IN CONVERSATION: BIANCA SAUNDERS
Fashion
IN CONVERSATION: BIANCA SAUNDERS
Menswear designer Bianca Saunders has been quietly building a faithful following over the past couple of seasons. Her body of work feels like a breath of fresh air, in particular her AW19 presentation (hosted by MatchesFashion.com at 5 Carlos Place) which continued to explore black male identity within British culture and preconceived stereotypes about masculinity.
Words:
Laura Hinson
Imagery:
Eve Power
Tell us about your upbringing and how your British-Caribbean heritage informs your work?
I am a London girl, born and raised in South East, both my parents are the same, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. The fast pace and hustle keeps me going, stops me from being still.
My family background is Jamaican on both sides, so the mix of being 3rd generation British Caribbean is a massive influence on my work. I come from a big family and we have lots of photos I draw inspiration from, especially during the 70s – 90s. I use these to reference the styling and texture mixes seen in my collections.
As I have developed over the past three seasons I no longer make these inspirations as obvious, compared to that of my BA presentation, which was directly inspired by the mix of British Caribbean home life and also the story of my mum’s aunt, who owned a lace stall on Deptford market and had 5 sons who were in a UK Ska band.
I find the Caribbean culture interesting as it’s still quite conservative but there is a massive contrast with mainstream dancehall culture, which is a lot more raw and sexual – I think that shows in my clothes.
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I like to think my work challenges the narrow stereotype of black masculinity, observing how my male friends navigate the world and challenge this fixed idea is inspiring.
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVE POWER
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVE POWER
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVE POWER
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As a woman who designs menswear, it’s important for me to hear the experiences of the men in my life.
What inspires you and how important a role does the identity of your friends and peers play in your design aesthetic?
As a woman who designs menswear it’s important for me to hear the experiences of the men in my life. I like to think my work challenges the narrow stereotype of black masculinity, observing how my male friends navigate the world and challenge this fixed idea is inspiring. I felt as though their narrative was missing and I’m striving to change that.
For example I’ve collaborated on a few projects with Akinola Davies JR, he directed my film “Permission” which featured a number of friends. For the film I interviewed my friends including artist and DJ Eldon Somers, visual artist Alexander Ikhide and designer Saul Nash who I studied with at RCA, he showed his first collection at LFWM in January. I also felt it important to include female voices within the film, I wanted to hear whether my female peers saw the issue of black masculinity in the same light as I do. My friend and mentor, stylist PC Williams and the artist Rochelle White joined me to discuss their thoughts on the subject.
I learnt a lot from these conversations and I have been taking away what they have said to influence my work especially the body language of how they moved in their clothes during these conversations.
My collections are not direct rips of what these guys wear, I reflect and focus on the textures and colours and mix up the styling. I like the idea of switching things up, it might be oversized clothing during the day then changes to a tight-fitting top for the night combined with straight leg jeans and a workmen’s shoe.
Your AW19 collection tested the stereotypes that enforce the boundaries of black masculinity; how did you explore this through your collection and presentation?
I knew I wanted to continue the interview series, seen in my previous collections. For this second series of interviews, I wanted to include the narrative of my male friends, and how they confront and challenge these stereotypes. Interviewing them in their bedrooms was pivotal to this narrative, the place, which I felt they would feel most relaxed and able to self express, or ‘unravel’. I used an old DV camera I brought off of eBay and my iPhone – a mix of old and new technology.
This research directly inspired my AW19 collection, titled ‘Unravelling’, alongside images from Deana Lawson, an American artist and photographer. Deana’s work revolves primarily around issues of intimacy, family, spirituality, sexuality and black aesthetics. I drew on elements from her images, of cluttered bedrooms and intimate moments. I love how her images lays the subject bare, within a documentary style of photography. That is what I am trying to do with my work and research, document my view and my stories majestically.
What is the biggest challenge you face being a young designer in London, and what’s the best thing about being based here?
The biggest challenge is learning the business side of fashion, how you work with retailers on a business level is not something I learnt at school.
The best thing about being from London is the access to resources to start the brand, whether its fabric shopping or resourcing factories – I can access them easily.
What are your favourite South London hangouts?
I prefer hanging out with my friends in Deptford. We used to stick to East London, but it’s become a bit oversaturated and there are so many events happening in Deptford, so it’s great to be able to stay local. We can usually be found in the bar ‘The Buster Mantis’ – a good place to eat and drink. Deptford has a great market on Wednesday and Sundays, a good place to resource vintages pieces.
Instagram: @biancasaunders_
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