Glaswegian-born Christopher Kane’s designs creatively fuse fabric, color and print. In the year 2000, he moved to London when he was 17 years old to enroll at Central St Martins, where he completed the foundation course, a BA womenswear degree and finally an MA womenswear degree, which earned him both a distinction and the prestigious Harrods Design Award. Directly after showing his graduate collection, Christopher Kane presented a private viewing of his work to the editor-in-chief of US Vogue, Anna Wintour. This led to him being invited to sit front row with Anna Wintour at Versace’s FW 06 show in Milan. His successes culminated with the receipt of the New Designer of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards in November 2007. And following from his first ever men's collection last year, the designer and his sister expanded the line for this season, even if the emphasis still remains on the all-over print pieces, that he has become known for. This season's collection suggests that Christopher Kane is beginning to take on a real challenge, as suits, biker jackets, and a miscellany of other pieces joined the signature prints to create a more rounded collection. But how does this move from harmony to discord between men's and women's collections alter his outlook ? "I like the idea of them being united, however if I feel like I want to diverge from this I don't feel restricted. This was the case for the mechanics prints I did in SS12, as it just felt like the right thing to do", he explained. Following instincts that served him so well in the past, Christopher Kane is a designer not afraid to swim against the current. Perhaps this rebellious impulse can be traced back to his Scottish roots. Growing up in an area famed for its craft also ensured that when he created his own clothing, he could not settle for second best. But while his Scottish heritage is certainly echoed in elements of his work, an interest and talent was obviously innate. Stories of Saturday nights spent with his auntie, decorating the outlines of dresses that she had lovingly hand-drawn for him sound like fanciful scenes from an as-yet-unmade Christopher Kane biopic, but they gave early clues as to the direction he would take. Today the designer finds himself based in the heart of Dalston -the home of the hipster. Yet, for all its flaws, Dalston is an area with real fashion pedigree. It has been a countercultural craft workshop since the 80s when creative legends such as shoemaker John Moore, designer Christopher Nemeth and stylist Judy Blame called it home. In a nutshell, a fantastic collection. Don't hesitate to enlarge the pictures to take a closer look at these awesome prints !
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