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Next gen designers: James Greenway

Fashion’s new class.

We are beyond excited to be Supporting Partners of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival National Graduate Showcase, Presented by Target. As the festival fast approaches, we’ve been busy getting to know the group of crazy talented design graduates who will be showcasing their work on the runway.

Meet James Greenway from Whitehouse Institue of Design.

Describe your grad collection in three words:

Volatile, transitory, polymorphic.

What was the most challenging thing about the creation of your collection?

The biggest part of making a collection is the research. It is the thing I get most excited about – finding new techniques and materials. It’s really a learning process of trying, experimenting and making mistakes. I think it’s the most important part of the work and the collection. It’s difficult. It means a lot of failure. You sometimes make mistakes that are actually a starting point for something.

You have to come to a stage where you have a control of the material and the material is not controlling you – and you don’t always reach that stage. Maybe half of all experiments you do, end in the rubbish bin. I do think the process becomes shorter; you realise sooner when things don’t work.

If you could design an outfit for any person alive or dead, who would it be and what would it look like?

Daphne Guinness. I have always been fascinated by Daphne and how enigmatic she is. The way she speaks of clothing as a form of armour is enchanting. When you see a suit of armour and then a portrait of the person who wore it, you’ll see that the person was sort of tiny and a little feeble, so they put on this great big suit of armour to look a little more frightening. I would love to create something romantic and strong for her.

What is your favourite song or album to play when working on your designs?

Fleetwood Mac.

Is there a designer you aspire to be like or look up to?

In my third year at university, I interned in Amsterdam with Iris van Herpen. She is such an intelligent human being and designer. Working with Iris really broadened my perspective on material manipulation, cross-disciplines and so much more.

Where do you think there is a gap in the fashion market?

There is a major gap in the market for the hybrid of biodynamic technology and sustainability within fashion. For example, growing fabric as a sustainable and renewable material. It has the potential to reinvigorate the Australian textile manufacturing industry. Hypothetically, we could reduce industrialisation, mechanism, carbon pollution and climate change.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully in a place where I can support my design process with financial freedom.

If you weren’t into fashion design, what would you be doing?

Biology. 

What fashion trend do you most dislike?

Mermaid hair.

Favourite fashion moment? 

Working on the Noritaka Tatehana x IVH 3D-printed crystal shoe, for Paris Fashion Week.

What advice you would give to someone wanting to study fashion?

You are about to show the world a very personal part of your soul and not everyone will understand it.

Instagram.com/atelierharlem

vamff.com.au

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