Original Voices: Avant Garde’s New Vanguard on Fashion Today
Avant garde. In discussions of contemporary fashion, it’s the term bandied about more freely than any other. But is its increasing ubiquity reflective of genuine progression within the industry, or has it become little more than a convenient label with which to describe a collection which looks a little ‘out there’? Does fashion’s heart still beat to the march of avant garde’s pioneers? And, as its spirit continues to elude capture and defy description, what form might it assume in the future? For After Nyne’s tenth issue, our Fashion Director asked three of the UK’s most exciting emerging designers for their thoughts on being counted part of avant garde’s new vanguard.
SADIE CLAYTON
Sadie graduated from Kingston University in 2013, launching her eponymous womenswear label the following year. She describes herself as a sculptural designer with an architectural approach. Her signature fabric? Copper.
What does the term ‘avant garde’ mean to you?
To me, it's about pushing boundaries - when it can't be done, do it! If you don't do it, it doesn't exist. Make it exist, make it happen.
Has avant garde fashion design made a positive contribution to society and culture?
Yes, totally! People talk about it, everybody knows it's there. It’s just a shame that it's so far removed from what it used to be.
Is it still relevant to fashion today?
I believe so. A pocket of us believes it is still relevant, but today's society is so money motivated. It’s all about selling, selling, selling, and avant garde doesn't sell every day! So you don't get many designers - especially new designers - ‘wasting their time' on avant garde pieces. People forget about brand identity and integrity.
How do you feel about your own work being labelled ‘avant garde’?
I think it's great! I hope it stays that way, and I'm hoping that people will return to expressing themselves through their clothing rather than conforming and playing safe.
Do you see yourself as an artist?
Yes - fashion is art. I produce art that happens to fit the human form! I feel like I'm constantly solving problems by breaking the rules. Rules are there to be broken, no?! Even if it takes me that bit longer, I'm happy to have stayed true to myself.
Do you see yourself as part of a community of designers, or solely as an individual?
Hmmm, in terms of my supporters - whom I'm incredibly grateful for - I guess I'm part of today's community, but in terms of my design and aesthetic I am solely an individual. I seem to have a very different agenda and to be on a very different path to others - which I'm grateful for.
Do you think about the place of your work within the context of the work of other designers?
Never. I feel like I'm alien in comparison to the work of other new designers. There’s a handful who[se work] I could, at a squint, think was [by] the same designer! In terms of background and mindset I may be similar, but aesthetically I think I'm very different.
Is your work influenced by any other designers?
I have always loved Thierry Mugler, Claude Montana, Jean Paul Gaultier and Viktor & Rolf, so maybe that has influenced my avant garde approach.
Which designers are driving fashion forward today?
Oh jeez, I don’t know if it's the right direction, but I really do like Jacquemus.
Are commercial concerns undermining creativity in fashion design?
100% - especially in the UK. I feel like my creativity is appreciated more overseas. I'm taking part in Art Basel Miami this year, so let's see what the reaction is there!?
ALEXIS HOUSDEN
Alexis presented his MA Menswear collection earlier this year. His BA collection for a ‘third gender’, which scooped the London College of Fashion’s ‘Collection of the Year Award’ in 2013, anticipated the ascendance of the gender neutral movement.
What does the term ‘avant garde’ mean to you?
I would only ever take the term literally, to mean forward thinking - whether through the use of technology, like Iris van Herpen in the early days of commercial 3D printing, or the awareness of societal shifts reflected in Margiela’s ‘90s de-constructivism and the current response to gender fluidity. Any other use of the term, to me, is facile and a misappropriation.
Has avant garde fashion design made a positive contribution to society and culture?
All I can assume is that people are positively affected by the beauty that others create. The world of Alexander McQueen made me dream when I was a teenager and made a positive contribution to my life, so I can only imagine, because of the throngs of people waiting to see the Savage Beauty exhibition, that he - and others like him - have had an impact on the world in which they create.
Is it still relevant to fashion today?
Right now, I don’t think there any such [avant garde] designers, but lots of developments are happening in textiles, so there will be forward thinkers who pioneer in the future.
How do you feel about your work being labelled ‘avant garde’?
I personally wouldn’t label my work avant garde. I just try and create something beautiful and that is my only aim. If I succeed at that, then I’m happy.
Do you see yourself as an artist?
No. I think it would be rather presumptuous to label myself an artist, I would consider what I do to be more artisanal than artistry. However, if people wanted to label it thus, I doubt I would object.
Do you see yourself as part of a ‘community’ of designers, or solely as an individual?
Well, I have gone from being part of a community of student designers to being on my own, to wishing I was part of a community again.
Do you think about the place of your work within the context of the work of other designers?
Very rarely when designing. After the fact, I do think of my work in the context of the fashion world and of commercial viability. Commerciality is not something that I am very good at grasping.
Is your work influenced by any other designers?
Very often, but primarily by womenswear collections, from Valentino to McQueen.
Which designers are driving fashion forward today?
We are in a very strange moment in fashion, as well as socially. I don’t think that anyone is really pushing fashion forward at the moment - we are in a stagnated moment in design - but it will certainly come again.
Are commercial concerns undermining creativity in fashion design?
Yes. Commercial concerns have always and will always undermine creativity in all art forms.
GRANT-JAMES POVEY
Another of the London College of Fashion’s most promising recent menswear graduates, Grant-James Povey tempers his appropriation of Tudor tailoring techniques with elements inspired by the work of designers such as Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo.
What does the term ‘avant garde’ mean to you?
It is the true expression of a creative fantasy. Many can design beautiful couture, but the genius behind such houses as Dior, Valentino and Thom Browne, with their exquisite attention to detail, brings to life a story, harmonising key components like the scenes of a play.
Has avant garde fashion design made a positive contribution to society and culture?
I don’t really feel there is a clear yes or no here. Historically, yes - avant garde fashion drove the fashion industry from season to season. During the Elizabethan period, when nobles were invited to court, they would go to great expense buying new fashions, building more elaborate ruffs, almost peacocking to impress the queen. Each visit required new and more outstanding designs. Situations such as this made avant garde fashion come alive. Today, however, avant garde fashions are elaborate, unaffordable and impractical - their beauty speaks to people of culture as a creative expression, [but] not to the masses. Exhibitions held in places such as London’s V&A and Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs, though, do allow people who don’t necessarily follow fashion to take part in the experience. Many elements come together to bring these collections to life - the research and history behind the work offers more to be absorbed than the aesthetic - the beautiful story that unfolds can be magic.
Is it still relevant to fashion today?
Most definitely! The most awe-inspiring collections are born from the creativity of the avant garde world and the research invested in both modern and historical construction methods - from hand embroidery to 3D printing and sculpture. These pieces not only inspire but inform - and what is fashion without diverse beauty? I do, however, feel that the creative process of design is being pushed to its limits, with ‘fast fashion’ making it harder and harder for established houses to keep up the pace. People also seem to care less and less about owning a beautifully constructed piece - it’s more about owning that one seasonal status symbol, no matter the cost or quality.
How do you feel about your own work being labelled ‘avant garde’?
Honoured, I would say personally. I wanted to create a collection that absorbs and inspires people like myself. I love what I do, and to have it labelled avant garde means I spoke to other creatives. I think you should always make what you love, not what others desire.
Do you see yourself as an artist?
I would love to be called an artist, but I do not feel it is an appropriate title for what I do. I consider myself more a craftsman - working with embellishment techniques such as embroidery and quilting, I wanted to push the boundaries of modern menswear and bring back a sense of elegance, style and opulence with a little theatre.
Do you see yourself as part of a ‘community’ of designers, or solely as an individual?
Personally, I see myself as part of a community. It is integral to appreciate the creative beauty of your fellow craftspeople.
Do you think about the place of your work within the context of the work of other designers?
I feel that my techniques and methods would not have gone amiss at houses such as McQueen, Thom Browne and, most recently, Fendi, with its attention to honeycomb smocking. The tailoring and construction of my coats, coupled with my use of hand embellishment techniques, means that their price point is quite high, and I would love my work to be considered within the context of such designers.
Is your work influenced by any other designers?
It is integral to know your customer market and creative audience. Similarities can be seen between my techniques and those of the designers I admire, but I always try to retain boundaries. Replication is not design - the application of personality to research and craft is design. My favourite designers are Alexander McQueen, Thom Browne and Comme Des Garçons - their pride in their work’s quality and artistry has really influenced me. I feel that the creative streak that runs through menswear is not nurtured as intently as it is within womenswear, but these designers encapsulate the essence of modern artistic avant garde design.
Which designers are driving fashion forward today?
That’s a difficult question. I feel there are different designers pioneering the varying markets. Within menswear, Alexander McQueen for London, Damir Doma for Paris - his cuts are amazing and so intuitive - Valentino for Italy and Thom Browne for New York. Due to the incline in celebrity culture, though, the ‘it’ item is becoming more prominent. The likes of Vetements and Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy play to this market, offering commercial, trend-aware fashion, with high price tags offering automatic status.
Are commercial concerns undermining creativity in fashion design?
Yes. Designers are focusing more on fashion as a business, looking to bestsellers and money makers rather than to original, well-constructed, creative collections. Designer houses feel the need to keep pace with the high street and chains such as Topshop, & Other Stories and Zara, who offer collection after collection of high end-inspired designs. This creates strain, not only on quality, but - even more so - on creativity. The reproduction of seasonal favourites generates sales, but it does not inspire the creative mind.
The rest of this feature - by After Nyne Associate Editor Samantha Simmonds - can be accessed in After Nyne 10. Available from the After Nyne Store priced at £8.99 plus P&P or from selected retailers.
IMAGE 1: Sadie Clayton. Photographer Christine Kreielsmer.
IMAGE 2: Alexis Housden. Photographer Felix Cooper
IMAGE 3: Grant-James Povey. Photographer Roger Dean
