Sunday 22 April 2012

Interview with fashion designer: Jacqueline Wattanajantra




'If I were Queen for the day ,I would allow people to have their own individual styles ,but be clean presentable and neat - its important not to look scruffy ...'

i-D caught up with emerging up and coming fashion designer JW to discuss her latest provocative collection and her future aspirations The interview chat this time is centred  less on the clothes -black bell shapes with an eclectic mix of texture -than the creative  journey 
this designer has embarked upon .Born into a family gifted in fine art and fashion from the land of  Buddha's , temples and   gilded palaces - the awe inspiringly beautiful Thailand ,it was inevitable that JW aged 22 was destined to follow a creative path.

Whilst sitting at her work station ,dressed in what can only be described as sophisticated and smart this diminutive figure oozes a firmly in the moment sense of style no soul searching or second guessing here this designer knows what she likes .J welcomes me with a smile and talks me through how she has always been fascinated by art but never thought she would turn to fashion design due to her 'ever so slight interest in fashion' a point she makes without the slightest hint of irony . I am intrigued however by what she tells me of her childhood antics 'When I was younger I used to love making handbags out of materials I deconstructed .like old clothes ,old handbags and jewellery'  reinventing and recycling being at her core  'but strangely enough I was never tempted to make clothes '

This has now all changed when she discovered that fashion was her forte during her Art Foundation course at UCA. It was here she saw the light at the end of the runway and decided to continue her studies on a fashion design course  'This is where all the fun began 'she says laughing  .
J has valued her work experience with growing popular couture designer 'Ralph Pink' whom she found hugely inspirational and  a great mentor enabling her to hone her design skills by creating heavily detailed corsets

Now firmly established as a brilliant young talent and firmly set on a path in fashion J finds herself often admiring the work of the iconic  Viktor and Rolf  however not wishing to define herself she is ever on the look out for fresh inspiration and new ideas often finding  this in the diverse range of exhibitions  available in London .
Her fearless instincts have led to the creation of her latest project with a recurring theme of bells adapted to suit the body shape .'Its an all black collection so texture is paramount in order to produce the striking effect for this landmark collection and maintain the surprise element .
J says the best thing about designing is when you take a silhouette and make it your own adapting and tailoring it to the body ' Unlike many other designers I don't do a lot of preparation work ,I have to physically get on and make the piece then adjust it later ' says J clearly she has a raw instinctive quality  which allows her to be uninhibited and let creativity rip . The result  feminine ,elegant and with an edgy sense of fun  balanced with a piece that is distinctly wearable  by 'any young woman.'

Post graduation J intends to gain as much hands on experience as possible whilst networking and creating contacts in the industry she sees this as the way forward but for the moment a well earned holiday and short pause before the next stage on this exciting  journey.


Text by Olivia Todd
Photographer Jacqueline Wattanajantra

Page 68
THE ROYALTY ISSUE



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