Graham Fan, a young designer with roots in both Canada and Hong Kong moved to London at the age of 19 to attend Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design; a decision that, as with many other fashion designers attending the school, became the start of his promising design career. Graduating earlier this year, during his time at the college Fan interned both with Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan. The time he spent in their design studio effected the way he sees the content of a modern wardrobe, defined by him as a balance between being sophisticated, sensual and edgy.
For his Fall/Winter collection, shown as part of Central Saint Martins MA 2014, the young designer was inspired by old weaving techniques. He explored the possibilities of the old technique using it with unconventional materials. Thus, the collection is a combination of traditional craft and innovative material choses, as he mixes mohair, metallic plastic cords, leather and cords. The silhouette fuses together influences from the 1950s as well as more modern twists expressed through boxy shapes, which in combination with the black and metallic woven materials makes the resulting pieces quit unique.
Despite his young age, Graham Fan has built his own design language which combines different influences, materials and styles into products that feel interesting and special. His AW 2014 collection gave us an insight in his design world, and now we can not wait until we get to see more of his sophistication, sensuality and design edge; in other words, Graham Fan’s work is something to look forward to.
