Reading... Buttoned-Up

Fantastic Man's Buttoned-Up book... 

inside a shirt by Patrik Ervell and t-shirt by Christopher Shannon.

"The simple act of fastening a shirt's highest button and the plainness of the look it creates belies a variety of intricate and complex intentions," Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom declare in unison to begin Fantastic Man's exploration of the buttoned-up shirt. To mark one hundred and fifty years of the London Underground, Penguin have released twelve books to celebrate each line and our favourite men's fashion biannual trundles along the East London Line and notices that few shirt buttons are left undone. Encompassing music, street style, fashion, portraits, an examination of an examination of collar shapes and archive images, the reader is taken on an enthralling expedition. 

Having enjoyed the journey from Paul Flynn's schoolboy rebellion to admiring Jop van Bennekom's close ups of construction, eavesdropping on Gert Jonker's conversation with Neil Tennant to stalking the style of today's East London boys, it is Alexander Fury's essay that has left the lasting impression. In his entry, Alexander Fury asks and duly answers an interesting question. "So how much significance can we ascribe to the buttoning and unbuttoning of a collar? In fashion circles, it's the equivalent to a tectonic shift: it may seem small, but it often ricochets off the Richter scale." It certainly is. The tinkering of button undoing by Tom Ford at Gucci has long been felt whilst the precision of the lean precision of Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme still reverberates today. From Ford's sexualisation to Prada's seedier experiments and Simons' continued exertion of youthful control to Ossendrijver's blurring of formal and casual, the effects of button fastening ripple long after the shirt has been tossed in to the laundry basket. 

A visual statement. A revelment of sartorial (dis)comfort. An act of social rebellion. A historical mark. A celebration of a subculture. A mark of territory. Over its one hundred and twelve pages, the paperback demonstrates that just how the seemingly simple act of button fastening has all manner of repercussions. Ultimately it is a celebration of a detail, a quirk of individual and collective style. Are you buttoned-up? What does your shirt styling say about you?

General Eyewear's Inner and Outer Space Collection

"Eyewear has gone from being a specialised niche product to being almost tediously ubiquitous – every brand and every designer has an eyewear collection. And this, along with a few other factors, has led to a general flattening out of what’s on offer," Fraser Laing fervidly expressed on one of my previous visits to his great gem of Stables Market. General Eyewear has concentrated on developing its own distinctive values and ideas without paying too much attention to what anyone else is doing. His wide, passion filled eyes are focussed on providing something more, something better. Now, as we sit inside his emporium of eyewear, he introduces me to the latest development, the Inner and Outer Space Collection. A long considered range that breaks free from the tedium and emerges on the recently unveiled Discover Boutiques.

Chatting over a concerto that echoes throughout the vast retail space, Laing becomes increasingly more animated as, one by one, he proudly places each of the nine frames on to the desk. As ever, his eternal enthusiasm and perpetual passion is as infectious as it is justified. From the 40s inspired but wonderfully contemporary Metz to the uncompromising Tanaka, each frame, which is handmade in England by their master spectacle makers using the very best components and finest vintage Italian acetates, is named after a Science Fiction writer. "We made a long list of science fiction writers and began honing it down to find the perfect fit for each style," Laing explains. Playing with the author's different characteristics, what they represent or conjure up and even just revelling in the name themselves, from phonetics to onomatopoeia. "For example. I know Lem quite well, he's a Russian science fiction writer and I just had this feeling of what a pair of glasses might look like, heavy and ponderous. For another frame, the Ostrander we just felt that they needed a strange name without knowing too much about the author, after a little research we found out that he penned the original Star Wars screenplays. The name just felt right because they appear older, mysterious and austere." Some of the names will be familiar, others might stump even the most arden of SF fans but what is certain, their latest incarnations are taking eyewear to new heights. Now, making use of the beautiful product photography that Discover Boutiques uses to present the stock from its partner stores, let me introduce the collection to you...

From the Lem to the Saberhagen to my personal favourite the Metz.

"The starting point was that they are built around classic shapes but evolved to become borderline unusual. We've been raiding our archives. From as far as I know, no one, in London at the very least, has anything quite like it. It is really coming in to its own now as we developing styles from it. None of these styles will be in people's minds, they are all slightly unusual doing slightly different things. It was about matching up the shapes we wanted to make with the right plastics. For the time being, we are sticking with one plastic per shape. The idea is that each frame becomes a brand in its own right because they are such distinct styles. Of course some might fade away but the hope is that these are a starting point and variations will follow, always looking to improve."

The considered collection has evolved from and takes advantage of the attributes that really set General Eyewear apart from anything else out there. The frames have evolved from an alchemy of form and function from favourites from the archive to the components, from the alluring acetate to the finest hinges possible, and craftsmanship that come together to make them. Laing's museum level stock consists of tens of thousands of unique pieces from the nineteenth century right to now. Inspiration is at every turn, inside every drawer and waiting to be found in an unmarked box.

 "We started offering custom made frames very early on but we were very limited by the lack of acetate available in the UK. I embarked on a mission to buy surplus stocks of acetate from the more historic factories that I knew about in France and Italy. The fact that I was able to find so much of it means that the selection of different materials we’re able to offer in the shop is unique. Today, there's only really one factory that produces plastic for everyone because it is highly, highly specialised but the history of it is so much more varied. Italy has always been associated with the development of plastics, it is of course a comparatively recent invention, reaching its peak in the 50s. This one factory that began in the early twentieth century were building everything up, providing all of thee amazing plastics for all sorts of uses, and then in the beginning of the 90s and it must've come as a shock to them, the world just stopped wearing plastic glasses. Armani, Ralph Lauren... every brand that you can think off was making little metal frames. Today, the current catalogue just doesn't have the same choice, the same variety. However hard you look, there's nothing in the direct line of those fantastic marbled ball point pens of the forties and fifties and it's such a shame."

Thankfully, Laing managed to accumulate close to four tonnes of the acetate that continues to excites today and give it a new home at General Eyewear. Some of it might be fifty years old but it is far more interesting than anything on the market now. Up until now Laing's vast collection of acetate has only been used for commissions but they wanted to do something more with it and the Inner and Outer World collection is one of the finest ways to breathe new life in to it.

"The reaction, even before we put them on the website has been great, we have put one of two out on the shop floor and they instantly attracted attention." The frames are limited. They begin with a limited run of just five and a number of the frames have sold out but with in a week or two more can be made and be on the shop floor (both in Camden and the virtual one thanks to Discover Boutiques).  "The aim is to continue to have this flagship collection made in the UK and we can be very ambitious with short runs, spinning everything around the acetate. The logistics have been tough. Very few people make anything in Europe because it is not easy," Laing reflects as a wide grin spreads across his face and a glint or two flashes in his eyes. The results, at least in this instance show that it is all worth it.

Discovering... HAiK

"The London menswear industry has been driven by designers and their ideas since 2005, before even. The list of designers that have played their part is a long one, some of whom have fallen away and moved on to other things," reflected an impassioned Matthew Miller at our roundtable discussion held at the close of the debut London Collections: Men back in June of last year. His Spring/Summer 13 collection offered a welcome and timely reminder that the capital's menswear existed long before the inaugural showcase of LC:M. One of the names lasercut in to his commemorative tailoring and a name fondly recalled by both Lou Dalton and Daniel Jenkins (who stocked her label) from opposite sides of the table was Siv Støldal. Now, early readers of this blog should have fond memories of the ever inquisitive Central Saint Martins graduate who showcased her carefully crafted wardrobes in both London and Paris and collaborated with the likes of Fred Perry and Topman. Hers were thought provoking garments that the wardrobe longed for and mine is still pining for her reflective knitwear. She was always interested in much more than fashion. Seemingly at the height of her powers, she withdrew from London and returned home to Tyssøy, a little island outside Bergen with a population of less than one hundred. Thankfully, the story doesn't end there. Her name, although missed and marked in London, has not faded in to obscurity. Alongside the like minded Norwegian design talents of Ida Falck Øien and Harald Lunde Helgesen, the familiar vision is blossoming once more with HAiK.

From documenting the wardrobes of three disparate men to covering landscapes in garments, Støldal's curiosity to explore our relationship with clothing is apparent in every one of her sartorial endeavours. It is certainly the case with HAiK. Her curiosity is as infectious as it is captivating. "Her studio in East London was always a place that attracted many ambitious Norwegian fashion students and graduates," reflects Lunde Helgesen. "When Siv decided to move back to Tyssøy, she invited her favourite few to start a Norwegian fashion project together and HAiK was born." Støldal has formed a formidable core. Since graduating from The Arts University College at Bournemouth in 2009, Helgesen has kept on creating collections in his own name, showing twice during the International Festival of Photography and Fashion in Hyères, once in competition and the second time as a returning winner and has been a finalist in the prestigious ITS competition. In contrast, with a background in fine art, Ida Falck Øien lives and works in LA and until recently worked as the assistant to the internationally renowned, pop-tastic fashion designer Jeremy Scott. Contrasting yet complimentary, they are united in a shared vision.

"Working outside of Norway gave us a common sense of seeing the Norwegian culture from outside, making it easier for us to draw from the richness of slightly different approach to clothing. An interest in the social meaning of clothes, dress codes and the personal stories behind choices, combinations and looks has always been a common ground in our personal creative outputs. Combining the three adds new facets and broadens the horizon of HAiK's investigative mission. Ultimately, we wanted to create a label through which we could communicate more of the information, research and ideas that always lay behind our work. HAiK doesn't only produce collections of clothes, shoes and accessories, but also exhibitions, interviews and various projects addressing the current theme of the work." Harold Lunde Helgesen

The trio of designers are more interested in style than fashion, each is more interested in clothing itself rather than the seemingly endless fanfare of the industry. "At the core of our Norwegian take on dressing lies an essential belief in the practical and functional," explains Helgesen. Their concerns and interests go far deeper than the traditional fashion system affords. Theirs are ideas that can't be rushed, forgotten or pushed to one side because that is how the show season calendar dictates. "We're currently developing our interview based research method to a more scientific level. We have invited anthropologists and sociologists to help us refine methods of investigating and recording the wardrobes of people. The three of us who are at the core of HAiK have our own ideas about clothes and appearances. In the investigative nature of our design approach nothing is left unquestioned, nothing is taken for granted and nothing escapes our analytical gaze. Three sets of eyes and three questioning minds means multiplied answers and multifaceted outcomes."

More than a wardrobe of clothes and accessories, HAiK explores various art projects whilst addressing a theme. The debut offering looked at Aspirational Clothing and dressing for success and now the trio explore dressing for location for autumn/winter 13. "The starting point to the project was a fascination with the tourist. The process of packing for a holiday gives you the opportunity/forces you to make some conscious choices about either the practicalities of some imagined situations or to assemble a perfect, select wardrobe to communicate the best version of yourself in the dream state of the perfect holiday. We began by looking at practical packing tips on Youtube and in travel guides, looking at travel specific items like money belts, mosquito protective garments, zip-off and other approaches to transformation and multifunction. We were also looking at tourists arriving back from warmer climates, still wearing summer colours and exotic prints. We thought of creating an imaginable holiday through dressing for a different location." Enough talk, lets take a look at the autumn/winter 13 look book shot by Thomas Ekström.

Lookbook photography by Thomas Ekstrom

HAiK is a collective in every sense. A creative umbrella for all an ever evolving roster of talent, undertaking and exploring a myriad of mediums. "We invite other creatives to respond to the theme of the season, and we work closely with established and traditional manufacturers and brands and apply our processes to their products and bring ideas back from their archives. For this season four fine artists created a t-shirt each with the project title 'Going Somewhere Else - Dress For  Location' in mind. The title of the project is derived from a text, which Ida Eritsland, a fashion theorist wrote after conversations about initial ideas about the theme. We continued working with the traditional Norwegian maker of "the Original Penny Loafer" Aurlandskoen. New additions are Lillunn, another Norwegian heritage brand famous for 100% wool blanket coats. Also Siri Johansen, a true HAiK-er at heart has collaborated closely with us and created a gorgeous range of luxury knitwear."

Given that the collection is entitled, 'Going Somewhere Else', I draw the interview to a close by asking each of them where they're currently daydreaming of escaping to. "Perfect snow covered landscapes with the best ski-tracks for cross country skiing," begins Øien, "Disneyland with my two lovely daughters," adds Støldal, "Atlantis," finishes Helguson. Three voices, heard perfectly as one.

Just two years old, this trio's label is exploring its own path. A different path from the one well trodden. "After a long period of Fashion Fairs, we're inspired to break up this format and to continue to develop the synergy between research, product and show," Helguson explains. Meaning "hitch hike"  in their native tongue, HAiK is an adventure that has only just begun. Its destination might be unknown but its journey is all the more exciting for it. I'm reminded of the oft quoted line from the original transcript of Kerouac's On The Road, “There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” Thumb out, I’m willing to travel with HAiK.

Treasured Items... David St John James

From delicately placing mighty crustaceans in to the crevices of impressive, ice white Stone Island outerwear to coercing Nigella Lawson in to her favourite marigolds to slipping a beautifully cut Richard James suit over the shoulders of Will Ferrell, David St John James, over the last twelve months alone, has provided countless moments to treasure inside the pages of Port. Ever since the publication made its assured and confident debut back in March 2011, the self-styled "intelligent magazine for men" has filled a gap in this somewhat confused and unoriginal market. Thanks largely to its mouth watering roster of contributors, eye for detail and obvious passion, it is a publication that continuously provokes thought, ignites imagination and surprises. Its Fashion Director, freelance stylist and consultant St John James encapsulates and continues to provide many of these traits. So, who better to partake in a spot of show and tell? Here, he rifles through just one of his cherished scrapbooks and picks out his most loved and most worn sweatshirt.

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David St. John James and the style scrapbook

"I have to be very honest with you, having given this some thought, I don't really treasure much in the way of clothing. I love clothes and I look after them but if the house was burning down I would probably let them go up in flames whilst I grabbed boxes of photographes and things I have collected over the years. I treasure my souvenirs and memories, from old badges, cards, pages torn out of magazines, menu's, trinkets, unnecessary plastic objects and so on. Given the style element of the decision, I had to grab a selection of scrapbook images from what I had at hand. I still have stacks of stuff I have yet to deal with and organise. The picture of the yellow trousers with whales and the one of Mathew Broderick I have had for absolutely ages."

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and the cosily double extra large Peanuts sweatshirt...

"This sweatshirt came in to my possesion while shopping and pulling samples for a job. I saw it and decided I needed to own it. I love Halloween and candy corn and it reminded me of my American heritage. In addition to loving Halloween, I've been a big fan of Peanuts ever since I was little, so it makes me happy. My earliest memories of Peanuts is Christmas. The animated film, Charlie Brown Christmas was played every year on television. For all I know, it still is. This was my favourite scene. It has a beautiful soundtrack by Vince Guaraldi Trio, which I own and still play every year. The sweatshirt itself, is extra, extra large and it gets worn constantly. On occasion, I have worn it outside but not for a very long time, these days it's strictly comfy home time only. It is of great comfort and I would be a little sad to see it gone." David St John James.

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Palmer//Harding AW13

"The menswear is subtle this season," begins Matthew Harding. "It is very focussed," add Levi Palmer without a moment of silence. Just hours away from unveiling their autumn/winter 13 collection in a Thomas Bird crafted world inside Somerset House, the label’s collective voice could not have been more entwined or clear. From their home and studio base in Rickmansworth the design duo work tirelessly on their quest for intricate perfection to that oft neglected and taken for granted garment, the shirt. Since its accomplished debut in September 2011, palmer//harding have created men’s and women’s collections that encompass the combined aesthetic, passion, skill and international experience of the design duo. Ever learning, tweaking, evolving and improving, there's a real sense of masterful ease with this collection. A quiet confidence weaves throughout wonderfully tactile and perfectly sculpted shirting made from the finest cotton from Cotton USA.

"Going against so many young designers where there's an increasing sense of more, more, more, we have reduced and re-evaluated how many pieces we needed to tell the story of the season. There's a nice romance to the menswear," adds Harding. Less really is more. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe would look on, cigar in hand and fall for the considered cotton charms of this collection.

"It all started with the a single drape which reminded Matthew and I of the pages of a journal. From this concept we moved forward by referencing the memories that one keeps in the pages of their journal. In this method we brought forward the memory of the pattern cutting from the pages of one shirt into a top stitching detail on the next shirt where the previous pages had been placed. In this way a single shirt reflects the entire capsule collection in even just a small way, a subtle hint to the details which came before and which occurs after. " Levi Palmer.

The beauty of palmer//harding's menswear narrative is in the details. "With the womenswear it is all about texture and for the menswear it is all about the details," begins Harding, "there's so much to see on closer inspection this season."  Like any much loved and used journal, this collection is full of secrets that you'll long to discover .

Treasured items... Goodhood

Located just an eyelash flash away from my office, I often find myself drawn to Goodhood's treasures on a lunch break. Always innovative, always exciting, the backstreet boutique has continued to breathe fresh life in to London's retail scene ever since it first opened its doors in 2007. Now housed over two floors and with an additional space on the other side the road, the contemporary concept space showcases an international cocktail of independent and rare brands. With Spring/Summer 13 deliveries from the likes of Junya Watanabe, Wood Wood, Yuketen and Soulland welcoming the sunshine, I found myself drawn to the ever inviting store once more. As I admired the rails, I could not resist asking Goodhood's very own Kyle Stewart and Adam Tickle to partake in a spot of show and tell. Given that their store affords the discovery of future treasures at every turn, it was only fair that they revealed their own cherished items. Here, co-founder and owner Stewart dips in to his pocket for his Grandfather's pocket watch and jack of all trades Tickle turns to his turntable.,,  

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Kyle Stewart and the tank driver's pocket watch

"The Services Pocket Watch was my Grandad's and was issued to him when he was in the army during WWII. This one was made in Great Britain by the Anglo-Celtic Watch Co. Ltd in Wales. He drove a tank during the war and never gave anything away about what happened during that time. I think it was quite a shocking experience and he always kept tight lipped about what he has seen. He was a real gentleman and lived a very simple life. This and a book of Robert Burns poetry are my only heir looms, and needless to say are very treasured." Kyle Stewart.

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Adam Tickle and the vinyl verification from Slim Gaillard's Tutti Frutti

"I picked this record up from Haggle Vinyl in Angel. I say picked up but it was not that simple. Haggle is amazing store is run by a mega eccentric old raver, he looks like he's lived a  good life. I've been popping in for three or four years now and every time there's this sense of him clocking you but he ignores you, he doesn't give you too much time. On one occasion he was playing this record. I told him that I liked it and asked him what it was but he just replied, 'Oh, you're too young to listen to that and it's not for sale.' I just thought he was being really difficult. However, he did point me in the general direction of something similar and offered a few suggestions of labels. I picked up five records, took them to the till and he told me that he'd do a deal for them, £10 for the lot. It was only when I got home that I realised he added this record. So, for that entire awkward shopping experience he was just playing with me. The record itself is from the 40s and by an improvised Jazz and Blues singer called Slim Gaillard. If I could save just one record from a fire, it would be this one. It's wicked. I've had it three years now and listen to it loads. It's great for a chilled after-party. It's a late night favourite." Adam Tickle

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Entering Alan Taylor's Fourth Dimension

"I stumbled in to fashion really," confesses Alan Taylor in his soft Dublin drawl as he sits at the cutting table of his Dalston studio. "I didn't even do art at school. I wanted to but somehow my parents convinced me to study business but I completely changed everything for my Leaving Certificate (A-Levels equivalent in Ireland) and went on to do an art portfolio." It was a delightful deviation that ultimately saw him fall in to fashion. The world of business might be at a loss but our wardrobes are rejoicing in the discovery of a rare gem. Having kept an hungry eye on all of the fruits on show at the major fashion markets this season, nothing whet my appetite more than Taylor's autumn/winter 13 offering. The moment my eyes caught sight of the Harry Lambert styled and James White shot look book from across the office, my heart jumped and my body longed to possess the entire collection.  It felt familiar yet was truly captivating. It was like meeting someone for the first time and walking away feeling as though you'd always known them. Is that sappy? I make no excuses other than that I'm in love (and it's my birthday at the time of posting). With its considered construction, sculptural showcases, textural trickery and accomplished juxtaposition of both concept and silhouette throughout, it had everything, and more, that I hope to see in menswear. I had to find out more about the designer behind it. For me, Alan Taylor isn't just one to watch. He is one to stalk. So I duly invited myself to his studio for a cup of tea, a chat and to cop a feel of his tactile designs.

As he takes apart an Oreo and thinks about dipping the pieces in his tea, Taylor elucidates on his stumbling in to the industry. "Growing up in a small town in Ireland, I was utterly naive about fashion. It just wasn't on my radar. It wasn't until I got in to my foundation year that I went in to the fashion department and was blown away. It was around the same time that Gareth Pugh burst on to the scene with his debut collection and my eyes were opened to a new world. It was at this point that I realised you could be so creative, it wasn't just clothes, it was an outlet." Eyes opened and outlet found, he followed in the footsteps of Simone Rocha by studying at the National College of Art and Designin Dublin. "Simone was a couple of years ahead of me. I loved her stuff from the moment I saw it. It was amazing. When she graduated from her MA, I graduated from my BA and she approached me to work with her because she knew I had spent some time interning with the likes of Alexander McQueen, David David and Agi & Sam. I was with her for three amazing seasons." There can be little doubt that the pair are kindred spirits. Both design talents are fascinated with experimental fabric techniques and share a focus on innovative construction. Working in the romantic and tactile world of Simone Rocha, was he tempted to continue designing womenswear? "Having studied both, I actually opted to show womenswear for my BA. I don't think that you're either one or the other. I think if you're a fashion designer, you should be able to design both and just design them in your own way. Menswear interests me at the moment and I'm having fun with it." And the moment of autumn/winter 12 is one to savour.

The collection evolved out of the theory of the fourth dimension. The ever inquisitive and mathematically minded Taylor explored how if we were four dimensional beings looking at a three dimensional object, we wouldn't see the two dimensional view that our eyes perceive in reality but rather we would see every single side of the object simultaneously. "There's loads to the theory and for this collection, I was only interested in this one part of it. It led me to think about what the clothes would be like in this other dimension. It was about pushing it whilst still keeping the classic shapes that we have now. Looking at it now, I think it ended up being a little Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It's  trippy." Mind and garment altering. The trip that Taylor takes us on literally sees the meshing together of individual garments. "I just love juxtaposing textures and fabrics," he succinctly declares as hind fingers wander from tweed and then mesh on one of the real highlight jackets. The evolution of precise outfit details into single garments becomes the focus. Jackets appear to grow naturally out of the back of other jackets. Trousers layered with flattened shorts and jacket vents demand a second, third and even fourth look. Developing this further, he revels in juxtaposing fabrics within the garments themselves - this season, netting and tweeds are intertwined. Following on from his spring/summer 13 collection, his admiration for Donegal Tweed is undeniable.

"A friend of mine who was on my course recommend Magee Tweed to me and I just loved what they were doing and I liked the idea of working with an Irish company. They are incredible. It is a sixth generation family Mill, so much heritage but they are doing some amazingly innovative things with the tweeds. For my last collection, I used a mix that is woven using the classic tweed techniques but with an added silk yarn, so it is much lighter and much more breathable. I was blown away. It was the same again this season when the Head Designer proudly brought out the latest tweeds. They were amazing. I just had to have them."

Building on this love, Taylor broadens his color and fabric story with a fresh palette of both tone and texture. The tweeds provide the foundations of the collection and Taylor duly builds on them while mirroring Magee’s own heady cocktail of classic techniques and innovation. Now, I’ve teased you long enough.  Enter the fourth dimension with me.

My own detail shots alongside the look book by James White and Harry Lambert.

"Art, especially minimalist sculpture inspires me. I often find myself going back to the work of Dan Flavin, I just love the way that his light installations not only affect how the viewer sees it but it also affects the way the room is. I like to think that I do something similar in my work. I'm not just trying to make clothes, I'm trying to convey an emotion and get people to view things differently. I take a lot from sculpture and film, so much of the mood comes from films. This season, it went a little trippy because I was drawn to the idea of the fourth dimension. One of the other inspirations was Aaaron Sorkin from A few Good Men, West Wing and The Social Network fame. Moneyball is his most recent feature. It's a great movie with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill that tells the story of a manager of a low budget baseball team. Like the Fourth Dimension this, it was all about looking at something in a new light. I love watching films while I work, either shit films or films that I've seen loads of times so I don't have to concentrate on it too much but just have them on in the background and I can dip in and out of it. This season I watched Robert Downey Jnr playing Chaplin. One again it was about reinvention.

"I carry a new notepad with me each season and I sketch ideas or write words whenever they come to me, mostly in the middle of the night. For this season there are a number of sketches where I bring in and merge different garments. It starts from these and then I work on the stand, experimenting with form. I don't use concept drawings and illustrations. I love being hands on with things as early as possible, toiling things up and playing around, developing it and developing it until I have a solid pattern. I have ideas about the overall silhouette but I never know what the details are going to be when I start. For this season, I initially thought that the tailored jackets would have the slits on the arms but that changed during the design stage. I start with a shell and it often becomes something quite different. I always try and design the inside at the same time as the outside. I love designing every part of an item. For me, the details have to be as interesting on the inside as they are on the outside." 

Alan Taylor on his in inspiration and design process

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In just a few short seasons, an inviting design signature is forming with threads of continuity clearly visible as the designer's confidence grows. "I see it as developing every season,” he explains, head firmly screwed on. I take patterns and tweak them. Small changes can make a huge different. For example, we used the same jacket pattern as last season but added darts to make it more fitted, we changed the hem and added interior details to create something quite different. For me, It's important to have a voice and to be recognisable, both for retailers and consumers. Especially now when there are so many designers."

For me, it is all too easy to run out of superlatives when discussing Alan Taylor. Sitting down for an afternoon with him only proves to heighten and intensify my excitement. In my eyes, he has it all. Putting on my coat, I ask him what his hopes are for the coming seasons were. "I would love to do a catwalk soon,” he replies without missing a beat. Thus far he has quietly designed and developed his label with his head down, away from the the attentions BFC and London Collections: Men but he was clearly daydreaming about this very thing as he talked me through the rails. He is certainly ready to step in to the spotlight of an on schedule show. “I love working on the fashion films but I'd love the chance to show on a catwalk. We'll wait to see what happens in June." With Agi & Sam and Astrid Andersen moving to the next stage in sponsorship, I would love to see Taylor snap up one of the available slots on MAN for next season. Whatever happens next season, I'm sure this talent will continue to excite and enthral for years to come. For now, lets just enjoy and continue to explore his fourth dimension.