Having completed his MA at the Royal College of Art last year, and working under the guidance of Hussein Chalayan, and Viktor & Rolf since then, Patrick Li's transition from graduate to designer behind an established-label is well underway. We were quick to spotlight Li's talents with our annual Graduate Showcase, and now the young designer is recipient of our acclaimed 'One-to-Watch' title, receiving support in the Fashion Scout funded showcase alongside fellow 'Ones-to-Watch' Yeashin and Yulia Kondranina. We spoke with Li ahead of his OTW show to talk his "precision aesthetic", and what to expect from the forthcoming showcase.
Your previous season's
work was a synthesis of contrasts- the linear contributing to a fundamentally
feminine silhouette, and your selection of colour- is working with these
contrasts something we can expect to see this forthcoming season?
Yes, I am working with geometric shapes and linear
silhouettes this forthcoming season. There are quite a lot of contrasting
materials and graphic elements, these are the essence of the brand and
something I would like to explore more.
Talk us through your points of reference for Autumn/ Winter;
is there a particular girl or body in mind, or is your design process connected
to more abstract roots, as in a particular art or even object?
I started this collection by looking through the visual
references from a V&A exhibition 'Shadow Catchers'. I enjoyed that
exhibition a lot, especially the work of Gary-Fabian Miller. The singular
lighting objects are so impeccable, yet sensual simultaneously. I used the lighting
coming through darkness as the initial colours and mood for the collection. I
have also looked at architectures and interiors designed by Zaha Hadid's. I
find that the organic and bold structure and lines of the buildings very
intriguing. I then started to develop the collection from there. I don't have a
particular girl in mind when designing this collection, perhaps the references
I gathered are abstract but eventually I got to translate the ideas into
wearable garments.
In our previous interview you said that sampling fabrics and
details in keeping with your graphic aesthetic was your biggest challenge. Have
you met any other challenges leading up to your One to Watch showcase?
Time is always an issue, there wasn't much time between SS13
and AW13. There are lots of time consuming things to do apart from making the
collection. ie, answering emails, running errands... I need some angel
interns!
What do you feel you can take from your Fashion Scout
experience, and where the One to Watch platform will take 'Patrick Li' the
brand?
Fashion Scout is an important platform for new designers like
myself, I had my first taste of the real industry and the business with Fashion
Scout, I received a first order for my debut SS13 thanks to the support and
exposure from the Fashion Scout. Ones to Watch will definitely give more
exposure to 'Patrick Li', press is crucial.
Interview by Sara McAlpine, edited by Cass Gowing
Photos of Patrick's S/S13 collection