After his presentation at Capsule, we speak to London's Matthew Miller about exhibiting in NYFW:M alongside exclusive imagery from Kalen Hollomon
Last week saw the inaugral edition of New York Fashion Week: Men's; an opportunity for the city that never sleeps to dedicate itself to menswear collections. Previously combined with the womenswear schedule and finally given a space of their own, it marked a significant evolution in the ever-expanding fashion calendar – and, as Thom Browne stated, was a chance to "re-introduce people to the level of tailoring that can actually be done here in the US." But it wasn't only the home-grown talents that were exhibiting; alongside the Calvin Kleins, Thom Brownes and Rag & Bones appeared London's Matthew Miller: a man whose dystopian manifestos have been subject to industry acclaim ever since he made his way onto the London Collections: Men schedule.
Miller showed in New York as part of Capsule's tradeshow presentation – an initiative founded in 2007 with, as co-founder Minya Quirk says, "a commitment to emerging, progressive designers and brands." Showcasing other London-based designers like Kit Neale and James Long, Quirk explained, "We've been paying close attention to London and the great design coming out of that city for a few years now – there's both radical experimentation and new takes on the traditional, plus a general excitement and embracing of newness happening there; the success and energy around London Collections: Men is just one indication."
And this is clearly the momentum that NYFW:M is building upon; only three-years-old and the LCM schedule is already an industry staple for not only the discovery of emerging talent, but also the shows of big names like Burberry and Alexander McQueen. We spoke to Miller to find out how the New York atmosphere compared to back home and how he managed to show two cross-Atlantic presentations in such rapid succession, alongside exclusive imagery from Kalen Hollomon.
On New York versus London...
"New York is an incredible city, it has a real energy to it. When it came to showing the collection, it was a completely new experience – for example, everyone in London shoot shows on their phones, iPads and any digital devices that hook up to social media. In New York, everyone carries a full-on telescopic camera. It a completely different vibe as well, more business."
On adapting the collection for an American audience...
"For the New York show, the collection was styled slightly differently. I utilised elements that I didn't show in London – things that weren't necessary to show the London audience because they’ve seen it before. I knew when I was showing in New York that the audience would be one that wasn't necessarily educated in what I have done in the past, so you kind of have to set everything back to zero."
On the collection itself...
"The collection is based on restriction and control, and how that can crush and twist around the human form. Destroy to create. 'Born to Fail' isn’t necessarily a negative statement; I actually see positivity, modernity and a fuck you attitude in those three simple words. It says to me, 'you have nothing to lose. So get on with it.'"
