Matthew Williamson
Luxuriant is proud to present you the Matthew Williamson interview. The British designer whose colour-drenched collections always carry the promise of sun, talks to us about his new spring collection for H&M.
What was the main inspiration or starting point for this collection?
My main inspiration for the collection was to really look back at the past eleven years of work that I have done for my mainline brand and to look at the pieces that I felt were iconic, special and memorable in some way. That was the initial process of the design in this collection.
Can you describe your design?
My design philosophy is the same today as when I started in 1997. I like clothes that are full of texture, pattern and colour and that generally have a laid back bohemian quality to them.
Where do you get your inspiration?
My inspiration tends to come from random places, which change every season. Every six months I’m looking at different things; some seasons it might be a country that I have visited, other seasons might be the friends that I mix with, my social circle. It might be a film that I have watched. It can change as the seasons come and go.
What kind of woman do you design for?
When I first started to design I used to have very specific ideas of the customer. Now I find it quite limiting to think of one girl because at the end of the day the customer is so eclectic; it’s young and old, it’s different shapes, it’s different countries and manners of different women. But I think that she is a woman who is artistic, and she wants to express herself – she doesn’t want to wear a uniform.
Which celebrities do you dress for the red carpet?
The celebrity has become important to most designers, if not all. I think that it is a thrill and honour for a designer to be represented in this way. Especially if it is a woman whose work you admire, that is particularly exciting. A celebrity who comes to mind perhaps most notably is Sienna Miller. Sienna is a friend of mine, we come together through a mutual appreciation of each other’s work and she looks fantastic in my clothes so I couldn’t be happier when she wears them.
What are the major trends for Spring/Summer 2009?
I think that the most stylish women are those who react against the trends and have their own take on things. So the first collection I have done for H&M hopefully embodies that feeling of an eclectic mix of great key pieces for anyone’s wardrobe.
What was it that fascinated you with this collaboration?
H&M to me is a great high street brand because they have somehow have managed to bring high fashion to a huge audience that a designer brand often can’t reach. They have also had fantastic designer collaborations to date. So it’s a really good fusion between the high level designer company and the more mass market. So the challenge for me was really exciting.
What’s new for you in this experience?
I find the process of designing with H&M intriguing because from the beginning I imagined there would have been complications with certain qualities of fabric production, techniques and the finish of the garment. I went into the project thinking that perhaps there would be a huge compromise to be made, but in fact I found quite the opposite. In many instances they surpassed my expectations with the way fabric was printed and the way tailoring was constructed so I was really pleasantly surprised.
Can you describe the collection?
The collection came about, as often with my work, through a motif. I was looking at the peacock feather motif that I have used previously in my work and that to me is a great symbol for representing exoticism. I found the colour palette within the peacock eye itself fascinating and I wanted to work with those jewel-like tones. In terms of structure and the design of the collection, I really didn’t want it to be one story. I wanted each piece to be quite unique and stand alone.
What are your favourite items in the collection?
I think my favourite, if I had to pick, would be the tailoring group. The androgynous electric blue suit is one for my favourites and I like it because it represents Matthew Williamson moving forward. I think the jacket is a great piece to mix with some of the more obvious pieces that I have done.
