In the last few years menswear has shed the stigma of niche status and boomed into prominent and public conscious (like, here).
Through the power of garnering global clientele interested in young, emerging and established design labels, paired with the fervent excitement that has been brewing in this creative sect, designers have come to eradicate fences that had previously harnessed personal expression in the menswear design industry.
Alan Taylor then, is a creator of exciting breadth and disposition. Cutting his teeth at Alexander McQueen and sharpening his bite at Simone Rocha, Taylor brings a foundation of meticulous tailoring to the walls of innovation and roof of sub-cultural influence, signifying a new breed that has pioneered the expansion of menswear.
Clash headed to the designer’s east London studio to talk past, present and future ahead of the next London Collections: Men installment.
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What initially brought you to menswear?
Nothing properly brought me to it; it was something I didn’t think I ever wanted to do. When I went to university (Dublin’s National College of Art and Design) I saw the work people were doing in the different departments and the fashion section blew me away – my idea of fashion before was just Nike tops and tracksuit bottoms. I love the idea of creating something visible through a concept: it wasn’t purely making something for the sake of it, it was about evoking.
And what do you hope to evoke with your collections?
It’s definitely an attitude. I take a lot from art every season: for AW15 I looked at Larry Clark and Tracey Emin. When I view their work, it’s the feeling they evoke in me that I try and express through the wearer of my garments. If I were to get it perfectly right, the wearer would have the exact same feeling that I did when I created the collection.
Would you agree that menswear is as much about pushing boundaries as it is about creating a signature?
You have to do both: if you don’t have a signature aesthetic you’ll only ever be white noise. There are so many brands out there now and if you don’t have your own point of view, there’s no reason anyone would want to buy into your lifestyle.
Pushing boundaries comes under the same umbrella; if you are pushing boundaries you are creating your own style, and if you are forging your own aesthetic you’re pushing boundaries. So in that sense the two are kind of tied to one-another.
Last season you created a fashion film; what made you choose the medium?
When I was in university, fashion film was the new medium just coming into being – the new alternative to a catwalk or a presentation. I like the idea that film is such a viable output for a collection but I think people looked over it, and left it, whereas I feel there is so much potential in this sector.
A lot of people did what Gareth Pugh did, where he had these amazing videos with Charlotte Collard where it was just the model in front of a white background and was doing these dance motions in slow-mo that really showed off every aspect of the garments. I remember J.W. Anderson did an amazing one with Ben Toms, and it was really gritty and raw, with this girl dancing as if she was in a club or in her bedroom, and it kind of reminded me of ‘Trainspotting’ with its vibe; everyone kind of followed that approach for ages then it sort of drifted off. How I see it, there is so much potential to do actual films, short films with a storyline. Taking from Wes Anderson, he puts so much thought into the aesthetic sensation of his shots, yet he never overlooks the storyline. I think that’s what really interested me and made me investigate its potential.
Where does your inspiration come from each season?
There are permanent threads, definitely. I love sixties Minimalist sculpture, Expressionist painters like Francis Bacon, Egon Schiele, and documentary photography. I think the main thread is that everything is quite dark; the common denominator is the subdued background of all my influences. Inspiration is unexplainable: you see something and yet can't find the adequate words to describe to someone why you're obsessed with it.
Do these obsessions recur?
Yeah. I love that explosion when one idea sets off a hundred. For instance for AW15 I looked at skate photography in all manner of ways. If one droplet of water can start a tsunami…
And are they present for SS16?
Of course! I like to continue on themes and details from season to season, I believe that's how to keep a cohesive message and sustain a strong brand image that people will relate to.
So what’s the tone for SS16?
I like to visit youth subculture in my collections, which always carry a sense of rebellion, so expect it to creep up in various ways.
Words: Isabella Rose Celeste Davey
Alan Taylor will be showing his SS16 collection in the Contemporary Showrooms at The Hospital Club this weekend as part of London Collections: Men.
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