I am a menswear designer beginning my name-sake label and the main aim of my work is to create wearable, desirable clothing, using only beautiful, entirely organic and sustainably sourced materials. I have an appreciation for the old and the ‘worn out’. Clothing, to be important, must speak to you and communicate its presence, and eventually become a part of you. This is what I believe is the connection between clothing and art, when it's able to express its own point of view devoid of its application as a product. Polish and newness to me, can be the absence of this. I hate things polished, clothing must be rugged, expressing to you its life, its stains, blemishes, inconsistencies and faults. It becomes an extension of the self; it feels as if it becomes as human as the person wearing it. I find no beauty in perfection. I find beauty in handcraft, in textures, tears and how despite these faults the counterpart to the clothing will still wear and repair it. To see the element of humanity in the creation of clothing to me is the ultimate form of beauty in fashion. I utilize a lot of hand-craft in my work also, even creating entirely handsewn garments, to emphasize this point of connection between the work and the people who make it. It forces you to slow down and appreciate. For me, the highlight of the collection’s fabrication was the antique, handwoven Japanese kimono fabrics. Stunning stains, fading and wear on these pieces, gave new life to my tailoring . I want to push this element of craft and ‘seeing the artist’s brush in my work. There's a reason why all my research is old. I love antique homemade or repaired clothing. Things don’t fit right, there's stains, wear and dirt, it feels human, like it’s reflecting a story back at me. I want my clothing to feel like it's been worn by a hundred people before me. I want it to feel cared for and loved, rather than seen and forgotten.