Colin Horgan Interview

Dearest Third Cousin,

I'm about the take a small blogging break, college is winding up, for good, and I have a nice little pile of work to do. I'll be back in about 3 weeks with lots of new posts, including the Perks of being a Tomboy! For now here is an extended version of my interview with Colin Horgan, I did for The Fair. I got a chance to chat with him just after Kerry Fashion Weekend but since then he has been very busy launching a men's capsule collection and jetting off to Copenhagen to work with David Anderson.

Colin Horgan’s designs feel very fresh and cohesive; no small feat for a designer only in the 3^rd year of his fashion design degree. While still in college, Colin has started to build his brand and taken some really smart steps to establish his brand as a business. Not only has he established an online presence through social media but has also begun to cultivated an e-commerce aspect to his brand and secured stockists. While his brand awareness is impressive, he importantly has the design skill to back it up. Colin creates clothing that, are fresh and very modern. He understands the kind of women who would want to wear his clothing and he has created a new collection ‘FC13’ (first collection 2013) which will keep a lot of women happy.  This collection has a singular voice and you very much know what Colin is trying to convey, in my opinion this sense of unity is the hallmark of any successful collection. I think ultimately Colin has created an interesting take on femininity which taps into a new sense of what is sexy: sheer fabrics give a sense of sensuality which coupled with indelible leather provide strong shape and alluring strength. This duality is a great play on modern femininity. This collection makes me very excited to see what he does next.

I got a chance to ask Colin a few questions about his new collection just after he won the coveted ‘One to Watch’ award at Kerry Fashion Weekend 2013:

First of all, congratulations on your really well deserved success at Kerry Fashion Weekend, how was the experience?

Thank you! It was really amazing experience to be showing at Kerry Fashion Weekend. Opening the show seemed to have a bit of added pressure but thankfully everything (well mostly) got sent out the right way! I didn't expect to win as the standard this year was just so high. So winning is always a plus! 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how started designing?

Well I was always creatively ambitious. I guess everything fit into place once I got accepted to Limerick School of Art and Design. I'm currently in my third year out of four and love it here! The tutors are really inspiring both creatively and technically. The foundations of constructing and making garments have heavily influenced my FC13. I also gained experience last year while working in Stockholm, Sweden. The Scandinavian aesthetic always excites me. Clean, directional and polished lines often inspire me and my way of thinking.

Can you describe your ‘FC13’ collection?

FC13 (First Collection 2013) was inspired by a woman fighting back. My influences were defence forces like fencing and railings - pretty much anything that had a repetition of line! FC13, for me, is a way of fighting back, even when risks are involved!

Your collection has a very strong identity and I love the mix of fabrics and the strong shapes you used can you talk about these aspects of your collection? 

I wanted to create a story of transition through fabrics. Sheer chiffon and mesh airtech gradually evolve into luxurious jerseys. Perforated lambskin pierce into hard patent leathers to develop shielded armour. The silhouettes are quite masculine with a feminine cut. Tops are cut just under the bust; leathers are applied in strong areas, while zips provide for hard detail.

Who do you see wearing it?

A woman who would wear this collection is strong, confident and daring.

Will your collection be available to buy?

This collection will be available in store Om Diva , Atelier 27 Dublin.

What next for you? And how would you like to see your brand evolving?

Well I am literally off to Copenhagen in a couple of days to work with Danish designer, David Andersen. I will be working on my next collection for KFW2014 when I am not at the company, and then it's graduate collection! The brand itself is still under construction because I am still in college. But I feel that once I am confident to launch the label and know my customer I will definitely go for it. I cannot wait to begin and looking forward to the future!

For more of Colin’s work check out:

Website: http://www.i-m.co/COLINHORGAN/COLINHORGAN/ ,

College Portfolio: colinhorgan.weebly.com

and Facebook: @ColinHorgan. 

Images c/o Colin Horgan.

Love,

Sarah

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