Candid Article 6

Phoebe English- One To Watch

Fashion is a crazy thing, this we all know. But weird and wonderful has been taken to a whole new level, by up-and-coming clothes designer Phoebe English. For her section in the Central St Martin’s Autumn/ Winter 2011 MA show, the flaxen haired twenty five year old sent models down the catwalk wearing creations made from leather and… hair. But rather than producing shocked looks of horror from the audience, as may be expected at the prospect of a skirt made from dark tresses, English’s designs were very well received. Her work has been described as ‘complex, disciplined and detailed’ and she considers the female form and movement of the body in her garments.

After very nearly pursuing a career in acting, the designer claims that ‘there is an art to wearing clothes’ and mentions Florence Welch, Tilda Swinton and Catherine BaBa as some of her favourite dressers.

She came away from the event as joint recipient of the highly coveted L’Oreal Professionnel Creative award, which is given to ‘recognise and help design talent further their careers’. Her collection was predominantly black, and featured lattice PVC work as well as her signature usage of raven hair. She states that her choice of colour is the ‘best way to get [the fabrics] to match and black is a colour you can usually always find things in’. She took her inspiration for this collection from her walk to work in her studio in East London, crediting light, gravity and motion as factors in her decision making processes. Despite the initial severity of the clothes, the contrasting surfaces of the different materials form a unique aspect that is ornamental and dynamic.

The other award winner, Viktor Smedinge, showcased tailored black and cream dresses made from parchment.

The judge for the award was Elle Magazine’s Fashion Features Director Rebecca Lowthorpe, and style icons such as Daphne Guinness and Maria Diamandis of Marina and the Diamonds fame had prime seats for the show.

This is not the young talent’s first success, as previously she has won the Chloe award, and the Ungaro bursary, and worked for the likes of John Galliano, Diane Von Furstenburg, and world renowned corsetier Mr Pearl. She appeared in October’s edition of Vogue magazine, and some of her creations were put on display in ‘British-ish’, an exhibition in London’s Victoria and Albert museum during Fashion Week, curated by Giles Deacon. Her designs in the past have heavily featured knitwork and other handmade crafts to add decorative detail.

Past graduates of Central St Martins include many staple names in the industry such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Zac Posen and Christopher Kane. With the favourable reaction Phoebe English has received thus far, it appears that she may well follow in their highly fashionable footsteps.