David Longshaw is a man of many talents. Aside from designing his own label, he is passionate about writing and illustrating not only for various publications but as part of the creative process behind his collections. 

After his passion for fashion lead him to an open day at the famous Central St Martins, where all his favourite designers had attended, before even completing his GCSE’s, he decided to go ahead with A Levels at his local Grammar school whilst taking Wednesday afternoons off to study  pattern cutting at an Adult education centre as his first step onto that ladder towards success. It worked.  

Now, with an impressive resume boasting a degree, an MA, various awards, work with designers such as Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara and his own label, he is as motivated as ever and yet to satisfy that inner taste for success in the fashion industry. 

AW10, illustrated by Krister Selin

How did you get from such humble beginnings, attending just one pattern cutting class a week, to working with such big designers and creating your own label? 
During the summer that followed my A Levels, I did a work placement with Adam Entwisle, working on his LFW debut collection. I then studied Art Foundation at Manchester Metropolitan and carried on my pattern cutting, studying the advanced course. Then, during that summer I did work experience at Clements Ribeiro and Hussein Chalayan before starting at St Martins, where I studied BA (Hons) Fashion Design Womenswear. 

The fabric for my graduate collection was given to me by Richard James after doing a work placement there on Savile Row during my second year and the collection won the Colin Barnes Drawing Prize and the Esme Fairburne Award. 

After St Martins I went straight on to the Royal College of Art studying  (MA) Fashion Design Womenswear. I was asked to design for Alberta Ferretti before I finished my graduate collection but said I wanted to finish my MA, so the day after graduating I moved to Italy to design for Alberta. It was great being offered the job before graduating as it meant I could concentrate on my collection and I knew I’d get great experience from designing in Italy. 

My MA collection was selected for the Final of ITS#6 (Trieste) and Le Vif Weekend (Belgium) and I then went on to design for Max Mara in Italy before coming back to start my own label. 

David Longshaw at Ones to Watch, AW10, photographed by Matt Bramford

Where do you get inspiration from for your own label?  
I’m inspired by short illustrated stories I create specially for each new season. My last collection was called ‘Escaping Emily’, it was about a puppet who was discovered by a slightly disturbed fashion designer called Emily who had moved to work in Italy.

Some of the illustrations I then turned in to prints for the dresses – and the cogs that were in some prints and sewn on to some garment, came from the section where Emily finds the puppet in a hamper style basket that’s full of camera and watch parts. The colours, shapes and prints all come from the story.  

Illustration from David’s sketchbooks

Are there any designers that you would compare yourself to or that you admire? 
I wouldn’t compare myself to any one really but I really admire a variety of designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada and Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy. Kirsty Ward is a really exciting designer who’s launching her own label this September, after working for Alberta Ferretti and doing jewellery for my collections. 

Are there any pieces from your collections that you are particularly fond or proud of? 
I have a few favourites. One of them is a cog print cropped jacket from my last collection that wasn’t actually on the catwalk in the end as I felt there was enough going on with the dresses and it would have detracted from the total look. I also like the pleated dresses from the last collection as they were the trickiest to construct but after a severe lack of sleep, wither out how I wanted. 

Illustration by David Longshaw

What else do you get up to in any spare time that you manage to have? Is there anything other than designing that you like to immerse yourself in? 
I also do some writing and illustrating for different magazines which you can find links to on the press section of my website. There’s also a section called ‘Maudezine’ where I’ve interviewed Holly Fulton and JulieVerhoven. I’ve also written about up and coming designers with fictional character Maude for Disorder magazine which is quite amusing. 

Other than that, I really love going to galleries and the theatre with my girlfriend when we both have the time! I also really like watching rugby and football, especially live.  I’ve not had much time to go since starting working for myself but I get the odd match in with my dad or friends.   

AW10, illustrated by Krister Selin

So, what’s next for David Longshaw?  
Well short term I’m working on my new collection for September, which I’m planning on exhibiting in London and then Paris. I’m expanding my collection to include some more, simpler pieces using my illustrations as prints so they are more accessible for shops and customers. That will also mean I can have a few more extreme pieces in the collection to balance it all out which should be fun. I’ll also be continuing writing and illustrating. 

Where do you see yourself in the future? 
Hopefully still being as creative as possible – designing , writing and illustrating, just hopefully on a bigger scale with my own larger creative company.

David Longshaw at Ones to Watch, AW10, photographed by Matt Bramford

Alison Clemency-Buddenhagen’s first independent label, ‘Clemency’ is now set for its second season.  Launched last year and already rubbing shoulders with avid Knightsbridge shoppers in Harvey Nichols, ‘Clemency’ has been tipped as a label to look out for this year.

To say the designer’s CV is impressive would be an understatement and the woman behind the label could certainly inspire a whole other article. Alison Clemency-Buddenhagen graduated with a BA Honours degree in Design from Central St Martin’s School of Art and Design. Whilst studying she worked for the ethical designer and eco campaigner, Katharine Hamnett. Amid the bustling competition of London’s fashion breeding ground, her degree show earned Alison positive coverage from the press including front-page coverage from the International Herald Tribune.  A delightful fashion/art amalgamation ensued, when one of the pieces from this collection was shown alongside the work of a fledgling Damien Hirst.

In a career that has seen Clemency-Buddenhagen secure design posts for Armani, Trussardi, Calvin Klein and Burberry, to name but a few, it is no surprise that her first independent label reflects a well mastered skill and appreciation of fabric and cut. Alison also worked as a music journalist and has interviewed a diverse mix of artists, such as Radiohead, Nirvana, Massive Attack and Janet Jackson.

‘Clemency’ actualises the designer’s artistic musings and well-honed skills, in a cleverly understated manner. The Spring Summer 2010 collection, recently launched in Montaigne Market, is effortlessly feminine with an edge.  There is a nod to swinging London and her ladylike Parisian sister, with a faint streak of street savvy New Yorker running through the collection.

Dainty feminine frills sit prettily alongside studded leather.  The colour palette is muted dove grey, ivory, fawn… with the detailing and accessories doing the talking. Leather biker caps punctuate silk ruffled dresses.  Spotting the little details in the collection is a joy, from the hand embroidered borders to the tattered edges and fraying hemlines. The embellishments are rusted and antique looking, giving the garments a vintage mood. The Brigitte Bardot influence on the collection is striking; the felt signature hats and tousled ruffles along hems instantly evoke images of that famous nude coloured pout.

The iconic Joy Division album artwork for ‘Unknown Pleasures’ also proved to be an inspiration for the collection.

The artwork depicting white linear topography over a stark black background generated the idea behind the beautifully engineered dresses. The origami folds create a jagged silhouette, feminized by a carefully constructed cut.

The collection has an atmospheric quality.  Inspired by effortlessly chic Jane Birkin, the garments hang with the same spirit of cool nonchalance. From sheer gloves to bare arm to military influenced leather jackets with embellished lapels. Outfits playfully twirl from Boudoir inspired chiffon pleats, to cheeky piquet polos and silk couture shorts. These pieces are at odds with the idea of a one-dimensional woman. The fabrics give the wearer permission to be feminine and sexy, comfortable and edgy, designer clad and decadently vintage.

Alison Clemency-Buddhagen’s humbling experience in the fashion world has obviously helped her to hone her skills and the collection is technically striking. The wide range of influences and moods evoked by the collection reveal a deep seated knowledge of art and culture.

Autumn Winter 2010 proves to be equally interesting. With whispers of next season’s collection including a flash of David Bowie for inspiration, it makes any fashion enthusiast with a penchant for music weak at the knees.

‘Cherish Your Wardrobe,’ a seminar to discuss connecting luxury and quality to sustainability in fashion, was held at the Innovation Centre at Central Saint Martins on Southampton Row a couple of weeks back. Chaired by Caryn Franklin, a journalist and co-chair of Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, the seminar really got to the core of the issues that surround sustainable fashion.

Panel members included Frederik Wilems, head designer at Gieves and Hawkes; Orsola De Castro, owner of label ’From Somewhere’; Carry Somers, creator of fair trade label ‘Pachacuti’; Lydia Patel, head of education at TRAID- Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development; and one of Central Saint Martins’ own, Mo Tomaney, research fellow in Ethical Issues and Fair Trade.

To kick-start the evening Mo Tomaney discussed her mother’s coat against a backdrop of a picture of her mother in said coat. She explained that this coat had cost her mother 12 times her weekly wage. This introduced the comparisons between the way we consume now and the way we used to consume. Lydia Patel quoted a frightening statistic, which states that we consume double the clothing that we did ten years ago.

This topic of emotional connection crept up time and time again. According to the panel members we no longer shop because we want to, we shop because we can. Lydia suggested that we “save up and buy something ethically made and of good quality, love it for as long as we can, and when we stop loving it pass it along to someone else who will love it for as long as they can.”

The seminar benefitted from impassioned speeches from the panel, in particular that of Orsola de Castro. Her business is in creating new clothing from the off cuts and discarded fabrics of large fashion houses and companies. Having gained considerable media attention and commercial success, she is now moving to create lines which are easy to reproduce in large numbers, whilst still remaining true to their individuality and recycling credentials.

However, as one audience member pointed out, the discussion is all too often directed solely at the consumer. It is of course quite right that we acknowledge our duty to make responsible choices when shopping, but the real power lies with the government. This was countered by Mo, who believes that the power of the public purse has greater influence that most realise, and that if change is to occur it must come from the streets.

Frederik Wilems, in his speech, remarked that Gieves and Hawkes continually support small mills such as Fox Brothers and Johnsons of Elgin, but that for the industry to really thrive in Britain we need more governmental support to maintain these small businesses and re-teach crafts that are falling out of fashion. He cited an example from his own business. Whilst looking through the archives at Gieves and Hawkes, he found a weave he wanted to reintroduce into their spring summer 2010 line. However, when he approached the mill it became apparent that the only man who knew how to make this particular weave was 80 years old and retired. Such was their passion to reintroduce this traditional weave, the elderly man offered to teach this weave to contemporary weavers.

This story perfectly illustrated the need for greater support for traditional skills. Carry Somers added to this discussion by explaining her work in Peru and Bolivia with Andean artisans. Citing Anitta Roddick’s biography, Carry established Pachacuti in 1992 before fair trade was in common parlance. She works primarily with panama hat weavers, and ensures that it is financially viable for these skills to be passed on through the generations through fair wages and business cooperatives.

Things got a bit heated when one audience member lambasted the panel for ‘preaching to and patronising’ those in the audience. She believed that the rise of Primark and fast fashion was another important step in the liberation for women, and flies the flag for the democratisation of fashion. The ‘p’ word was mentioned later when an anonymous audience member suggested that Primark should be shut down asap.

The prize for most inspirational speaker of the evening goes to Lydia Patel, the youngest and most optimistic of the panel. As head of education for TRAID, Lydia is involved in a number of their projects. She leads ‘Sew Good’ workshops once a month in TRAID shops all over London which teach people how to customise their clothes and create new and exciting garments. She also tours schools in the attempt to teach teenagers about the consequences of fast fashion, and also the benefits of recycling clothing. Her belief is simple, that ‘It is possible to buy clothes that make the world a better place.’ On that note the seminar was brought to a close and everyone was left with food for thought. The discussion does not end here though, and with a new governmental group formed with the specific remit of pushing for reform in the ethical trading initiative, the future is looking bright for eco friendly fashion.

Last week I was lucky enough to meet a fashion designer whom I would describe as one of the most innovative, visionary and hard working designers of the moment; Brooke Roberts. Brooke’s self named women’s wear label is heavily influenced by radiology and juxtaposes the worlds of science and fashion to great technical effect. I caught up with Brooke in her Hackney based studio to find out more….

Brooke Roberts SS10 collection, taken in designer’s studio.

Where were you born and raised?
I grew up in rural Australia and went to university in Sydney and at that point I was studying to become a radiographer as I loved science and the anatomy. Whilst I was there I tried a bit of styling and then moved to London. I temped for a while then ended up going to LCF and Central St. Martin’s after deciding I wanted to be a tailor.

How long ago did you graduate?
It feels like decades ago but I finished at Central St. martin’s at the end of 2005.

Zagna dress in skull python printed georgette and ortho suede belt.

Close-up of skull python printed georgette.

What have you been up to since graduating?
In four years I’ve been juggling everything. I’m still working as a radiographer and I’ve been doing that all the way through even when I was studying. At the same time I’ve worked with people like Giles Deacon and Louise Goldin. I’ve also been keeping busy doing some freelance bits here and there, the most recent of which was a job for Daphne Guinness with Jens Laugesen. I’ve been travelling a lot as well working at factories in Italy and developing links in India, just trying to immerse myself in the industry and developing contacts. In the last year specifically I’ve been focusing on trying to build my label.

Zagna dress in printed waffle georgette with embroidered ortho trim and ortho georgette belt.

How does your job as a radiographer influence your designs?
You can’t really separate the two because everything I do in terms of my design links directly back to my work as a radiographer. I’m very scientifically minded and I think what I do looks more at the technology side of science. From technique to materials to imagery it all goes full circle. All the artwork, the shapes the way I cut it all relates to it. It’s different because it’s not purely aesthetic and I really like to think about function. When I design I think about how it’s going to be cut and put together even down to which seams I’m going to use which is why I thought about becoming a tailor.  Stay tuned for the second installment…

What first attracted you to fashion design? I can’t identify one moment where I made a decision to follow this path. I am a very ambitious person and have always had a strong interest in design and all things artistic.

What is your defining memory of fashion? I don’t think I can pin-point one particular moment in fashion and I don’t think I would want to. Everything I have seen over the years has helped inform my opinion of fashion and subconsciously influenced my design style. 

Who or what inspires you? There’s not one thing in particular that inspires me. My ideas and inspiration usually develop from something completely unrelated to fashion. I don’t think I have ever once looked at a person for inspiration or a said period in fashion. I don’t find that exciting. I like to look at objects, unusual materials, art, sculpture, science…I love the initial stages of design, the research, concepts and finding fabrics and materials to work with. I find a lot of my best ideas come to me at strange times and places. 

Who would you love to see wearing your designs? I would love to see Bjork in one of my pieces or perhaps Roisin Murphy. I have been approached by Florence and the Machine’s stylist and would love this to develop into something in the future. I think Florence Welsh would look incredible Machine’s in some of the pieces from my collection. She would bring out the more eerie and darker side to the clothes.

Do you wear your designs? No, I’ve never even tried anything on that I have made. I think it would ruin it for me. I suppose the clothes I create are something I aspire to. 

The hair  used on your garments, where did these ideas come from? These materials were used to mimic textures, colours and surfaces found within the natural world. I like to use materials that perhaps you wouldn’t expect to see on clothes, things that will create intrigue. The human hair was used to bring out the animalistic nature of the garments.

As a recent graduate, what are your plans for the forthcoming future? An MA? Perhaps your own label? Next year I am hoping to carry out an MA either at the Royal College of Art or Central St Martin’s. I am under no illusion that just because I have received press attention from this collection that I am now ready to start my own label. So many young designers do this and fail because they don’t understand how a business functions and I don’t want to do the same. In the future I would like to set up my own label but for now, I need industry experience to help me understand how these fashion houses work so that when the time comes, I know what I’m getting myself into. 

He is no newcomer to the big smokes eccentric fashion sphere. Jensen came to our shores from Denmark in 2005 to study Fashion at Central St Martins. After propelling through his degree with flying colours he went on to form a cult following with his menswear designs, causing waves in the fashion circuit in Paris. Eventually Jensen succumb to the allure of Womenswear, much to us ladies relief!

Peter is a designer with a whole array of strings to his bow, not only is he accomplished in print, but both embroidery and graphic design. His garments play host to a myriad of different fabrics and techniques which create a cut and paste aesthetic to his pieces. It’s a slap dash blaze of conflicting colours and prints. To me the collection evokes all the nostalgia and whim of a childhood rummage through a fancy dress box.

The collection packs a whole load of gusto! Playfully throwing all conventions of colour coordination out the window. Your vision is almost impaired as it tries to digest the layers of colour and print. We see florals juxtaposed against vivid checks finished off with beautifully delicate beaded capes, and adorable knitted socks to boot!

The prints are a salute to kitsch design, exuding a decidedly twee “butter couldn’t melt “ feel, its hard to imagine anyone in one of Jensen’s polar bear clad jumpers inciting trouble. Other then catching the eyes of a few infamous celebrities, most notoriously the eccentric artist Cindy Sherman.

Jensen’s work has been taking the high streets by storm with collaborations with retail titans Topshop, Topman, Fred Perry and B store and stock supplied in Ebonyivory, Falbe, and Buddahood. Jensen boasts an impressive list of followers!

So keep your eyes open for any polar bear jumpers on the shopping rails near you!

A peak into Karen’s treasure trove of inspirations reveals a concoction of nostalgic teenage memorabilia combined with a haphazard assortment of British items from eras past. Kitch accessories and pastel coloured cupcakes bump shoulders with jars of jellybeans, fluffy cotton candy, 60’s platforms, teenage heartthrobs and images of elegant ladies at brunch.

The collection itself consists of a range of dresses. Each contain a childlike quality but still manage to maintain a sense of femininity and elegance. Like her playful horse bags, Hard Cover Candy is for women who remember raiding their mothers wardrobes and dressing up in pretty frocks for birthday parties at the age of 9. They’re for women who like to daydream and still feel like little girls at heart.

With a mixed colour palette of soft pastels and vibrant electrifying tones, Karen’s selection of baby doll dresses and floor length evening gowns use chiffon and ruffles to ensure a high level of grace and movement.

With Vogue and Vanity Fair already showing an interest in the collection, it’s likely that Karen Karem will soon be sweeping us all along into her magical daydream world.