VFS: Your
Autumn/Winter ’12 collection is a lot more feminine and fluid than your
previous MA’s; was it a conscious decision to work with less structure, and
focus on the fluidity of the pieces?
RA: I think my style before [the MA] was more fluid, then
when it came to the MA collection, it was about approaching- and pushing- a new
aesthetic and making something else that was still “me”. Now, I think that after
the MA, and doing loads of research, and really trying to figure out what I
wanted, that fluidity came back- especially because you don’t usually see fluid
pieces in the Winter; I thought “f*** it, I’m going to do it”.
VFS: A lot of time
has passed since that collection, so how do feel now that you’ve thought about,
designed, and created a completely new set of looks- and now that these looks
are finally out there?
RA: Overwhelmed. Thinking “is this really happening? Is this
really my work?”. You always think, “I’d love to a presentation, or a show at
fashion week”, and it’s happening. It looks beautiful, and the girls backstage
feel beautiful, and they love wearing the stuff.
VFS: We’ve seen- they’re
clutching those new season bags very
tightly. [Shoe designer] Claire Davis told us that those bags are actual
carpets that you’d folded into bags; what made you decide to incorporate
carpets into the show’s accessories?
RA: They’re literally things I’d been collecting- Indian
rugs- and just thought “f*** it, I’m going to make accessories out of this”,
and we just approached it like that...!
VFS: Well, two
collections in, it’s obviously an approach that’s earned you a lot of
attention. How do you think working with Vauxhall Fashion Scout in particular
has impacted upon your progression as a young designer?
RA: They’re been super supportive. They’ve actually been
contacting me since my BA- which was in 2008- and since then, they’re been at
my back, and been absolutely amazing so far. I recommend any designers work
with them.
Interview by Sara McAlpine VFS Sub-Editor
Follow her @sara_mcalpine
Images By Natalia Lina