Official AW15 Blogger - An Interview with Mary Katrantzou
An Interview with Mary Katrantzou
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a room as packed as it was for the Mary Katrantzou talk at London Fashion Weekend. Pioneer of the digital print revolution, she catapulted into the world of fashion in 2008. Having just graduated with a distinction in MA fashion from Saint Martins, her’s is a fairy tale story that every young designer dreams to have. London based stylist and editor, Martha Ward, had the enviable task of helping us discover exactly what makes this talented lady tick.
Mary started her training in architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, before transferring to Central Saint Martins to complete a BA in textile design. Initially her focus was on textile interiors. It was only when she embarked on her MA that she, thankfully, switched her interest to fashion. Training under the renowned tutor Louise Wilson, Mary describes her as being “a very tough critic”. It’s difficult to conceive now, but the confident bubbly designer chatting on stage recalls that she was once “incredibly shy” and credits Louise for “shaping her” and helping her have “strength of conviction” in her work.
Saint Martins is a breeding ground for hot new talent, and Mary studied alongside Mark Fast and David Koma, whilst the likes of Christopher Kane and Erdem predated her. She recalls tutor, Fleet Bigwood, saying to her year group, “everyone gets it on this course” and just before the end of the year Mary felt she had got it. She recalls Louise saying, “this is it, this is unique and different, work on this.” Mary’s graduation show was the pinnacle; just hours before the show was due to start Louise said to her, “you’re opening the show”. Sarah Mower, who was then at Style.com, wrote about her show. This was a huge break and for the first time shy Mary had a moment of “why not me too?”
“Naively” (her words) she decided to start her own brand. She applied and was granted £5,000 sponsorship from the British Fashion Council’s New Generation talent scheme. The money covered just 9 shift dresses. A small studio in Hackney was hired, aptly named Fashion Jail as it had bars on the windows. It was “overwhelming” at the beginning, as Mary had never studied business and quickly realised that she had no idea how to pattern cut. She reflects, “You just hope you’re making the right decisions”. But with the help of 2 interns, who didn’t speak English, the dresses were made, and Browns bought the entire collection. The eponymous label Mary Katrantzou was born.
Through her work today, you can see the influence of her background in architecture, as balance and shape characterise it. But as with all good design, her work has shifted over time. “Print obliterated everything, then time came for a shift so my work became more about texture and surface.” What is so exciting about Mary’s work is that she is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. She works with some amazing mills, and is forever challenging them to come up with new techniques as she believes, “ people need to come to you to find something they can’t find elsewhere.”
Mary’s focus on “making a women look beautiful” can clearly be seen in her latest SS16 collection, that hit the runway just 2 weeks ago at London Fashion Week. It’s very wearable. Who wouldn’t want to wear a pretty sparkly dress, gorgeous digital print and wonderful sculptured tailoring? During the talk she kept using words like “light” and “desirable” which is evident in the collection. The influence of cosmology and other worldliness is clear, and yet initially the theme started as Romany gypsy print, which just shows how the process from mood board to runway evolves.
Whilst Mary acknowledges the importance of celebrity endorsement, and can boast the likes of Michelle Obama and Rihanna having worn her clothes, it was clear she has a soft spot for those who have a story linked to her clothing. She told us about an unknown girl who wore one of her dresses to a dinner at the Whitehouse and invited her long lost boyfriend to be her date. They are now getting married; and the girl wrote to Mary to say it was all because I was wearing your dress!
When asked, “What advice would you give your younger self?” she replied, “ Not to worry so much. I would tell her things would work out OK.” Advice we probably all need to heed.
Written by Karen Maurice, www.n4mummy.com
