Kate completes final touches for the shoot
We spoke with Debenham’s placement winner Kate MacMahon who launched her first eponymous collection under the Designers at Debenhams brand. Kate talks us through her design inspiration, producing a capsule collection and next step for her career.
The winner of the 2018 Debenhams Emerging Talent Award run by Debenhams on their stand at Graduate Fashion Week, Kate MacMahon debuts her first AW19 capsule collection for Debenhams.
Debenhams is thrilled to introduce Kate MacMahon to its womenswear portfolio for AW19 demonstrating the brand’s continued support for young design talent. The collection has a strong emphasis on sustainability and preservation of nature through digital print. This is mixed with a strong nod to Scottish heritage as Kate hails from Glasgow and studied at Edinburgh College of Arts.
The main inspiration for Kate MacMahon x Debenhams designs came from the idea of conservation. “I knew I wanted the focus of the collection to be on using fabrics that are more kind to the environment and this concept naturally evolved. I’ve made each piece of the collection to the highest ethical and environmental standard as it possibly can be from the very start of the process through to the end product” says Kate.
This is Debenhams first sustainable collection with a capsule range of 12 pieces which sees each item constructed with a minimum of 50% sustainable fibres which include organic cotton, recycled wool mix, Lenzing and recycled plastic bottles.
Kate says “I began with the idea of preserving elements of Scottish history such as the Guernsey jumper and this evolved to key pieces which people keep throughout their lives and reinventing them in a new way”.
Key pieces from the collection include “The Puffer Coat” which is made from recycled plastic bottles and “The T-Shirt” that is 100% organic cotton using less water than conventional cotton but still offering good value for money priced at £18.
The collection is available in 12 stores across the UK and launches in store and online on the 12 September 2019.
What university did you attend and what course did you study?
I graduated in 2018 after completing a four-year degree in Fashion Design BA (Hons) at the Edinburgh College of Art. I really loved my time at Edinburgh College of Art, the tutors really encouraged us to be as innovative as possible and find our own design identity.
What was the concept of your graduate project that won the award at GFW?
My graduate collection was inspired by the concept of memory and preserving nature. I was interested life of Marie Antoinette and the many variations in her portrayal. The silhouettes were inspired by 18th Century French attire; I was interested in the impracticality of the designs and how they could relate in modern day society. I worked from original 16th Century patterns and reworked them to create contemporary garments. I was lucky enough to receive fabric sponsorship from MacKintosh Ltd. and Sophie Hallette lace, which I used in my final collection. I created the fabric through flattening and digitally printing onto wadding, which was then bonded to the lace. The prints in my collection were created through cyanotype photography and scanning wild flowers to create digital prints.
What is your role at Debenhams?
This year I have been working on the Womenswear Design team at Debenhams as a Design Assistant. This has been across the Designer Brands working alongside the designers for Studio By Preen, Jenny Packham, Matthew Williamson and Jasper Conran. I also received the opportunity to design my own range ‘Kate MacMahon X Debenhams’ which launched in 12 Debenhams stores across the UK and online in September this year. This was a capsule collection of 14 pieces that evolved from my graduate collection with every fabric in the collection containing over 50% sustainable fibres, making this the first sustainable range for Debenhams.
Tell us about your experience and what you have learnt at Debenhams?
This year has been such an incredible experience. I feel very lucky to have received this rare opportunity and to have worked with such amazing teams here at Debenhams. I have gained insight into the workings of a huge heritage retailer from fabric sourcing all the way to being merchandised in store. As this collection was sustainably focused I was conscious of the environmental impact and how this could be lessened while still working to a budget. At Debenhams we have a ‘one team’ mentality, which I feel has been a valuable message especially when working on my own range. There have been so many people who have worked on this collection and without them this wouldn’t have been possible. It has been so valuable to see and understand the evolution of the garment from sketch to final product and to learn to be more sentimental about our clothing.
What was it like t0 design your own collection and see it go into production?
Designing my own collection for a huge heritage retailer such as Debenhams has been very rewarding. I didn’t expect to have the chance to design another collection this early on in my career, I feel very fortunate! This experience has felt very surreal, especially when the collection was launched in the front window of Debenhams Oxford store. I couldn’t really believe it when I saw it! I have really enjoyed this year even though it has been challenging at times it has been extremely fulfilling. I think the most important thing is to be constantly learning something new and to be gaining new skills. I am very grateful for the fact this has been a huge learning curve for me as I have gained invaluable knowledge and experience by working through these challenges. The teams have been so supportive and encouraging of us to follow our own handwriting, especially as a young designer just starting out.
Tell us about your Debenhams capsule Collections and the inspiration behind them?
Kate MacMahon X Debenhams is a 14 piece capsule range that evolved from my graduate collection. The aim of the collection was to create a sustainably focused collection that featured bright coloured prints as I felt there was a gap in the market for those who love eco-friendly fashion and like to wear colour. Every fabric in the collection is made with more than 50% sustainable fibres including Lyocell fibres, Organic Cotton, recycled wool mix and recycled plastic bottles. The prints in my collection are all printed digitally and inspired by preserving nature through photography. The abstract floral prints are created through scanning wild flowers and the marbling effect is inspired by chemically polluted photographic film. I am interested in reworking traditional pieces and understanding their history and sentimental value. I incorporated items such as the trench coat, duffel coat and Guernsey jumper as I was interested in their function and how they were used in the past. This range is definitely more commercially viable than my graduate collection, mainly continuing the print concept which were made from scratch. The collection was built to be mix and matched depending on the wearer’s style.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
I hope in five years’ time the industry will be even more focused on creating fashion that is kind to the environment and moves towards a circular economy. As a designer I hope to help with this evolution and I would love to learn more about innovation in sustainability. Maybe in five years time I will feel ready enough to launch my own eco-friendly label! I am just going to try and soak up as much knowledge as possible! I have learnt so much this year already and would love to keep learning at this pace. I am definitely going to stay true to sustainable fashion and strive to learn as much as I can about sustainable processes. This was my first attempt at an environmentally conscious collection and am very proud of what I have achieved but I am optimistic that there are so many more possibilities to develop thus further. I feel very blessed am excited to see what the future holds!
