Redefining Menswear: An Interview With The Styling & Creative Direction Award Winner
An Interview with the winner of the Fashion Styling & Creative Direction 2026: Louie Baker from Kingston University.
Louie Myah Baker shares his longstanding fascination with styling and creative direction, with a particular interest in the way fabrics can “construct and deconstruct identity”, especially in relation to gender and self-expression. Drawing inspiration from figures such as Sofia Coppola and Jonathan Anderson, alongside visual references from the 1970s, Louie’s creative approach is shaped by personal expression.
Louie’s process revolves around collaboration, working closely with fashion design students to discover emerging work and help bring its full potential to life. From location scouting to developing visual references, Louie approaches each project as an evolving exploration. Countless fittings, material research and hours spent searching on Vinted for unexpected styling pieces all contribute to building a considered visual world around each collection.
Driven by curiosity and collaboration, Louie’s work focuses on creating imagery that feels cinematic, authentic and emotionally resonant, using styling enhance identity and the designer’s original vision.
What unexpected source influenced your final outcome?
“Metal work. I would have never thought making my photo book I’d end up taking classes about metal and how to construct a book and metal condom buisness cards out of. I’m so glad I did my brains learned how to create physically in a realm that I don’t think I would have gone to if not for this project. The book was actually inspired by Madonna’s Sex Book - such a beautiful book highly recommend.”
What’s the best piece of creative advice you’ve ever received?
“When you make your work make it feel like you can physically deeply feel it, do you feel it?” - its about thinking internally and then developing outcomes that make you feel from the inside when you see it.”
How would you describe your creative voice in three words?
“Raw, androgynous, cinematic.”
What kind of impact do you hope your work has beyond aesthetics?
“ I hope boys reach a feeling that it doesn’t have to be that serious, everything is a piece of fabric at the end of the day none of its gendered just have fun! I want people to feel like they can almost dance to it.”
What conversations do you hope your work starts?
“I definitely would like guys I’m either friends with or guys from the outside to rethink what see menswear as, most of my work challenges this. The physique of men can be orchestrated with so many different types of garments, I’m excited to see the reactions whether its confusion, frustration or excitement - I don’t care, I’m just happy to know that there brain is thinking.”
What advice would you give to a student currently starting their final collection or portfolio?
“Portfolio: Be experimental, especially if you’re studying fashion communication, styling, or creative direction. Try not to rely solely on catwalks and current fashion trends for inspiration. Instead, make your work personal by looking beyond fashion to films, music, art, books, people, places, memories, and everyday experiences. Those references often lead to much more interesting and original outcomes. Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being inspired by fashion trends or runway collections I have been too but fashion exists within a much wider creative landscape, so explore every aspect of it. I’d also recommend stepping away from social media for a week and going outside to find inspiration. So much of what we consume online feels filtered and repetitive. The most compelling portfolios come from work that reflects your own experience, so make it personal, make it sensitive, and most importantly, make it you.”
So what’s next for you after graduating?
“A job! I hope, I’m just excited to work with like minded people and gather new thoughts and ideas in my practice. ”
