Last week, it was announced that Vauxhall Fashion Scout designer Jennifer Morris has been nominated for the Young Scottish Designer of the Year award, sponsored by the Scottish Fashion Council. Jennifer is hot property at the minute so we just had to catch up with her! We are pleased to bring you a VFS exclusive interview with Jennifer and a cheeky look at her studio.
First of all, congratulations on being nominated Young Scottish Designer of the Year, what would winning this mean to you?
Thank you. I am genuinely just so pleased to have been shortlisted for this nomination. It is fantastic that there are opportunities like this for young designers to be exposed to the press and also have the opportunity to meet the fantastic selection of judges that are involved in this event. I think though that winning Young Scottish Designer of the Year would help affirm that all the hard work and long hours that have been put in so far are worth it and just part of the journey towards establishing my name within the fashion industry.
Where were you when you found out that you’d been nominated?
I was in my studio busy working away on the next season Spring/Summer 2013 collection. I was so pleased I left early and went to see a band and have a pint to celebrate.
What have you been up to since we saw you at LFW in February, debuting your collection at our exhibition showspace?
I had so much fun exhibiting with Vauxhall in February. It was hard work and definately a learning curve but it has really helped me focus on my label and the direction I want to take it in for further seasons. I think I slept for about a week after the exhibition finished though, and went back to Edinburgh for a holiday to see my family and take stock of the whole experience. Then it was back to work. I have been busy researching and applying for various funding opportunities and trying to promote the latest collection to press. I have also been busy researching and designing for next season and working on new print and embroidery designs.
You’re a recent graduate from LCF but you’ve been praised by Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Grazia, how does the positive press from such well known publications affect you?
It was so exciting and overwhelming when I finished my course and had such fantastic press. When I was studying I was so concentrated working on the collection for such a long time that it is hard to see it from an external viewpoint. There is so much talent at LCF that I was shocked in the week following the show the amount of press that were talking about my collection. The positive response definately helped give me the confidence to launch my own label.
If you could dress anyone – who would it be and what would you design for them?
I would love to dress Lykke Li I think she always looks amazing. I would probably have to venture into the realm of black to create something that would really suit her though. But I would go all out with volume, embroidery and feathers to create a piece full of movement and texture.
Can you describe to VFS blog readers a typical day in the studio?
I think every day is different and that is what makes it so interesting. I thought setting up my own label would just allow me day after day of free creativity, but there is so much organisation behind everything to make the business work. I still handle everything on my own so can be doing PR for the label one day, designing the next and dealing with budgets and finances the next day. It can be really hard work but it is really rewarding.
How is your SS13 collection shaping up? Can you tell us anything about it?
I am really excited about the new collection! There is going to be a lot of colour, embroidery and some really fun prints.
View her website and latest collection here.
Text and Interview by Editor Cass Gowing,
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