Menswear S/S13: Alex Mullins

To celebrate the inaugural London Collections: Men, Dazed Digital invited filmmakers to produce fashion films for a trio of the most talented and upcoming designers in London. Honouring both the creative trait of moving images and the Dazed DNA of supporting new talent, RISE Menswear S/S13 saw Alex Mullins team up with Alex Sainsbury, Claire Barrow film with Fumi Nagasaka and a collaboration between Craig Green with Zoe Hitchen. Now, once the dusted has settled and this season's menswear shows are over, we look back at the three films and talk to the designers about their journey, the collection and their films...

I was really chuffed to have been selected and paired with Alex as I think we both share an interest with cowboys and Indians, and also have a similar graphic nature to our work

Dazed Digital: Tell us about the inspiration for S/S13...
Alex Mullins: It's deeply rooted in the Native America. Things like Navajo wish blankets merged with ideas from another obsession of mine: the super kitsch world of director John Waters' 1950’s Baltimore. Contradiction and juxtaposition is key to my work; I use materials from mink to silk and organza to distressed denim and marl jersey embroidered with raffia. 

DD: What would you want the Alex Mullins signature to be?
Alex Mullins: My work is very much about luxury and couture techniques being brought down to earth with a sense of humour or unusual fabrics.

DD: How do you plan to develop your label?
Alex Mullins: I see fashion as an art form, it's up to the 'onlooker' or viewer about how they respond to my work and what will happen with to the brand.

DD: Describe your aesthetic.
Alex Mullins: It is graphic yet intricate, and authentic.

DD: So you’ve just shot a film with Alex Sainsbury…
Alex Mullins: I was really chuffed to have been selected and paired with Alex as I think we both share an interest with cowboys and Indians, and also have a similar graphic nature to our work.

DD: What did you want to the film to portray?
Alex Mullins: The most important thing was that it looks good. Aside from that, a rodeo sense of masculinity was all we needed. I love the Native American cowboy dress is because even though their clothing is so ornate, decorative, intricate and exuberant, they are worn so effortlessly, remaining extremely masculine and strong. The film is a porthole into my universe and I hope it gives the viewer a better understanding of the weight and strength my work is intended to be seen.

DD: How did you find the overall experience?
Alex Mullins: The jump from photography to film is really interesting because it’s no longer about just making a great image. It becomes about the character, and the mood within the moving image. Instead of just capturing a moment, you have to make sure you capture the whole attitude and vibe of what you want to portray as your work.

Read our interview with Claire Barrow about her Fumi Nagasaka-directed film HERE