Interview: Trine Lindegaard Jensen

Trine Lindegaard Jensen is within good company. The Danish-born designer graduated this year from an MA at The Royal College of Art where previous students include James Long, Carolyn Massey and Katie Eary. As Jensen joins them in the ranks of Britain's greatest emerging menswear design talents, she reflects on her final collection which wowed the industry crowd at this year's graduate show and delves into the future of her eponymous new label launching S/S 11.

What was it like growing up in Denmark?

I grew up in a Danish town called Odense, it is the third biggest city in Denmark, but really it is just a small town. There isn’t a lot happening there, everyone moves away by the time they turn 18. Growing up in Odense was very safe, and I was given a lot of freedom and trust from my parents. Denmark is such a comfortable and easy country to live in, the system supports you from the day you are born, the taxes are very high but people don’t really moan about it as you always get something back. I could never have experienced what I have if it wasn’t for the support from the Danish Government. We get the tuition fees paid for and even get money to live for while studying, which is fantastic. It really scares me here, how expensive it is to go to university, and it is only getting worse...

Was it anything in particular that led you towards fashion design as a profession?

It kind of just happened. I did not know what else to do and I really enjoyed making clothes. We had this programme in Denmark called ”the free youth education” back then, where you could get support from the government to do any course anywhere in the world. I spend a couple of years trying out different things. I went to cooking school and art schools before I went to Milan at the age of 18 to study fashion. I did not learn that much when it came to fashion but I really grew up that year.

Which iconic designers past or present inspire you?

I went to see 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at the Barbican the other day, which was so inspirering. There was a film of Issey Miyake’s shows from the mid 90’s and all the models just wandered around on the catwalk in bold colourful clothes with a massive smile on their face. It was so refreshing to see, and I couldn't believe I hadn’t come across this before. When did fashion shows become so serious?



What was it like studying at the RCA? Do you feel like the RCA has a particular trait that makes it and its students stand out from art/fashion universities of the same calibre?

The RCA is the only university with a separate menswear course, and it is tiny, there were only eight of us, all with a different approach to fashion, which was really being pushed and challenged through out the course. The facilities and support you get from the tutors there is amazing.

Your final collection for RCA was inspired by your "interest for passionate people with unusual hobbies and obsessive collectors". Who were these people and how much did they influence your collection?

I started out approaching people I had known when I was I child back in Odense. One a car magazine collector who lived in the flat upstairs, he had the whole loft full of all these glossy magazines with sports cars, and then he had an old Skoda parked on the street. Another one was my friend’s dad who was obsessed with books. I remember being fascinated by them when I was a child and it was so nice to go back and see them again and discover that they were both still as passionate as ever. The only difference was that the car magazine collector now had a Volvo.


Do you yourself have any unusual hobbies?

No, and that is probably why other peoples passionate hobbies interests me so much. It all started with me being a bit bored of fashion from spending a year at the RCA doing quick projects for one company after another, and by the end of the first year I felt drained and slightly lacking inspiration and motivation. So I decided to go on a journey to rediscover my passion for fashion. This is how I got the idea of looking at people with passions and hobbies that had become these people’s obsessions and lives. I decided to focus and work in a similar matter, which resulted in painfully time consuming work, by for instance hand knitting tiny gold rings into a jumper which probably took me about 300 hours to make. But I really enjoyed every minute of it, I just sat there in front of the fireplace dreaming away with a set knitting needles in my hands...

You also incorporated a lot of "found" items from your journeys into the collection. Can you tell me a little more about these pieces and how they added to the collection?

I went to se these eccentric people at a model train fair in Enfield and everyone was so proud to show of their recreations of real world train tracks. I really wanted to bring some of their universe into my collection and that is how the little men and cars came about and appeared as playful patterns on white shirts.

I also started a collection on my own, and collected gold bits through out the year. One of the jumpers has got hundreds of different gold items all found from different places they wouldn’t mean anything to anyone but I remember where I got every button from and the jumper is full of personal stories and memories.


Do you feel embellishment has become a signature characteristic of your designs overall?

To some extence yes. But I don’t want that to take over. I also love clean and simple shapes and silhouettes, I think this is what makes my garments work. I love embellishment, patterns and textures and will keep on challenging that in the future.

What are you currently working on?

I was really lucky after graduating and received so many nice requests and interest in my work and I quickly decided to start my own label. I have reworked a couple of the pieces from my RCA collection into a small range of coats (three styles, three colours), which will be on sale from early Spring 2011.

It is important for me to be producing my clothes within the UK but at the same time to keep my prices affordable and the coats have been a good test for me to research manufacturing possibilities and get the whole identity of the brand right.

And now I am full of energy and really excited to start working on something new...

For more, Click Here.

Counting Down To A Hostem Christmas

SHOWstudio isn't the only fashion affair counting down the days to Christmas with an intriguing festive stunt. Hostem, the epicentre of men's fashion in Shoreditch has introduced an innovative take on an old-school Christmas tradition with their brand new Hostem Advent Calendar.

Of course, a cacophony of confectionery or commercial frivolity is not to be expected with this particular advent calender. Far from it in fact. In order to toast the December countdown, Hostem have enlisted Shoreditch's underground bar Lounge Bohemia as a collaborator to supply exquisite, artisan trinkets as part of the gifts on offer. What's more, in-store featured designers have also contributed to the cause, supplying ultra-covetable one-of-a-kind pieces.

For one month, the windows of the Hostem boutique will play host to twenty-four bespoke wooden boxes, each of them housing a unique gift. Passers-by on Redchurch Street will be able to glimpse the treasures within, with one side of the box exposed to display the riches within and the other side under lock and key.

The gifts on offer are an eclectic mix ranging from the luxurious to the louche with the likes of conceptual designer and queen of gothic cool Ann Demeulemeester supplying a one-off necklace erupting in feathers juxtaposed with LA based designer and cult collaborator Dr. Romanelli providing a collectable bronze figurine from the Dr. Goodfellow set- the spoils of a collaboration with ultra-lux sunglasses brand, Oliver Peoples.

Other offerings include a bespoke pair of reversible leather high-tops in rich, oxblood leather by Italian footwear label MA+, a ritualistic silver goblet- a Greek Rhyton- by emerging London accessories label Curiouser + Curiouser as well as a sterling silver bracelet dotted with clusters of diamonds by one of Karl Lagerfeld's favourite jewelery brands, Chrome Hearts.

To view these treasures by night, you're in for a treat as small candles are placed in each box, illuminating the wonders within. If you would like to purchase the limited edition gifts on each one's designated day, you will then be able to collect them on Christmas Eve.

Just another Yuletide pleasure to look forward to this Christmas.

For more, Click Here.

The New Kid

Whilst he didn't know how to sew before going to university, Domingo Rodriguez is embarking on an exciting and exclusive partnership with ASOS.com in one of his first commercial projects.

A graduate of Liverpool John Moores university in 2008 and former student at London College of Fashion, Rodriguez has fast become one of London's most desirable designers who mixes architectural sillouettes and luxury. His success as a young designer has seen him secure the Harold Tilman Scholarship, which is organised by its namesake, the chairman of the British Fashion Council and the winner of the inaugural Wolf and Badger Graduate Design Award.



The former intern for Delphine Wilson Kntwear, Kim Jones and Carolyn Massey, Rodriguez was chosen by ASOS.com for the MA}ke initiative, organised by the e-retailer and the London College of Fashion which supports MA graduates, which will go on sale this week. Chosen alongside a womenswear designer, Youngli Lee, his collection is an impressive mix of soft cut lines and sharp tailoring constructed using luxurious fabrics and a refined pallet of nudes and neutrals. The simplicity of the collection is a great addition to the site but also gives Rodriguez the recognition he deserves into the commercial mainstream, eventually, hopefully, making him a household name in the near future.

Words by Dan Hasby Oliver

Images courtesy of ASOS.com/Facebook

I'm With The Band

Fashion week is in full swing and as the country's top designers parade their designs down the catwalk whilst style savvy followers parade around Somerset House, no doubt many budding designers will be feeling rather inspired. If you happen to be one of them, why not put your creative skills to good use. 5OUP, the ultimate online network for emerging artists and designers, have teamed up with London quartet Bombay Bicycle club to run an exclusive competition to design their new t-shirt. On the 14 of October, the 10 designs with the most votes will be judged by the band before they select the overall winner. The winning entrant will not only have their t-shirt printed, but will also receive 50% of the profits. So get those creative juices flowing and click here to enter!

STITCH Revealed

As one of the proud sponsors of the “Sense & Vision” event taking place at menswear and accessories trade show STITCH; yesterday the SEVENTH MAN team popped down to Old Billingsgate Market to take a peek.



On entering the venue we were handed flutes of delicious watermelon Babicka vodka and guided through the exhibition where we met with some of the UK’s most influential new designers who revealed key pieces from their new collection.

Now in her 8th season, Carolyn Massey presented a collection influenced by the way in which garments are worn and lived–in by the people who inspire her. Using an extensive mix of fabrics, from cotton drill to leather, Massey uses a distinctive neutral palette whilst a play with proportion and shape is sustained throughout.

With bold colour-blocking, technical fabrics and sleek tailoring, Satyenkumar’s collection is a fresh and clean-cut offering for S/S 11. For Omar Kashoura’s presentation, he revealed a collection of a rather retro disposition with a ‘back to basis” feel. Omar was also pleased to announce his upcoming luggage collaboration with Chris and Tibor to be launched next year.



With her new collection, Lou Dalton seeked inspiration from the nomadic lifestyle & the uniformity of the Romany people. The result is an eclectic mix of natural fabrics, functional tailoring and interesting detailing.

Meanwhile Richard Dawson, the designer behind Forgotten Future, unveiled a Post-War inspired collection in soft hues,  that featured patchwork techniques combined with asymmetric formations and graphic prints to give the collection a rather more contemporary feel.

Finally Morgan Allen-Oliver presented a quirky collection including his signature knitwear that features a panoramic selection of patterns. Essentially, it is a collection which stays true to the designer’s mantra: wearable, comfortable and of course, utterly stylish.

In all, it appears STITCH is once again a resounding success and will surely grow and develop in the coming seasons.

Stayed tuned for exclusive interviews with the designers...

STITCH Spring/Summer 2011

Seventh Man Magazine is proud to announce its involvement in STITCH, the only dedicated menswear and accessories show in the UK. Now in its second consecutive season, STITCH is bigger and better than before. This season, the exclusive Spring/Summer 2011 showcase will take place on June 30th and July 1st at Billingsgate Market and shall exhibit the very best of emerging menswear designers. 

The press and tradeshow shall also include “A Sense of Vision” section where a short, but highly creative static exhibition will take place. Says director Brian Duffy of the event: 

“This Season we wanted to create a platform that was much more exciting for our visionary designers- the static exhibition allows them to be much more creative with their execution whilst remaining professional within a business to business event”. 

Visionaries in this exciting showcase will include Carolyn Massey, Deryck Walker, Satyenkumar, BLAAK and Omar Kashoura to name but a few.

Carolyn Massey

A "Future of Menswear" exhibition will also take place at STITCH, which was inspired by the original "Vision" concept. Fresh from Paris, the exhibition will showcase six final year Central Saint Martin’s Students (BA Fashion Menswear) who were shortlisted in a denim project sponsored jointly by Premier Vision denim and Wrangler. The exhibition will be open from 9:00-18:00 each day.

Overall, STITCH is an exciting and pro-active platform for the exceptional new designers emerging within the UK fashion industry. Offering brands the opportunity to unleash their collections in an efficient and innovative environment; designers are given the chance to increase their profile by networking effectively amongst buyers, press and retailers.

For more information click here.

RCA Menswear Graduating Students

The Royal College of Art Fashion Menswear MA has educated some of the most exciting menswear designers to launch onto the fashion scene in recent years including Aitor Throup, James Long, Carolyn Massey and Katie Eary. On the 9th of June, 12 young designers will be hoping to follow in their footsteps as they launch their collections at the RCA's graduate fashion show. Here’s a sneak preview of three of the graduating students, all of whom have just been selected for the prestigious ITS 9 competition.

Courtney McWilliams, 24 from Surrey
Courtney's final collection is themed around reinventing key pieces that men, universally, cannot live without. McWilliams has a flair for the eclectic; mixing street-style with luxury materials, masculinity with femininity and quirky with sophisticated. Her main inspiration is based on a fascination with chavs and the collection will feature a range of styles, from bold printed tracksuits adorned with pit-bull terriers to sharp tailoring, using a range of fabrics that includes printed denim, lace and superfine wools. She has worked with designers including Julien Macdonald, Bora Aksu and Michiko Koshino.

www.courtneymc.com

Astrid Andersen, 25 from Denmark
Astrid's graduate collection explores Spanish matadors and American hip-hop culture and the similarities within the way of representing masculinity and dominance, sex and power. Attitude and attention to detail are key elements, combining luxury with sportswear by mixing fur, silk and gold zips with lightweight nylon, jersey and rib finishing. Andersen has recently designed a selection of menswear garments for high street store River Island which will be out in June.

www.astridandersen.com


Hanna ter Meulen, 24 from the Netherlands
Hanna’s designs have a strong foundation in tailoring but are balanced between formal and casual styles. Her aim is to create strong pieces that are constructed in unusual and new ways that add new dimensions to the traditional items of clothing in a man’s wardrobe. The use of quality fabrics is paramount and includes fine wool, tweeds, cashmere and Egyptian cotton. Fabric manipulations are also very important in the design process to create more depth and texture. Hanna uses smocking and weaving techniques to shape the material in an innovative way, creating a comfortable, flexible cut which shapes to the body.

www.hannatermeulen.com

Photo Credit: Louise Te Poele. Models: Craig @ Models 1 and Kieron @ Cosmic Models

Tickets for the RCA catwalk show on June 9th are available from: www.rca.ac.uk or call 0207 590 4566

Q&A With Fernando Korpi

At 7TH MAN, we're rather partial to a bit of sportswear and have been positively salivating over Christopher Shannon’s A/W 10 look-book. However, Christopher Shannon isn’t the only one flying the flag for high-fashion sports attire this upcoming season as new kid on the block Fernando Korpi proves, if there is one thing this designer knows-it’s how to create one hell of a tracksuit.

Established in Finland in 2009, the label came together with the vision to create a collection of garments that were not only functional and of high quality, but expressed a certain unique individuality. For his A/W 10 collection, Korpi derived his inspiration from the iconic book entitled Gentleman-A Timeless Guide to Fashion which is an inclusive manual of classic and timeless dressing for the modern man in every situation. Consequently Korpi's collection consists not only of whimsical yet structured streetwear in bold splashes of primary colours, but is complimented by signature formal pieces of a rather more dandy disposition. The result is an eclectic ready-to-wear collection perfect for the new season.

How did the Fernanado Korpi label originate?
I'm graduating this spring as a fashion designer and am oriented towards menswear. Originally I became interested in fashion and clothes when I was about twenty when the hype around Cheap Monday was huge. This was a huge inspiration for me. My goal since the beginning of my studies has been creating my own label because it's the best way to get employed in this field - and in this country.

Have you always wanted to be a designer?
No, because before I started studying fashion design I wanted to become a professional soccer player!

Your A/W 10 collection features a number of sportswear pieces  juxtaposed with more formal attire.  Where do you see the position of sportswear in fashion developing in the future?
Sportswear is for everyone, so the commercial value is high. The line between sportswear and more formal wear is blurring: you can combine pieces from different outfits together. For example Jeremy Scott's collection for Adidas has brought sportswear closer to high-end streetwear.    

You cite Gentleman- A Timeless Guide to Fashion by Roetzel Bernhard  as inspiration for your collection.  What  essential  rules  do you think every man should follow when to comes to day-to-day dressing?
Dress to the occasion and feel comfortable in your outfit.

What else inspires you?
At the moment Wild West, Ranches, Cowboys, Rodeos, Hunting, Wildlife, Scandinavian nature, Camping, Sauna, Country life...

Are there any designers that you would like to work with? Does anyone influence/excite you in the fashion world today?
Yes! Jeremy Scott, Henrik Vibskov and Wood Wood label. 

What do we have to look forward to from the label in the future?
My upcoming spring / summer 2011 menswear collection and new online store, which will be opened in August 2010.

For more see www.fernandokorpi.com

BLOW Presents @ Royal Festive Hall

One of the most exciting creative highlights of the London Fashion Week schedule so far is the "BLOW Presents" show at The Royal Festival Hall.

This season, "Blow Presents" features 4 different designers - the 'new wave of fashion prodigies': Charlie Le Mindu, Gemma Slack, Lina Osterman and Iris van Herpen.

On arrival, we were amazed that this event has taken over all of the main space, and seats were laid out around the balcony edges for the general public on level 2. Throughout the day, there were other activities open to the general public also: fashion workshops where they can create their own accessories and a Junior catwalk show hosted by VV Brown, in collaborations with designers Bora Aksu, Gavin Douglas, Naomi Ryder and Avsh AlonGur.

Its really wonderful to see how the general public can be a part of the excitement of London Fashion Week on a more hands-on, interactive level.

The "BLOW Presents" show opened with the wonderful and wild creations of Charlie Le Mindu. His collection was called "Girls of Paradise", where 'city architecture hits nature's beauty head on' - there were huge gravity-defying, over sized architectural shapes and outfits made out of hair, as well as a fantastic headdress of the Eiffel Tower that lit up!!

The next collection was by Gemma Slack, inspired by fem characters in classic comics and heavy metal girls.

There were slashed leather pieces as well as metal plates riveted onto leather and metal dresses: very 80s and exudes full-on unabashed sexual power:

Next up was Lina Osterman, her first catwalk show since graduating from Central St, Martins.

This was the only collection that included menswear.

Featuring interesting layering and proportions, with knits in a Gothic/punk theme and an almost monochrome palette.

(The models had hair that totally covered their eyes - one of the guys nearly walked into the audience!!)

Last but certainly not least is the phenomenal collection by Iris van Herpen.

This intricate collection, made out of mostly leather, features fantastical shapes of beautiful textures and patterns - across between Art Nouveau architecture and the eerie alien paintings of H.R. Giger.

The craftsmanship of each 11 handmade pieces - collaborated with artist Bart Hess - is flawless to the eye and really are fascinating to look at. These are true works of art.

Interestingly, there seems to be a running theme of bondage and S&M connecting all these four collections: the latex bodysuits at Charlie Le Mindu, the hard leather and metal at Gemma Slack, the body harnesses at Lina Osterman, and the leather detailing snaking around and encasing the body at Iris van Herpen......

Its was really fantastic to see such diverse creative talents all included in one show - definitely a show that illustrated the creativity and raw talent that is signature to London designers.

Have we mentioned how super-friendly and accommodating the staff at BLOW PR is?

Thanks guys!