FMAD INTERVIEWS BRITISH FASHION ICON MATTHEW WILLIAMSON
Matthew Willamson - PHOTOGRAPH BY NEIL GAVIN
To celebrate the launch of our ‘Designer Diaries’ segment, Find-me-a-dress recently caught up with the British Designer Matthew Williamson to talk about his achievements, his business and whether menswear is the next conquest for this sought after design.
Being one of Britain’s connoisseur’s for Women’s fashion. What was is like exploring menswear with the launch of your capsule s/s’10 menswear collection earlier in the year?
It’s been really interesting designing menswear as I now finally have first hand experience of how it feels to wear the clothes I design, it’s been fun and quite self-indulgent as the collection is essentially an extension of my wardrobe and my personal style.
As you know, many designers have been known to look to their muses for inspiration when designing a collection & you’ve had a few, namely, Jade Jagger & Sienna Miller.
Do you think of just your muse when designing for a new collection?
No, I don’t think of one woman when I’m designing a collection because we have around 170 stockists all over the world now, so you have to consider all types of women when selling in different countries & different areas. The collection does become much more strategized because you do have to tick certain boxes.
The bigger the business grows, the less free reign you have to design anything you want because you have to start appreciating and understanding who your consumer is.
All sorts of women inspire me, I’m inspired by high profile women like the ones you mentioned [Jade Jagger & Sienna Miller], I’m inspired by my friends and I’m inspired by the girl on the street, as observing how women dress has definitely become a major part of my design aesthetic.
With you focused on continuing to grow the business and turn Matthew Williamson into a bigger global multi-channel brand, do you get much time off for yourself? – to relax or travel?
Well if I wanted to go away for say two months, I think that would be pushing it but I can usually get a week in here or there for a break.
It’s difficult to take time off and just stop when you have a business, like the one we have now – 13 years on. There are a lot of people we employ, more responsibilities, more collections per year (with mainline, pre-collections, menswear and Muse, the diffusion line) and the reality is, I am always working so it’s a good thing that I love my job!
But I am trying to create more balance now between work and free time (and I did just get back from a six day break to the Maldives!)
[Hence Matthew’s healthy tan and glow despite the gloomy weather outside]
From a Designer perspective what advice would you give up and coming designers who have just finished university, in today’s trying economic times?
My advice is that you need a strong creative vision and you need to really, really believe in it.
What has been your biggest achievement in your career thus far?
The publication of my book: Matthew Williamson by Rizzoli. It’s written by Colin McDowell and details my life and career thus far. It has a foreword written by Sienna Miller and contributions from some of the luminaries of the fashion world such as Anna Wintour, Alex Shulman, Diane Von Furstenberg and Sir Paul Smith. Seeing the first copy printed on my desk was one of my proudest moments.
Do you have a favourite dress from your S/S’11 collection? And if so which one is it and why?
I love the washed silk long dress with print placement (Look 34). It seems to sum up the whole collection for me: a girl marooned on a desert island. I love how the dress billows from behind as if she’s fashioned it from a boat sail.
What music tracks can you not stop listening to right now?
I’ve been playing the new Bryan Ferry album – Olympia, Kelis – Flesh Tone, and I Blame Coco – The Constant.
Matthew Williamson just released a gorgeous coffee table book. I recently bought a copy myself and I can assure you its a must have for your collection, to buy the book please Click Here.
