Conner Ives
The rising designer on American fashion today, working for Rihanna and what it takes to be sustainable
Alongside the many established names at last year’s Met Gala, themed “Part One: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, was Conner Ives, whose graduation work made its way into the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition for 2021. The Americanborn, London-based designer was invited by Anna Wintour to dress model Natalia Bryant and attend fashion’s biggest night out—but this was not his first Met experience. In 2017, top model Adwoa Aboah already wore a custom-made Conner Ives dress to the ball. “It felt really surreal to be able to be there by the time I was 21,” Ives recalls, “and then attend four years later myself with one of the dresses I am most proud of.”
After Rihanna saw that first dress, she employed him for her brand Fenty. By the age of 22, while still a student at Central Saint Martins, he was presenting his sketches directly to the singer and fashion mogul, who he calls “the best boss ever”. “I was on a team with people in their 30s and 40s— we were all treated the same, and she knew everyone’s name in the room,” says Ives. “In fashion, that kind of kindness in big companies is quite rare, so I cherished the opportunity.” His eponymous label was established soon after graduation, with his signature reclaimed patchwork T-shirt dress winning over celebrities. Ives became known for his nostalgic yet energetic style, as well as his focus on sustainability, and he was named a finalist of the prestigious LVMH Prize, which rewards young fashion designers’ outstanding creativity, in 2021.
In his autumn-winter 2022 collection, which marked his London Fashion Week debut, Ives dedicated 26 looks to what he called “American archetypes”. He put a personal spin on his childhood sources of inspiration, from Noughties TV personalities to the girl cliques he encountered in high school, and named every look accordingly. There was “the Vogue Girl” opening look of a coordinated baby yellow pea coat and cap ensemble, a nod to the character Andrea Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada. The “America’s Next Top Model” look featured a
reconstituted T-shirt and bootcut jeans; while a modern “Jackie O” walked out in an A-line cream gown with a quilted patchwork star in the midsection.
Ives is a massive fan of Noughties pop culture—but while sustainability wasn’t necessarily part of that generation’s consciousness; it is very much a part of his. Almost all the materials from the collection were sourced from deadstock and vintage garments, which made many pieces one-of-a-kind and demi-couture. “75 per cent of what we produce is made from vintage, second-hand or deadstock materials,” he says. In his north London studio, Ives and his team might go through 700 T-shirts to find the perfect combination to upcycle into an outfit. “There is a large market of wholesale vintage, often coming from America to be sold in European vintage stores,” he says. “It’s crazy finding T-shirts in the middle of England from small liberal arts colleges my friends from home went to.”
While aiming for sustainability can be a source of stress for new designers, the quest only fuels Ives. “I love a challenge and to feel I have to prove myself in what I’m doing. I also love the notion that what I’m doing is having a positive effect on fashion,” he says. “I think to not work sustainably in some way in the 21st century is highly dismissive of the current state of the world. I only do what I do because of the way in which we do it; I wouldn’t be making clothes if I wasn’t making them from other things.”
This brand DNA of environmental responsibility comes from growing up in Bedford, upstate New York, which Ives describes as the most beautiful place he has ever been to. “I think when you’re surrounded by such immense beauty like that, you become so fraught to think of a future in which it is in jeopardy,” he says. “I want my kids to see the same things I saw.”
ENDLESS SUMMER
Summer is here to stay with Loewe’s annual Paula’s Ibiza collection. This year, creative director Jonathan Anderson takes inspiration from the freedom and infinite possibilities of the island, interwoven with a theme of hedonism. The 2022 collection is filled with sequins, crochet, bright colours, creative cut-outs and accessories such as straw totes and bucket bags painted with the sensuous sunset hues of Ibiza.
MORE IS MORE
When the joining of two historic houses was announced at Milan Fashion Week last September, it broke the internet. Now Fendace, the marriage between Fendi and Versace, has finally hit stores, and features ready-to-wear and accessories interpreted in the visual languages of both brands. Tatler’s top pick is the Versace La Medusa bag. Available in black and light blue colourways, it sees Versace’s golden acanthus leaf print layered over the Fendi FF logo and delicate gold hardware details.