1000 Ideas by 100 Fashion Designers

Sarah Swash, Toshio Yamanaka/Swash 245

076

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Sarah Swash and Toshio

Yamanaka graduated

from Central Saint

Martins College of Art

and Design in 2001

with a BA (Hons) in

womenswear. They

envisioned their

eponymous label in

2004, and showcased

their collection at

Hyères where they

won the Fashion

Grand Prix and were

awarded a further two

prizes by the esteemed

panel of judges. They

have had two catwalk

shows during London

Fashion Week in

2004/2005–both

sponsored by Topshop.

They have worked on

various projects that

include designing a

capsule collection for

the French store 1,2,3,

a  lm commissioned

by Showstudio, and a

collection of accessories

with Dazed & Confused

Japan and Garcia

Marques. More recently

they collaborated on a

line of furnishings with

the world famous shop

Habitat entitled “Swash

for Habitat,” and in

2007 were one of the

10 selected designers in

Mango Fashion Awards.

Sarah Swash, Toshio Yamanaka/Swash

www.swash.co.uk

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751 INSPIRATION. We begin by  nding

the theme or the objects that we will work

with to create the collection. From there,

we start the drawings and paintings. These

are a very timely part of the process. The

paintings are then put together into repeat

prints, scarves, and placement prints for

clothes.

752 D

EVELOPING A COLLECTION. The

concept of the collection does not have to

translate into everything you design and

trying to do this wouldn’t be realistic. A

collection will have an overall mood, or

themes and details that will run through it.

Often though particular garments will just

be ideas you have been working on for a

while or simply a shape that you like.

753 M

ATERIALS. We choose fabrics

for different reasons. Usually we choose

them after visiting fabric fairs or visiting

factories directly. Often we select a fabric

with the print in mind, something which

will be responsive to color and go through

the digital print process well. We like to

use luxurious fabrics, particularly silks,

which move well and feel beautiful to wear.

754 I

NDIVIDUALITY VS. GROUP BELONGING.

Individuality.

755

T

RADITIONAL

MANUFACTURING VS.

EXPERIMENTATION. A

balance of tradition and

experimentation is the

most exciting, whether

that be by using a

traditional technique in

a new way or re-working

something very classic

in a new yarn, color, or

 nish.

246 1,000 Ideas by 100 Fashion Designers

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Sarah Swash, Toshio Yamanaka/Swash 247

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756 COMMUNICATION. It is de nitely

important to think about how you present

your ideas in terms of a lookbook or

photographs. It’s also a very exciting part

of the process and certainly something we

work on personally.

757 E

VOLUTION. Absolutely. That’s part

of the fun and excitement of fashion as you

have the opportunity to present fresh ideas

so often.

758 I

S FASHION ART? No, fashion is not

art. Fashion is made to be worn.

759 A

DVICE. Making a collection isn’t

possible without a good address book of

suppliers.

760 A

CKNOWLEDGEMENT. Hearing from

people who own it, love it, and wear it.

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