Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

– What are five words you would pick to describe your newest collection?
Unrestrained, youth, sports-luxe, alien, raving.

– What was your inspiration behind the collection?
The whole challenge presented to me by VVVintage of working with recycled materials was the first inspiration/issue I had to tackle on this project. This was the first time I had to design with the limitation of small pieces of off cut fabrics, and I had to think of how to re-use fabrics and the laser cut left overs from the S/S 2011 collection which translated into perspex embroidery on some of the pieces. It definitely opened my eyes on how much fabric myself (and the fashion industry) waste and throw away, so working with VVVintage was a very good way to raise awareness on this already growing issue. I’ve recently been taking notice of the whole wave of ridiculous Tumblr images that have been on leaking everywhere. My boyfriend Kaidy also introduced me to things like Mykki Blanco, DIS Magazine and old 90s hip-hop which I never took notice of when I was in the 90s. The OTT-ness of it all was what I wanted to channel into the collection. It was just a big melting of pot of sci-fi humour and neon madness.

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

– You mention the collection focused on merging Japanese street style with stripper influences – how did these two worlds come together?
I am a big fan of the Japanese Street Wear athesthetic, despite not having yet visited, I am completely enamoured with their style. And recently I’ve seen on the internet a few of my friends channelling “Stripper/Trash Chic”. I’ve been following Brooke Candy on the internet and find her style fascinating. She’s like a stripper from Fifth Element. I walked down my street in Dalston into one of those Jamaican owned trashy shoes stores, where they sell the most horrendous rip offs. I tried on these blue brogues that had their bottoms cut off and melded with the bottoms of a Reebok shoe. It looked awful. A few aisles above they also had these amazing clear plastic stripper heels that would snap your ankles in two if you tried walking in them. I really wanted a pair, but I’m just too much a laddette to wear them. So I took up pole dancing instead to quench the stripper thirst.

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

– What time during the day do you find yourself the most creative and productive?
I would say from 9pm onwards, my mind seems to be happier to let loose at this hour. I have no idea why that is. I’ve spoken to a lot of my other artist/designer/musician friends and they seem to working of the same creative clock.

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview

– When you get stuck, is there anything you do or somewhere you go to find inspiration?
The best remedy for that sort of problem is to get it all out to your friends. Why you get stuck is probably because you’ve spent too much time on your own or in your own head by that point. Sometimes you get so obsessed with what you’re doing that you forget everything around you, and that’s usually when things begin to stagnate. Talking to my friends, who are generally quite creative or ingenious in one way or another, gives you a different perspective to the circles you been running in over and over again. It’s a curse a lot of artists/designers/musicians become riddled with, I mean, it’s almost like you NEED to obsess to progress with your work, but there must be balance in everything you do.

– What can we expect to see from you for F/W 2013?
There will be a bigger focus on accessories as a lot of people have been requesting this after the exposure of the perspex bags from the “Cut In Cut Out SS11” Collection. I’ve been obsessing about body chains recently, so I’m currently researching into that. And also I’m trying to make my own perspex chainmail. So who knows what will make it into the final cut of F/W 2013 collection! We also have a great idea on how to present the next show…Let’s say it will be a guerilla affair. Stay tuned!


Jessica Au Spring / Summer 2013 Collection & Exclusive Interview