You might say that Opening Ceremony feels a bit like a proud parent at the moment. Four of our fave up-and-coming designers—whose collections we’ve carried since their early days—are finalists for the LVMH Prize. Jacquemus, Faustine Steinmetz, Craig Green, and Marques’Almeida are presenting their final collections before the winner is announced on May 22, and we’re catching up with them in the meantime.
In honor of Craig Green’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which brought some viewers to tears, we caught up with the London-based designer to talk about being an independent designer and seeing his work on the streets.
Sculptural silhouettes, textural fabrics, and form manipulation are among the countless commonalities between sartorial design and modern art. Beyond the runway, fashion designers draw inspiration from major movements, bleeding these aesthetics into their garments. Can evoking deep and visceral reactions—the same you might feel looking at a grand painting—transcend clothing into an art form? Craig Green’s inaugural Spring/Summer 2015 runway show at London Fashion week did just this: inspire emotional responses, even tears, among the dumbfounded audience members.
The proof is online. Following the show, the internet exploded as soon as people caught wind of the collection. For instance, Dazed & Confused published an article entitled “Why Everyone Was Crying at the Craig Green Show,” while punters took to forums like SuperFuture to express their confusion towards the response. For those who weren’t there, the reaction boiled down to two main factors: poetry and history. From the aesthetically balanced, unique collection, the audience garnered the struggles of an independent designer, thrust into a fast-paced, modern fashion world.
“I had no idea that the collection would be received in this way—it felt very surreal. I had a feeling that the collection might not be well-received even up until the morning before the show,” says Craig. “This collection was extremely different in comparison to the chaotic and colorful seasons that had been shown before. It felt like a new proposal and new way of moving forward for us as a label.”
The Spring/Summer 2015 collection (available at OCLA) is an artistic confection of drapery and muted colors, all bound together by straitjacket-like detailing and sculptural shapes. The nods to freedom, restraint, and lunacy behind putting together a collection are what secured Craig a well-earned spot as Finalist for the prestigious 2015 LVMH Fashion Prize.
Working previously under Walter Van Beirendonck, and in conjunction with other UK designers like Helen Lawrence and Christopher Shannon, Craig is a firm believer in artist collaborations. ”In London especially, there is a real sense of community between all of the designers, particularly because we all studied and graduated around the same time,” Craig notes. “It’s nice to have friends within the industry that I am able to work and share experiences with. They understand what you are going through and are always there for advice.”
This kind of camaraderie has proved useful for Cra
In honor of Craig Green’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which brought some viewers to tears, we caught up with the London-based designer to talk about being an independent designer and seeing his work on the streets.
Sculptural silhouettes, textural fabrics, and form manipulation are among the countless commonalities between sartorial design and modern art. Beyond the runway, fashion designers draw inspiration from major movements, bleeding these aesthetics into their garments. Can evoking deep and visceral reactions—the same you might feel looking at a grand painting—transcend clothing into an art form? Craig Green’s inaugural Spring/Summer 2015 runway show at London Fashion week did just this: inspire emotional responses, even tears, among the dumbfounded audience members.
The proof is online. Following the show, the internet exploded as soon as people caught wind of the collection. For instance, Dazed & Confused published an article entitled “Why Everyone Was Crying at the Craig Green Show,” while punters took to forums like SuperFuture to express their confusion towards the response. For those who weren’t there, the reaction boiled down to two main factors: poetry and history. From the aesthetically balanced, unique collection, the audience garnered the struggles of an independent designer, thrust into a fast-paced, modern fashion world.
“I had no idea that the collection would be received in this way—it felt very surreal. I had a feeling that the collection might not be well-received even up until the morning before the show,” says Craig. “This collection was extremely different in comparison to the chaotic and colorful seasons that had been shown before. It felt like a new proposal and new way of moving forward for us as a label.”
The Spring/Summer 2015 collection (available at OCLA) is an artistic confection of drapery and muted colors, all bound together by straitjacket-like detailing and sculptural shapes. The nods to freedom, restraint, and lunacy behind putting together a collection are what secured Craig a well-earned spot as Finalist for the prestigious 2015 LVMH Fashion Prize.
Working previously under Walter Van Beirendonck, and in conjunction with other UK designers like Helen Lawrence and Christopher Shannon, Craig is a firm believer in artist collaborations. ”In London especially, there is a real sense of community between all of the designers, particularly because we all studied and graduated around the same time,” Craig notes. “It’s nice to have friends within the industry that I am able to work and share experiences with. They understand what you are going through and are always there for advice.”
This kind of camaraderie has proved useful for Cra