Exhibiting his new collection in the VFS exhibition space, MA Womenswear Royal College of Art graduate Patrick Li talked us through his simple, yet stunning S/S13 collection. Having gained experience under both Hussein Chalayan and Viktor & Rolf, this Chinese born, London based designer knows how to give architectural lines a real feminine touch.
What inspired your S/S13 collection?
I really like minimal, graphic lines so I looked at early Cubism in the 20's and 30's. After that, I did line drawings and developed it from there. I really wanted to use contrasts, whether that's between something organic and leather or something soft against something that's quite hard.
Do you design with someone in mind.
I imagine my muse would be someone like Emma Watson, someone who's young, chic and aged early 20's to mid 30's. For these pieces, I wanted to make something that's commercially viable but is something interesting at the same time.
Is finding that balance between selling and standing out difficult?
Yes, it's really hard. I've done show pieces before that were pure creativity. I didn't need to think about the customers or what people would feel comfortable wearing. For this collection though, I've particularly drawn attention to wearability and how it looks on the body.
What did you find challenging with this collection?
They all have a simple silhouette, but in terms of the combination of materials and the details to make everything clean and precise, that was the challenge. It took me a good four months to complete.
What about the future of the brand?
I really want to carry on working on my own collections. I don't have any inspirations for the next season yet but I think I'll stay with the really clean, graphic lines. I feel I've found my style and aesthetic now.
How has VFS as a platform helped you?
It's guided me every step of the way, it's a brilliant start. It gives such an amazing experience for newcomers.
Text by Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)
Images by Rebecca Andrews
Images by Rebecca Andrews