For the AW14 season, Fashion Scout have been joined by brand Mannequino. Designer duo
Arash Kaynama and Kelly Sant have created flat pack mannequins-
something that is extremely useful during the busy fashion week. Light as a feather and easy to carry and store, these
mannequins are what every designer needs. They're simple to move and recreate, affordable, environmentally friendly and to top it all off, look both modern and stylish. We spoke to Kelly Sant, one half
on the ingenious duo, to get some extra information on the brand.
In your own
words, explain Mannequino and your role in the company.
Mannequino is a
new concept for fashion designers. It’s super light weight body
allows designers to elevate their collections anywhere in the
world affordably again and again, just by packing them flat with
their collections. Dealing with heavy and easily damaged mannequins
is a well-known pain - Mannequino is a painkiller!
Arash and myself designed the concept together, we're directors and
designers, which is a tough mix, but it gives us a distinct edge when
it comes to innovating.
What sets the
Mannequino apart from normal mannequins?
Mannequino is
manufactured in the UK, this is almost a unique situation, generally
mannequin production happens in the far east. We wanted to design
something disruptive to the market, something evolutionary and
something that represents the way fashion now is being sold- a
totally new level of versatility. Our products are engineered from
flat sheets of plastic, which means they can flat packed and sent in
the post anywhere in the world at the drop of the hat, which is a
massive advantage for fashion designers.
What is your
favourite feature of Mannequino?
Right now the
lighting. You can create exciting installations with them using our
smart lighting systems for shows, in-store and pop-up shops.
Mannequinos are internally lit with a wireless LED lighting
system which will change colour at your command, drawing passers-by -
as if by magic!
What’s it
like for you to be working with Fashion Scout this season? Anything
about this season you’re really looking forward to?
It's our first
season working with Fashion Scout, so we're excited to be
representing the hottest fashion designers at one of the UK's largest
fashion showcases for emerging and established design talent.
Everything about this season is something to look forward to for us!
We're proud to be representing future design talents, as Mannequino
is about the future thinking and being different.
Interview by Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)
Images by Hannah McGee (@HannahMcG3e), taken on the fashion forward LumixGM1 (@PanasonicUK).