The FLYING SCOTSMAN
In Singapore to present his cruise and spring/summer 2014 collections at Club 21, Scottish designer Jonathan Saunders took some time out to talk to BAZAAR
Just like his signature vibrant rant hues and cheery prints, nts, Jonathan Saunders is unassumingly full of candour. dour. “Great dress!” he exclaimed imed upon introduction and after discovering it’s from COS, Saunders got excited, “They do really good work for a high-street label. See, I love your dress’ silhouette and fabrication— n— who would guess it’s not designer?”
Saunders’ candour extended ded throughout the interview—none of that media-savvy evasiveness despite having aving been in business for the past decade, with an especially impressive year in 2012.
First, there was his GBP200,000 win for the e British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Design eer Fashion Fund award, then Saunders s launched launche ed his womenswear pre-collections and lastly, he heh debuted his menswear line. All of these e after an n impressive start in his career, when his graduate collection at Central Saint Martins’ caught Alexander McQueen’s eyes. Saunders promptly started working for McQueen and was responsible for McQueen’s memorable Birds-of-Paradise prints in the latter’s spring/ summer 2008 collection.
The stint at McQueen lasted two seasons and Saunders moved on to consult at Chloé, Pucci and Lacroix before embarking on his eponymous label. Colours and prints may be synonymous with most British designers but Saunders maintained that at “there’s no competition really because we all ll have different aesthetics and different looks. s. We were all trained in our education in striving ng for uniqueness.” In fact, “we ask each other all the time for advice and the truth is, we are not ot com competitive.” Seeing my raised eyebrow, Saunders laughed and said, “We all understand the struggles of a new designer, that that’s why the camaraderie. I’m actually really good friends with Roksanda (Ilincic) and some other British designers. We hang out pretty often.” Saunders Saunders’ signatur signature touch to his womenswear collections has always alw been that menswear influence so it was n no surprise when he announced the launc launch of his menswear line. “Menswear bring brings me closer to architecture and a certa certain structural process. You think of the gar garment and not the whole look, as opposed to womenswear, Saunders explained. “The shapes are simple and like how I approach womenswear, fabrics are the most important part. Fabrication and the sense of easiness and simplicity within the shapes— I’m not trying to invent a new collar or silhouette.”
That easy sensibility Saunders often spoke of and one that’s pervasive in every Jonathan Saunders collection naturally extends to his cruise 2014 offerings. “For resort, I was thinking about artificial beauty and how s synthetic colours can be used to make s something beautiful,” elaborated S Saunders. “I was looking at computerised te technology and packaging for print ideas so the patterns look kind of pixilated and su such.” Saunders was also inspired by the iro ironic illustrations of Pet Shop Boys’ alb album sleeves from the early ’90s and wa was particularly influenced by the band’s bub bubble wrap for their 1993 Very release. The result? a circular bubble wrap print. And without missing a tone, the collection is en energised with all of Saunder’s iconic bright tones—shades of green, from pastel p pistachio to fluorescent chartreuse.
We asked Saunders if he had a favourite colour, he h chuckled and said, “No, not really. I can never n decide.” Jonathan Saunders cruise 2014