INTERVIEW| Bernard Chandran

Can you tell us a bit more about 'Venus in the Daytime' and what inspired this season's collection?

I think we always think of a Goddess like she is draping, that she is very delicate, so my Goddess is more 'don't look at her like she is an innocent Goddess', but rather she will slaughter you. She's fierce. And in Hindu there is a Goddess of Prosperity, and Goddess of Protection, and there's Durga, who protects women. So I think because of Madam Gres, I made the draping in my collection more daytime, because most of the time you see Madame Gres using silk for the evening. It's much more couture, so I just wanted to change that and have fun.

Karen Binns styled the show. What atmosphere were you both trying to create?

We always wanted to create a young, fashionable vibe where the girl can remain true to herself and be confident. We also wanted to show to highlight the difference between day and night, how the wearer can feel different and how every season the woman changes. I change myself also, and it was about interpreting to the people mine and Karen's journey together.

Do you ever get nervous before a show? 

Well I'm growing much older so I've become more confident in the sense that every time I feel like this I say no. I have to enjoy the process, and the process is amazing. 

How important has Fashion Scout been for you in your in London career?

It's very good. It's opened the door to let me present my collection so it's great.

By Clarissa Waldron, (@thisisclarissa)

Photograph by Anai Bharucha

COLLECTION| Bernard Chandran SS15

Hailed as the 'King of Fashion' in his homeland of Malaysia, the exoticism of his heritage has always shone through in Bernard Chandran's work. This season, his work, entitled Venus in the Daytime, hopes to emulate not a gentle, angelic goddess but a ferocious female not to be spurned.

Indeed strong looks and soft finishes make up the body of his SS15 collection, which saw models saunter down the runway to an explicit-laden track which emphasised Chandran's vision of a fiery woman.

With a show that seemed to incorporate two collections, Chandran's opening differed greatly from its conclusion. 

Puffy silhouette were soon replaced by sleek material and long Grecian style gowns. A refreshing use of linen was contrasted against transparent panels in dresses and trousers while white faded to black early on, only to create a blank palette before exuberant yellow, orange and red flooded in jumpsuits and dresses with linear designs. 

Bold colours gave way to nudes and swarming Goddess prints which added a secondary element to Chandran's work. This was no doubt a metaphor for the unexpectedness that oozes from confident and creative women. 

Medallions, a tribute to Chandran's Hinduism, decorated necks and adorned handbags and added traditionalism to modernity. Retaining the femininity and opulence of the Chandran brand, exterior corset detailing and mesh-effect fabric were key components of the design process, along with gentle pleating and tiered hemlines.

By Clarissa Waldron (@thisisclarissa)

Photos by Tram Nguyen (@tramnguyenp)

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT SS15| Bernard Chandran

Known for stunning collections with a tough, futuristic edge, Bernard Chandran’s career spans over ten years and includes working as a property ambassador and television presenter, as well as his hugely successful eponymous fashion label. Born in Kuala Lumpur, Chandran returned to his Malaysian roots to launch the womenswear label in 1993, after graduating with a BA in Fine Art from The Paris American Academy.

Chandran has since gone on to win such prestigious design competitions as the Silk, Cut Young Designers Award and the Open European Contest for Look of the Year 2000, making a name for himself as the first non-European winner. This award cemented Chandran’s status as a designer looking to the future, with a distinctive and edgy aesthetic that appeals to celebrities as diverse as Lady Gaga, the Malaysian royal family and Estelle.

Chandran’s AW14 collection was glamorously draped with cinched waists and asymmetric silhouettes. Metallic finishes and patent leather added a tougher edge to the otherwise classic collection, while deep autumnal shades such as russet red, moss green and caramel, either in block shades or silk prints, played on the designer’s Chinese and Indian heritage. Voluminous silhouettes and structured tailoring, the designer’s signatures, were played down last season, but Chandran’s SS15 Fashion Scout showcase looks set to present a collection for confident women ahead of their time.

By Isabella Silvers, Contributor, (@izzymks).

NEWS| Dioralop, Mariana Jungmann, Bernard Chandran and Rohmir Confirmed For Fashion Scout SS15

Fashion Scout are pleased to announce the addition of more designers to our London schedule.

With the Fashion Scout SS15 schedule already being filled with the careful selection of UK and International designers joining the September showcase, including Apu Jan, Little Shilpa and Vita Gottlieb, we are able to confirm more designers:

Dioralop

Mariana Jungmann

Bernard Chandran

Rohmir

Dioralop, brainchild of design duo Andreja Bistricic and Maja Merlic is a Croatian label based in Zagreb. Dioralop collections are inspired by polaroid pictures, composed from spilt chemicals which are exposed to different temperatures creating unique and innovative patterned prints. Bistricic's eye for cut and experimentation with deconstruction perfectly combines with Merlic's print and textile expertise as a formidable design team.

Mariana Jungmann is a new addition to the Fashion Scout line-up. Moving in London in 2011 to start a graduate diploma from the London College of Fashion, she continued and completed her MA before setting up her own label. Inspired by Renaissance lace for its role in her life from infancy, the geometric and floral shapes taught her to embrace the world from a different perspective. 

Bernard Chandran translated an aesthetic clearly harnessed in menswear to create sophisticated, feminine silhouettes. The show opened with the illusion of a three piece suit which revealed itself to be an elegant all-in-one. “It’s all about the one look” explains Chandran, “the woman could be running the country or being a housewife… The garment speaks for itself”. 

Rohmir presented with us during the SS14 season, in which "a classic silhouette was the cornerstone of Rohmir SS14. Femininity and fierceness were juxtaposed through animalistic prints and heavy embellishments that accentuated the hourglass figure. Plunging necklines, perfect evening wear and midnight hues closed the show to rapturous applause.

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Images, courtesy of the designers.

CATWALK| Bernard Chandran AW14