The invisible bonds that connect us have long informed Bianca’s Saunders’ work. From her days on The Royal College of Art’s MA Menswear course, to now, as the continues to forge ahead as one of London’s most exciting, thoughtful young designers, Saunders has used her collections to explore identity, gender politics, familial ties, and the relationships we as humans form – meaning it should come as no surprise that, with her latest project, she continues in the same vein.
Following on from 2019 exhibition Nearness, and her AW20 show, which paid tribute to the 90s’ dancehall scene and the culture that surrounds it, this weekend, as part of the first ever digital London Fashion Week, Saunders presents her new zine, We Are One of the Same.
Created in collaboration with former Dazed 100 photographer Joshua Woods, writer Jess Cole, and stylist Matt Holmes, the publication took shape last year while Saunders was visiting Woods in New York, and trains its lens on a pair of twins, Mecca and Faheem.
In a series of intimate portraits of the two, Saunders takes a deep dive into the similarities that link us. “Casting twins was important because it showed two people who are individuals and have their own personalities, but also all these similarities that connect them. It’s something that’s true of all of us, I think,” she explains.
Alongside Woods’ photographs, model and writer Cole adds a series of poetic verses and words which further explore the zine’s themes of connection and individuality – something Saunders herself will be elaborating on in a live-streamed conversation, as part of LFW’s schedule on Saturday, June 13. Surprisingly, given her work often feels incredibly intimate, she’s excited to see where the digital realm takes us. “I think it’s really going to give us the opportunity to push our creativity and open up the stage to a whole lot more designers,” she says.
Buy a copy of We Are One of the Same here, and tune in to Bianca Saunders in conversation at LFW here.
