‘I make pieces that I enjoy because I think if you cater too much to others, you begin to lose that authenticity,’ says Irish designer Michael Stewart, founder of Standing Ground, while tweaking a mini blue dress – a first for him – in his Haggerston-based studio ahead of his AW23 show at London Fashion Week.
Stewart knows exactly what he likes. The designer has pivoted away from the silhouettes and key fabrications – think jersey figure-hugging gowns in muted hues – he introduced last season, his first presentation under Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East incubator programme. In their place is a ready-to-wear collection that borders on more daring territory.
Walking into his studio mid-fitting, there’s a red-haired, ethereal-looking model (Michael gleefully informs me that she’ll be walking in Friday's show) trying on a pink velvet gown. Stewart’s signature ropey details lie interwoven across her torso, and fall behind her into pools on the floor. His colleagues throw a cheery wave during our conversation before dipping their heads to continue working.
An amalgamation of fabric swatches in aubergine, fuchsia, burgundy silvers, greys, and baby pink hues are tacked to a whiteboard to the side. Stewart has made a point to eschew a collection made solely from jersey this season, leaning into velvet and silks. ‘Last year I focused on jersey material. This time round, I’ve used a lot of woven materials as it’s fun to flirt with flourishes. Creating a couture feeling with clashing colours was on the agenda.’
The Royal College of Fashion alum’s new collection expands beyond the breathtaking eveningwear unveiled during his SS23 presentation last year. Alongside the pink velvet number and the sky-blue mini dress this year sits a burgundy jumpsuit styled with a hot-pink shawl, a grey hooded dress with elaborate piping above the hip, a cinched-waist coat in Donegal tweed for which he sourced the material from Ireland (specifically Molloy and Sons), and, one of his favourite pieces, a corseted strapless jersey, chocolate brown dress with exaggerated hip padding. ‘The craft is on the outside of the tweed coat, so you can see it’s done by hand,’ he shares. ‘There is a softness to the garments; it’s vital to see they've been moulded to achieve the right finish.’
Intrigued by the ancient landscape, and ‘the pure elemental things’ in Ireland, Stewart has used materials he’s harboured for years and sourced quality silk jersey from Mario Boselli Jersey in Italy, with the help of funding from Kildare Village (Stewart’s relationship with the Irish shopping outlet dates back to 2015, when he initially received funding to attend RCA). Everything in this collection is deadstock.
‘All my references are ancient references,’ he says while pointing to images of a Dolmen and St. Bridgits cross on his studio wall. ‘I don’t have a mood board and I don’t sketch; I enjoy ancient things and a futuristic aesthetic. Eveningwear isn’t for every day, and so the idea of looking at both elements and meeting in the middle is fascinating to me.’ Stewart sent the Mario Boselli Jersey team a photo of the designs he’d fashioned using their exquisite silk and struck up a relationship. ‘I asked them to donate some of their deadstock fabrics and vintage fabrics, which they kindly did.’
As the fitting comes to an end, and alterations are set in motion, it’s clear to see the team, though small, value one another as sly smiles are exchanged across the studio while they manoeuvre effortlessly around the model. ‘I'm working with great people – both within the studio and those supporting me, such as Kildare Village. I simply wouldn’t be able to access some of the jerseys because of the cost,’ Stewart tells me.
How does one of the most exciting designers on the London Fashion Week schedule plan to let off steam? ‘It's my boyfriend's birthday on Saturday, so we’re going for a celebratory dinner.’ You heard it here first.
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