POP 723 Tuesday 12 October 2011

 

Today’s POP is Louby and Luke…Homme-Maje Part II!
 
Enjoy our chat with Shaun Samson -
 

Shaun Samson

 

Could you let us know the inspiration behind your collection?
 
My Spring/Summer '12 collection is a manifestation of how I experienced grunge music, surfers, and gangster rap when I was growing up in San Diego in the 90's.  Mexico also has a big influence on the culture in Southern California, so I thought it was nice to bring in that element with authentic Mexican blankets.  The colors speak for themselves, and they pretty much say 'fuck yeah!'.


Skaters, Surfers, Urban kids in oversized silhouettes – oversized forms are becoming your signature, did the inspiration come first, or did you seek something that would fit with a silhouette you had in mind?
 
My childhood was filled with those street cultures around me, so I think I naturally gravitate to an oversized silhouette. There's a lot of room for interpretation with these oversized T-shirt shapes that I’m being noticed for.  Traditionally it's a very streetwear thing, but in my MA collection it's styled to be more high fashion.  

The collection balanced the seemingly contradictory, from cultures to gangs to materials to colours, was it a struggle to hit the right pitch?

Foremostly, it was colour and fabric that I wanted to explore with the collection.  The 90s styling helped to contextualize and communicate the collection in a natural and genuine way.  I'm not trying to recreate the looks i experienced in my childhood, I’m reinterpreting my memories for the modern man.  


Do you find the perceived impositions of menswear helpful or a hindrance when designing?

I march to the beat of my own drum anyway when it comes to menswear, so the perceived impositions don't affect me.  The kind of person who would be into my clothes can see past any rules when it comes to style.

You’re fresh out of CSM, how instrumental was the support of Fashion East and MAN to the progression of your brand?

I graduated this year with an MA degree at Central St. Martins, but I've actually been studying and working in fashion for a while. Now I'm ready to launch Shaun Samson as a label and have a unique voice in this industry.  I can't thank FashionEast and Topman enough for giving me a platform to show my designs.  It's the perfect timing, and everyone who has helped (TOTEM, Woolrich, BFC, Peroni, ITS) has been amazingly supportive.

And finally could you see yourself working anywhere else other than London?

London is a super creative and exciting city to be designing in.  I'm surrounded by talented individuals who inspire and contribute to my brand.  But with the way the world is evolving, I don't think it matters where you are too much because traveling and communication is so easy.    

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Published:
11.10.11 / 8am
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DESIGN, FASHION, POP OF THE DAY
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