NEWS| Joe Turvey interviewed by Drapers ahead of London Collections

With the London Collections: Men just around the corner our former One to Watch winner Joseph Turvey, who has been selected to be a part of Fashion East's A/W13 menswear installation, has been interviewed by Drapers. In a conversation covering what we can expect from his new collection, as well his thoughts on London Collections: Men and Fashion East, the designer has promised fun pieces that work "with a darker palette… a heavier silhouette," and experiment with black whilst retaining the humour of previous seasons.

We caught up with Joe last month and he told us, "I really can’t wait to be a part of the Fashion East installation... the location is amazing and the other designers are very talented and I’m looking forward to being a part of it."

Since graduating from the London College of Fashion with a masters in Menswear Design, the illustratively creative aesthetic Turvey is known for has been nothing but on the rise. With the London Collections: Men taking place between Monday 7th and Wednesday 9th of January, we very much look forward to seeing what he has to offer.

By Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)

Image: screenshot from Drapers

NEWS| Math Collective and Eudon Choi in Grazia’s Top 7 Designers to Watch

Grazia kick the New Year off in style with their Top 7 Designers to Watch For in 2013, featuring Fashion Scout’s Math Collective and alumni Eudon Choi. Sharing our talent for spotting great young designers, the two make the list selected for their unique vision putting them under the publication’s fashion radar.

Starting as a menswear designer, Korean born Eudon Choi’s graduated from RCA and has since gone on winning Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s Merit Award in 2010 and made an impact winning the BFC Elle Talent Launch Pad. His unique taste for precision and quaint but bold detailing has gained fans at Dover Street Market who picked up his graduate collection as well as celebrity fans in the likes of Sienna Miller and Jade Jagger.  It was his impeccable SS13 collection however that sets him apart and lands him in Grazia’s Top 7 and“really pushed our style buttons”.

Originally studying graphic design Shahzad Mohayudin of Math Collective shows he hasn’t let go of his design roots with an eye for creating elegant looks from geometric shapes. With a strong debut at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, Math has had his line picked up by online retail favourites My-Wardrobe and has audiences buzzing with praise for his feminine and street  savvy style. “Definitely one to watch for 2013” says Grazia; We see big things coming for Math Collective.

By Vanessa Omoregie, @wewearblack. Images from GraziaDaily.co.uk

EXCLUSIVE| Fashion Scout Blog chats to Merit Award Winner A/W13 Yifang Wan

 

A Fashion Scout blog exclusive - we chat to newly announced Merit Award Winner for A/W13, Yifang Wan. Yifang will be joining the names of Felder Felder, William Tempest, David Koma and Hermione de Paula as Fashion Scout's acclaimed Merit Award Winners. Yifang Wan will be showcasing her A/W13 collection at Fashion Scout's home of new talent London Fashion Week home, Freemason's Hall - both on the catwalk and as part of our Exhibition Space. 

Congratulations Yifang - how are you feeling ahead of the next collection now that you have the support of the 'Merit Award' in place? Is there an added sense of pressure knowing all eyes are on you, or are you looking forward to getting preparations for Autumn/Winter '13 underway?

It is such an honour to be recognised by Fashion Scout’s panel of experts as the prestigious Merit Award winner for the Autumn/Winter 2013-14 seasons. To be ranked alongside previous winners, any young designer like me would feel added pressure! But I always enjoy a good challenge. I have been working hard on my upcoming collection, and I hope you guys would love them as much as my ones so far.

Prior to your MA collection earlier this year (in reference to the work you produced for your 2010 BA), your work was comparatively pared down with a palette of duskier pinks and neutrals, and a silhouette dictated by the folds and fall of draped silks. Talk us through the developments that led to the unified duotone, linear cut, and accentuating blocks of Autumn/Winter '12, and Spring/Summer '13.

The starting point for my Autumn/Winter 12 and Spring/Summer 13 collections was optical illusion. At that time I was looking at 60’s minimal art and sculpture, and got excited about the scales, materials and geometric patterns involved. I started to experiment with different cutting.
I always see fashion as a soft sculpture form and I have been challenging myself to combine both soft and hard sculptures together. That is why I’ve introduced the solid belt. Considering the softness of the human body and the structure of the skeleton, belts can be made to twist and sit perfectly on the waist, hip and neck. 

Can you hint at whether the contrast we've seen between the softness suggested by the movement and feel of your fabrics, and the solidity of the blocked belts, and geometric necklines will continue into your Autumn/ Winter '13 Merit Award collection? 

I am excited to say that the design of my Autumn/Winter 13 Merit Award collection is based on a brand new concept. However, I see myself as a designer who cares a lot about shapes and structures, you will still get a feel of simple, clean, minimalist and the contrast from my previous collections with new elements added to it.

And finally, what- if any- are your expectations of the future with the springboard that the Merit Award provides? 

Winning the prestigious award was a very encouraging achievement, especially as it has been a tough journey to get there. I now have a huge confidence boost to continue to innovate and push myself to the forefront of the fashion industry. The sky’s the limit!

Sara McAlpine (@sara_mcalpine) Images by Asia Werbel