student.
Asger Juel Larsen, July 2009. The recent GFW and various graduate shows reminded us all that there is so much young talent out there in the UK and there is little better than discovering the emerging talent. Though the LCF press show was disappointingly low on menswear Asger Juel Larsen really shone through with his take on modern chain mail.
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Shops:
Hostem, September 2010. The unveiling of Hostem on Redchurch Street over the summer justifiably caused ripples of excitement throughout the industry. Proprietor James Brown sought to marry his favorite, though often disparate, sartorial aesthetics under one roof. A few months on since the launch and as a mouth watering selection of AW10 stock hit the shop floor we decided to sit down with the young proprietor to talk shop.
Erik Schedin, May 2010. Schedin specializes in offering an extremely select collection of products. Initially the collection might seem a little disparate, random even but the underlying connecting thread between them is that each item exhibits a distinctly clean, understated design. Schedin keeps it simple and there is something quite beautiful about that. The site began by offering three products, white sneakers, American Optical frames and Pledge furniture wax. Since the launch Schedin has methodically added new items to the site, including a pair of beautiful tote bags made from vintage sails and boat covers, a baseball cap, an ACME whistle and his favourite boots made Danner. After recently hearing about his new line of releases dropping at DSM we just had to sit down and learn more about the man behind it all.
Ian Paley of Garbstore, January 2010. Ian Paley is a man who has undoubtedly played a significant role in modern menswear. He was co-founder and designer of seminal British label One True Saxon, senior designer for Paul Smith Jeans, Red-Ear, R.Newbold and Thomas Burberry and Levi’s Strauss. His reputation speaks for itself. So, rather than look back let's look to the present and sample the delights of his current venture, Garbstore.
b Store, July 2009. We can honestly count the number of exciting stores in London using our fingers. One finger outstretched is for the fashion mecca that is bstore. It is an independent boutique which has supported some of the most exciting design talent to emerge in recent years. We were fortunate enough to talk shop and toast the existence of one of the best menswear brands in London with its proprietor Matthew Murphy.
Fine and Dandy, June 2009. Both of us at Style Salvage are drawn to dandies and so it was inevitable that we would speak to the owner of Fine and Dandy, Matt Fox. This online store caters to the guy who enjoys dressing up, who doesn’t believe in Casual Friday, nor thinks of getting dressed each day as a chore. Like us, he has an appreciation for the well dressed gentlemen of yesteryear and is inspired by their unabashed use of accessories so this is what he stocks in his store.
John Skelton of oki-ni, April 2009. The London based online store oki-ni has been around for seven years now and in that time has helped change the online shopping landscape for the better. The store frequently finds and breaks the most interesting products and brands available across the menswear design market and packages them in an inviting and interesting shopping environment, so we jumped at the chance to speak to the stores Creative Director, John Skelton.
Daniel Jenkins, June 2008. Daniel Jenkins is a thoroughly nice bloke with a hell of a lot to say about men's fashion. Which is a good thing really since he owns his own store in a small town in Wales, stocking labels which are hard to find. When we arranged to do an interview with him he had so much to say that it almost doesn't seem like an interview any more (in the best way possible of course) it is more of an exploration of menswear today with a shop owner who is going his own way. What follows are his thoughts on men's designers, regional dressing, Wales, the influence a recession has on the way we dress and his advice for would-be shop keepers.
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Journalists:
Jorgen Ringstrand, April 2011. J. LIndeberg's The Documentary and A Dream biannual book was borne out of the desire to tell the complete story of the brand and share their thoughts and values on a level beyond commercial aspects of marketing principles. On the day of the release of its SS11 edition and before J. Lindeberg's London showroom opened its doors for a celebratory launch, we caught up with it artistic director, Jörgen Ringstrand to talk about the inception and continued evolution of this inspiring read.
Richard Gray, March 2009. 10 Men is the only fashion magazine which, while providing strong fashion editorials, features and interviews, makes us chuckle to ourselves on public transport. The cause of our mirth is Richard Gray who, as 10's Fashion Features Director, provides more than his fair share of content for each issue and we had a great deal of fun in this interview.
Richard Gray, March 2009. 10 Men is the only fashion magazine which, while providing strong fashion editorials, features and interviews, makes us chuckle to ourselves on public transport. The cause of our mirth is Richard Gray who, as 10's Fashion Features Director, provides more than his fair share of content for each issue and we had a great deal of fun in this interview.
Guy Hipwell of Fashion156, February 2009. For us, there is nothing online half as good as the editorials showcased (every fifteen days or so) in Fashion156. Hipwell always showcases the most excitng emerging design talent alongside more established names. We are regularly amazed at the quality of Fashion156, so we were thrilled to ask the man behind it all a few questions.
Charlie Porter, January 2009. Porter is a man that we both greatly admire here at Style Salvage. As our obsession with men's style has evolved over the years his insight has been our constant companion. His scribblings for GQ, the Guardian and, more recently, i-D and Fantastic Man have always been a pleasure to read and we were fortunate enough to secure this rare interview with the man himself.
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Miscellaneous:
Imran Amed, February 2011. Bill Amberg Accessories Ltd. and The Business of Fashion announced the launch of the Calgary, a co-designed, co-conceived design project and crowdsourcing experiment which will help better understand and spark conversation about how the collective wisdom of crowds could shape fashion businesses, big and small, in years to come. Here we talk to Imran to learn more about the project and take a closer look at the range.
Rob Phillips, November 2010. To coincide with the major retrospective at the V&A and the centenary of the Ballets Russes, London College of Fashion and English National Ballet have spent the past year working together on a unique project which examines the Ballet Russes and the incredible legacy of artistic director Diaghilev. To mark the culmination of this exciting collaboration we decided to talk to Rob Phillips, the Creative Director of the School of Fashion Design and Technology. In the first part we set the scene and learn how the project evolved over the course of the year. In the second, we learn about the creative and design processes displayed by the students throughout the course of this very special project
Fode Sylla of the Showroom Next Door, April 2010. Steve eased himself in to AW10 proceedings with a visit to Showroom Next Door at 16 Hanover Square at the beginning of London Fashion Week. The Touba Distribution curated showroom allowed me the opportunity to inspect and fantasise over a few of our favourite brands while introducing a few new ones. Here I catch up with Touba Distribution's very own Fode Sylla to learn about the reasons behind the Showroom and how he would like to see it evolve over the coming seasons.
Ian Denver, September 2009. Harris Tweed is woven in a beautiful setting by workers in their own homes. It is the most iconic of all tweeds, woven by hand, and adored for decades the world over. Or it was. The BB4 series, Tweed looks at the island industry which is now in terminal decline. With the closing of its largest mill, it’s crunch time for the business. The story of the British Isles most notable native cloth is both wonderful and frustrating. Here, we talk to director, Ian Denver to learn more about the series and his love affair with the fabric.
Lulu Kennedy, October 2008. Lulu Kennedy's Fashion East has become hugely influential since its launch in 2000 (so influential in fact that she was named in Evening Standard's 1000 Influential List) as a supporter of emerging talent at London Fashion Week and lest we forget, she's played an instrumental role in bringing us the MAN shows as well. Here we talk about what she has been up to, her thoughts on the industry and her favourite menswear designers.
Jack Bevan of Foals, February 2008. We have often talked about the relationship between style and music, our very first post (back when this blog wasn't even read by our friends) discussed the Clash's style. We managed to score an interview with Foals' drummer Jack Bevan to discuss this very idea. If either of us were music journalists we might say "the Foals play the sort of jittery, rhythmically-focused post-punk that's been a steady thread of through indie rock in this century" but we aren't so let's just say that we approve and get down to Jack's take on style.
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To browse through all of the interviews click here.
