Spirit of Fashion pop up shop

McArturGlen & The Royal Collage of Art unveil Spirit of Fashion collections at exclusive pop up party
lineMcArthurGlen, Europe’s leading Designer Outlet retailer, launched the second Spirit of Fashion pop up shop in Spinningfields, Manchester. In association with the Royal College of Art the exclusive collection showcases the work of three RCA alumni designers, Carolyn Massey, Rachael Barrett and Manchester-trained designer Matthew Miller.

 

The three designers were the winners of the Spirit of Fashion Awards, judged in 2010, They were briefed to reinvent a timeless classic fashion garment in their own ‘handwriting’ creating unique, commercial, designs.

 

As part of the award, McArthurGlen has provided the designers with 12 months PR support, access to leading industry professionals, and commercial exposure through the manufacture and sale of the Spirit of Fashion Collection, which they have designed exclusively for this project.

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We met with Manchester trained designer Matthew Miller to learn more about this award winning and highly sought after designer.

 

Are you enjoying the fuss from photographers and press tonight?

Well... I'd much rather just get on with the design work, as a designer as long as I can see the whole process through from start to finish - I'm happy.

 

Somehow, as a designer it's my responsibility to design for a new generation we're in and I dont think that design for design sake is relevant anymore, as a designer you have to not only design the product but also the process it goes through, otherwise there's no relevance. we're living in different times from 10 years ago and fashion is changing inexplicably and I think its amazing actually.

 

We understand you've been busy reinvented the white shirt?

Yes we engineered the whole silhouette using a new computer programme and we also used the software to unfold it into the pattern. It's a more modern way of fashion designing rather than the traditional way of drawing a picture then creating the pattern and making the twirl etc...

 

I believe that tradition is the reason we no longer have an impressive manufacturing ability in this country and that seems to have stopped us from moving forward, if we all become more contempory in our design then we might still have the manufacturing ability. I think that the fashion industry has to change, currently it's unresourceful and archaic.

 

What can you do to initiate change?

I have an idea, I think universities should be working with manufacturing plants in the uk, universities are great for producing ideas - let's make them a reality, have the designers working in the plant for a couple of days a week and start to create great product. It's almost as if everyone in Britain wants to be the brain, and we can't live as a brain.

 

It's interesting to watch how the world is changing and we see that as China becomes the most affluent country in the world they want product that is made in the UK, they want to dress like a gentleman, they want ceramics made in the Uk, you know the new stateman of China want beauty that's associated with our heritage but we've let that die out and we need to reignite our manufacturing talent.

 

I think the only way i see that happening is through technology and encouraging a relationship between University and manufacturing.

 

Do you see yourself as a typical designer for your generation?

Actualy yes, I think I am, I have a product design approach to fashion and I see a lot of fashion designers coming through that are really interesting, they care about design, material and manufacturing. Think of it almost like the Organic food process, we want to take a raw ingredient to create an end product with the minumum of process.

 

On that note, Matthew meanders back into the mellay of reporters. To learn more about Matthew Miller and Spirit of Fashion visit www.mcarthurglen.com.

 

Written by Craig Nelson

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