Atlas of Fashion Designers

279

Jeremy Laing

Jeremy Laing

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Born in Toronto, Jeremy Laing spent the majority of his childhood on a military base. In-

stead of becoming interested in weapons, however, he chose a far diff erent path in life. His

mother, a master of dressmaking and arts and crafts, was the one who indirectly instilled

her son with a passion for the needle and thread. At age thirteen, Laing was already an

expert tailor.

His destiny was set: an European exchange led him to study at Westminster University in

London and then to work with one of the most creative and charismatic designers of this

decade, Alexander McQueen.

His talent for making patterns and coupling pieces, for employing fabrics and for the ar-

chitectural construction of each and every one of his garments manifests itself in a holistic

vision which he refers to as “organic.” He conceives of fashion as a union of elements that,

when brought together, take on meaning and result in the perfect garment. It is no surprise

that he is great admirer of designers such as Balenciaga and Madame Vionnet.

 e architectural ideation of his garments and the perfect fi nishes, the feminine look and,

more than anything, the uncommon way in which his designs fall over the fi gure have re-

sulted in his work appearing in the world’s top fashion magazines, all of this without losing

even a sliver of the spontaneity that characterized his early work while remaining fi rmly

grounded in the city of his birth.

Photography by Frank Griggs

280

Jeremy Laing

Spring/Summer 2008 collection of the

Canadian designer with suits that embody

his uncommon architectural sensibility,

elaborated in materials such as silk. For

the printing of some of the garments, he

enjoyed, in addition, the collaboration of

the artist Karen Azoulay.

Sketches courtesy of Jeremy Laing

281

Jeremy Laing

Photography by  omas Kletecka

Sketch courtesy of Jeremy Laing

282

Jeremy Laing

- What inspires you?

I’m inspired by the natural world, the couture tradition, working with fabric and materials, the geometries of pattern-

making, and—perhaps most importantly—the body and the fi tting process.

- What is your dream as a designer?

My goals are to continue evolving my craft, to grow organically and with credibility, to maintain control, to continue

to collaborate with other artists and designers, and to expand my product lines. I can’t wait to do menswear, for selfi sh

reasons.

- What has been the most important achievement of your career?

 e most important achievement in my career has yet to happen.

- How important are trends?

Obviously, from a commercial perspective, trends are important, much more important than specifi c trendy things,

which formally don’t matter at all. What does matter is their trendiness. From a conceptual standpoint, which could

itself be described as a trendy one, trends are reductive and banal and, therefore, necessary in reaching a majority. Being

more interested in the form and in the creative process, as well as tight distribution and the development of a consistent

signature, I fi nd that trends have only a small bearing on my work.

- Fashion has always refl ected a certain era. What does fashion refl ect in the twenty-fi rst century?

Fashion is a product of the late nineteenth and the twentieth century. It didn’t exist before then, at least not in the state

that we know it today.  is is not the case with fashionableness, which has existed throughout history, or at least for as

long as humans have been interested in status and the creation and maintenance of social hierarchies.

Twenty-fi rst century fashion refl ects the state of advanced capitalism that produces it, and it is not limited to clothing

and luxury goods. All production is subject to, and yet depends on, the whims of fashion.  is includes paintings,

music, fi lm, buildings, fast food, whole technologies, even ideas. Fashion drives everything that can be consumed.

- What book would you recommend to every fashion designer?

The Arcades Project, by Walter Benjamin, as well as Conspicuous Consumption, by  orstein Veblen.

Jeremy Laing

1342 Queen Street West, Suite 3

Toronto, ON M6K 1L4

Canada

www.jeremylaing.com

283

Jeremy Laing

Photography by Amy Trost