Two of our favourite London designers, Jonathan Saunders and Roksanda Ilincic, presented their hotly anticipated pre-fall 2013 collections at Industria Studios in New York. Here, the designers talk about their crucial mid-season ranges, their fast-growing appeal and what inspired them.
Ilincic has been looking at influential 1950s American fashion designer, Claire McCardell. The result? A fusion of relaxed sportswear with a contemporary glamour,' she says, 'I wanted this collection to have a sense of fun to it, but retain its elegance and transitional pieces are key to this.
Saunders has re-focused his last resort collection old Hollywood injected with his hallmark brilliant colour and print and revisited the flavour of his spring/summer 2013 woman, via Jackson Pollock. My pre-fall woman is more casual and relaxed. Print is back, so there is a sense of confidence too, but its much more paired back than spring/summer, he says.
Wondering why pre-fall has become such big news, let alone big business? 'It's about giving the customer what they want, when they need it - buy now, wear now, says Saunders. And as Ilincic puts it, Its fun to play around with different fabrics, colours and textures within an inter-seasonal collection. 'These looks are called transitional but the beauty of them is that they actually work all year round.'
Check out the full collections from Jonathan Saunders here and Roksanda Ilincic here.
Coming up - our 100 best pre-fall 2013 looks here.
