Graduating from Central Saint Martins, Liz Black launched her own label going on to Fashion Fringe in 2011 as a semi-finalist selected by Roland Mouret and being named as a “Vogue Talent” by Vogue Italia’s Sara Maino. Her conceptual designs have seen catwalks in Paris and Istanbul and have been worn by Lady Gaga. The talented designer presented her SS13 collection at Vauxhall Fashion Scout's Exhibition Space and spoke to us about her concepts and use of materials.
What is the story behind this collection?
Looking at London’s surroundings, the collection is inspired by nature as well as its structure. There are hard shapes that can be quite architectural as well as softer materials and prints that create a contrast.
You’ve used a range of materials here, how did you incorporate them into the collection?
The material on some of the dresses is made from pig skin leather that has been treated so it creates an effect under the light. I think there’s a lot of diversity, with different patterns coming together in the dresses with more organic shapes as well throughout the collection.
The mesh fabric is interesting, where did the idea for this come in?
With the Olympics that happened, there is a lot of sportswear that has been incorporated in the collection in subtle ways. The mesh being a little more obvious added to the evening dresses that make them stand out.
The prints are a great addition to the collection, how were these created?
Going back to the idea of nature they started as floral prints and taken into more abstract prints as they progressed. These are added to parts of the collection to bring the story together.
What do you have planned for the future?
This is our first time at Vauxhall Fashion Scout it’s very exciting, we’ll be going over to Paris later this season. We’re currently stocked around the world in Vancouver, Shanghai and here in London and hopefully looking to expand!
Text by Vanessa Omoregie (@wewearblack)
Images by Rebecca Andrews
Images by Rebecca Andrews