The British are coming!
Ali Imran K. chats to famous British designer-Matthew Williamson
Ali Imran K. chats to famous British designer-Matthew Williamson
People are drawn to the glamour which fashion promises- endless parties with masses of leggy Amazonian women and the cutthroat argument of whether that shade of blue in the Dries show was in fact azure or cerulean. Yes, the larger than life Miss Wintour even quoted in the movie documentary “The September Issue”, “there is something about fashion that can be intimidating”. And although, she may be right on various levels, Matthew proves that being the darling center of fashion is still like any other job. He is not proud nor pompous; no “diva” air about him even if his pieces has graced the backs of big name celebrities like Jade Jagger and Sienna Miller, to whom he accounts as being a close personal friend. He sits across me, this internationally renowned designer for the opening of KL’s latest 3 storey Debenhams store in Lot 10, in which he has a womenswear line called “Butterfly”. “It came from a piece I designed in the past which had butterflies on them” he said. “It just caught on” he added further.
Matthew Williamson, a Central St. Martins graduate, has been at the forefront of great British designers for years. Eversince his debut collection in September of 1997 during London Fashion Week, he quickly established what is now known as the Matthew Williamson signature aesthetic of bright, intricately detailed pieces. “I love colours! Which is a complete contrast from where I come from, where it’s drab and gray”, he said. “Butterfly”, with its explosion of colours, prints and beading almost mimics that, though he was quick to clarify it as having “a similar DNA”- almost like a younger sister to his runway pieces but completely different entities. The clothes were on hangers in the store but even on display, you can almost imagine the sort of girl who would wear his clothes-flirtatious but not overt, feminine but knows how to have fun. “I imagine a woman who is more “full”-somebody who is creative, artistic, who has a set of rules to dressing but looks like she hasn’t. Effortless” he said. It was with that I decided I’d like for him to give up designing to play God instead and make all women like that.
In February of this year, Matthew, (who regards having good shoes the one things a man must possess) launched a capsule menswear collection consisting of a few pieces which still bears his signature style. "I wanted to start a menswear line of slim fitting, luxury cashmere jumpers in a range of great colours. I know these jumpers will become season-less staples in my own wardrobe”, he explained. But this isn’t his first foray into designing menswear, his collaboration with high street clothing giant H&M saw what he coined as “a styling juxtaposition where global inspiration is fused with quintessential English style”. When asked why he decided to create a line of men’s clothing under his own brand, he said “I created a small line of menswear for H&M and a buyer from Harrods convinced me to expand it. I love doing it! At least now, I have something to wear”.
Matthew is resolute and I’ve lost track of the number of accolades he has picked up along his journey towards fashion superstar-dom. “It has been an unbelievable journey and I have been very fortunate” he commented about his success and rates it to be “a strong 7 out of 10”. But we can’t wait for the growth of his menswear line, anxious and eagerly anticipating of what his creativity is capable to offer us. I remain highly optimistic and boldly state that whatever his collections are, we won’t be disappointed. It’s mainly in his vision, his past and how he projects it in the future. “I’ve always dreamed of opening my own shop. I remember drawing it as a child with a pink sign and now I have it. That could possibly be one of my proudest achievements” he said with conviction.
Matthew Williamson, a Central St. Martins graduate, has been at the forefront of great British designers for years. Eversince his debut collection in September of 1997 during London Fashion Week, he quickly established what is now known as the Matthew Williamson signature aesthetic of bright, intricately detailed pieces. “I love colours! Which is a complete contrast from where I come from, where it’s drab and gray”, he said. “Butterfly”, with its explosion of colours, prints and beading almost mimics that, though he was quick to clarify it as having “a similar DNA”- almost like a younger sister to his runway pieces but completely different entities. The clothes were on hangers in the store but even on display, you can almost imagine the sort of girl who would wear his clothes-flirtatious but not overt, feminine but knows how to have fun. “I imagine a woman who is more “full”-somebody who is creative, artistic, who has a set of rules to dressing but looks like she hasn’t. Effortless” he said. It was with that I decided I’d like for him to give up designing to play God instead and make all women like that.
In February of this year, Matthew, (who regards having good shoes the one things a man must possess) launched a capsule menswear collection consisting of a few pieces which still bears his signature style. "I wanted to start a menswear line of slim fitting, luxury cashmere jumpers in a range of great colours. I know these jumpers will become season-less staples in my own wardrobe”, he explained. But this isn’t his first foray into designing menswear, his collaboration with high street clothing giant H&M saw what he coined as “a styling juxtaposition where global inspiration is fused with quintessential English style”. When asked why he decided to create a line of men’s clothing under his own brand, he said “I created a small line of menswear for H&M and a buyer from Harrods convinced me to expand it. I love doing it! At least now, I have something to wear”.
Matthew is resolute and I’ve lost track of the number of accolades he has picked up along his journey towards fashion superstar-dom. “It has been an unbelievable journey and I have been very fortunate” he commented about his success and rates it to be “a strong 7 out of 10”. But we can’t wait for the growth of his menswear line, anxious and eagerly anticipating of what his creativity is capable to offer us. I remain highly optimistic and boldly state that whatever his collections are, we won’t be disappointed. It’s mainly in his vision, his past and how he projects it in the future. “I’ve always dreamed of opening my own shop. I remember drawing it as a child with a pink sign and now I have it. That could possibly be one of my proudest achievements” he said with conviction.
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