Amelia’s Magazine | Kirsty Ward: The London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Preview Interview

Kirsty Ward by Kassie Berry
Kirsty Ward S/S 2012 by Kassie Berry.

In the past few seasons I’ve been super impressed with the work of up and coming designer Kirsty Ward. She won’t be taking to the catwalk this season but I still thought I’d do a sneaky catch up interview with her to find out what she’s got in store for S/S 2012. Here goes…

Kirsty Ward by Claire Kearns
Kirsty Ward by Claire Kearns.

How did you come up with your signature look: sculptural boning of organza to create many layered shapes?
It’s something I have been obsessed with since my MA at Central Saint Martins and has evolved since then, check and there’s always a way each season that I want to push it. I probably won’t ever tire of it.

Kirsty Ward S/S 2012
When did your love of the 80s start?
I’m not sure when, and im not sure if its because I was born in 1982 but I like the possibility and forward thinking of the era, it’s when people started to break the mould more.

Kirsty Ward by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs
Kirsty Ward S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs.

You can’t bear stud earrings: do you ever feel the physical effects from your love of such big jewellery? Do you take a break from them when you are working or would we find you hunched over a sewing machine with 3 inch earrings dangling dangerously close to the mechanisms?
Haha when I’m working I will generally be jewelleryless – I like wearing teenage boy clothes, with nothing dangling inbetween pattern cutting and sewing. I’m sure there have been some jewellery related accidents as I’m quite clumsy but I cannot think of any specific incidents.

Why do you think that jewellery is so important these days and what can good jewellery offer to an outfit?
Jewellery is great as it can totally make a boring outfit look cool and it’s also not sizeist, so bigger people can wear it too, as not everyone is built for high fashion garments.

Kirsty Ward SS 2012 inspiration girl
You find lots of jewellery components in hardware shops. Do you have any favourite haunts? eg. Have you ever discovered a treasure trove of ancient hardware bits and if so where was this eureka moment?
I tend to favour the great British institutes such as B&Q, theres this online floristry supplier that I love called Micheal dark and my dad is a carpenter so he has lots of fun stuff in his van/tool box. I also like alot of trade only places filled with guys in high vis vests etc wondering what the hell I’m doing in there buying x40 plumbing parts!

Kirsty Ward by Debbie Ajia
Kirsty Ward S/S 2012 by Debbie Ajia.

Are you still collaborating with David Longshaw and if so what can we except from him this season, any insider tips?
Of course he’s my boyfriend, he can’t get rid of me! Well there’s lots of prints (of course) of his beautiful illustrations mixed with some fucked up florals (fucked up in a good way).

Kirsty Ward SS 2012 blue
Why did you decide to forgo a catwalk show this season and instead present the collection on a static stand with a film? What can you tell us about the film?
To be honest as a young designer a catwalk show is far too expensive for me at the moment. I thought it would be far more sensible to meet with buyers and press in an environment where I can talk them through my collection, this way they can see all the details and craftsmanship.
The film will be one word – FUN!

Kirsty Ward SS 2012 inspiration
Last season you’d been watching a lot of Star Wars and that seemed to sneak into some of the dress shapes. Have you been watching some influential movies this season and if so what?
I’ve been watching quite a few shit sci-fi movies – generally the crapper they are the more I will like it, I especially like bad acting and awful special effects. I don’t think it has rubbed off too much in the collection, but we will see in the final lookbook photos!

Kirsty Ward SS 2012 inspiration
This season you’ve been inspired by a “mundane mix of officewear, stationary, menswear detailing and suspended layering.” How can stationary influence clothing?!
It’s more about the stationary being used in the jewellery, its taken over from the hardware of past seasons. 

What new fabrics have you used for the upcoming S/S 2012 season?
Well there’s always a sheer, then there’s a mix of luxurious vs sporty with sand washed silks, neoprene, cotton drills and striped shirting.

Kirsty Ward by Samantha Eynon
Kirsty Ward by Samantha Eynon.

Is music important to you and if so what will you be listening to in the run up to Fashion Week? Any favourites on the decks?
Definitely – I hate working in silence, it puts me on edge. At the moment in the studio were playing: Metronomy, Hot Chip, The Knife, Peaches, Lykke Li, Little Dragon, Yelle.

I’m sure you have loads to do, but what will an average day be like in the final run up to LFW? What will you do to rest and relax?
To be honest my life at the moment revolves around ss12, so if I’m not working on it I’m thinking about it, but as we touched on before I so like to watch the odd shit sci-fi movie.

Kirsty Ward inspiration
No more nipples for S/S 2012: you’ve collaborated with designer Josefine Wing of Mint Siren for an underwear collection this season. What has been the best bit about this project?
It’s good to have another persons knowledge and skills to work with as I didn’t have a clue about the technical side of underwear.

Who is the ideal woman to wear your clothes? Do you think you would ever branch out into menswear?
There’s not a specific example, just someone who likes to have fun with their clothing/jewellery and someone that appreciates the hidden details. I wouldn’t say no to menswear – I often do made to measure pieces for male friends, but who knows about an actual collection!

Where can people get their hands on a piece of Kirsty Ward?
My pieces can be found in China, Japan, Amsterdam, and Italy but In the UK my pieces can be found at Young British Designers, Bengt Fashion and I will be selling select and limited edition pieces on my website (www.kirsty-ward.com)

If you’ve only just discovered Kirsty Ward why not check in with our other blogs about this talented designer (with loads of illustrations):

Kirsty Ward S/S 2011
Kirsty Ward Ones to Watch A/W 2011 Preview
Kirsty Ward Ones to Watch A/W 2011
and another blog about Ones to Watch A/W 2011

You can find Kirsty Ward at the static stands during London Fashion Week.

Categories ,1980s, ,B&Q, ,Bengt Fashion, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Claire Kearns, ,David Longshaw, ,Debbie Ajia, ,Earrings, ,Film. Mint Siren, ,Hardware, ,Hot Chip, ,interview, ,jewellery, ,Josefine Wing, ,Kassie Berry, ,Kirsty Ward, ,Little Dragon, ,London Fashion Week, ,Lykke Li, ,ma, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,metronomy, ,Peaches, ,preview, ,S/S 2012, ,Samantha Eynon, ,Sci-Fi, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,Star Wars, ,Stationary, ,Structural, ,The Knife, ,Yelle, ,young british designers

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Amelia’s Magazine | À La Disposition: London Fashion Week A/W 2012 Presentation Review

A La Disposition AW 2012 by Claire Kearns

À La Disposition A/W 2012 by Claire Kearns

On the first day of London Fashion Week I went along to see the presentation by À La Disposition at Fashion Scout. Holding in my hands was an invitation that featured intricate imagery and lettering from times past in gold ink on black card – suitable perhaps for a brand whose name refers to historical costuming techniques. I was aware of American husband and wife duo Lynda and Daniel Kinnes’ previous creations, but I had not seen them before in the flesh so I was excited that I would be able to admire their handiwork up close.

A La Disposition AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition AW 2012 by Barb Royal

À La Disposition AW 2012 by Barb Royal

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Each design on a black mannequin seemed to me like a character from a story; indeed in a previous interview in Amelia’s Magazine the couple mentioned that each ‘collection is a journey which flows from a story Daniel develops as he sketches‘. There is also an interesting element of continuity, or of a story unfolding, in the way the designers name their collections from season to season. The first collection they showed in London for A/W 2011 was titled The Utopian Aviary, suggesting a hopeful, perhaps naive start to a journey. This was followed by the mECHANICAL fAILURE show in S/S 2012, alluding to some turbulent times mid-flight. The current collection does not have such a specific title, but at the top of the invitation it read: A Solemn Viewing of Autumn and Winter 2013 – I am glad someone else is confused about whether this season is A/W 2012, A/W 2012-13 or A/W 2013. The title evoked in me an image of someone who has flown high up in bright humour, but once looking down finds the view not so pleasant.

A La Disposition AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition AW12 by Gareth A Hopkins

À La Disposition AW 2012 by Gareth A Hopkins

This newfound solemnity was expressed in the predominantly black and grey tints of the new season, which were in contrast with the more bold and bright colours of previous collections. Furthermore, the use of monocles as a decorative element on top hats emphasised the theme of ‘viewing’ and ‘looking’, mentioned above.

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

This year is of course the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens, so it was fitting that some of the designs seemed to have stepped out of the Victorian/Dickensian era. The designers behind À La Disposition have mentioned that they are inspired by London life, parts of which still nowadays resemble situations depicted in Dickens’ novels. This connection between the past and the present was made – beautifully and with a lot of wit I thought – by placing contemporary looking woolly hats underneath top hats. Here, again like Dickens, À La Disposition could also be examining different social structures and their co-existence?

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition AW 2012 by Nicola Ellen

À La Disposition AW 2012 by Nicola Ellen

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

Most of the pieces were really theatrical and well structured with sculptural shapes, displaying the brand’s great pattern cutting skills. As I really enjoy unwearable designs, a favourite feature of mine was the really long sleeves of some of the jackets, which not only reached the floor but extended even further to form long fabric tubes which trailed behind the figures.

A La Disposition A-W 2013 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition AW 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition A-W 2012 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

A La Disposition A-W 2013 photo by Maria Papadimitriou

It added to the presentation that Lynda and Daniel Kinne were dressed in mild period costume too, thus being really easily spotted in the room, with Lynda sporting blue hair against her more conservative ensemble in a delightful anachronistic fashion.

A La Disposition A-W 2012 the designers photo by Maria Papadimitriou

All photography by Maria Papadimitriou.

Categories ,À La Disposition, ,anachronistic, ,Barb Royal, ,black, ,Charles Dickens, ,Claire Kearns, ,Fashion Illustration, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Grey, ,london, ,London Fashion Week, ,Lynda and Daniel Kinne, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Nicolla Ellen, ,Pattern Cutting, ,Period Costumes, ,Sculptural, ,Solemn, ,Structural, ,Theatrical, ,top hats, ,Vauxhall Fahsion Scout, ,Woolly Hats

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