Bustiers adorned with shapely seams and tailored coats ornamented with silver-tone hardware, exude the singularity and opulence that positions Kathryn Bowen as a womenswear connoisseur. Enveloped within her hypnotic appreciation of fashion, Bowen commits to producing clothes that attest everlasting durability - with values of ethicality vigorously cemented into her mediums. She effortlessly rejects mundane trends and channels her admiration towards heritage brands and noble craftsmanship.

Enamoured by her environment, Bowen illustrates an ode to her time spent in Scotland, through the romanticization of classical tailoring and emblematic silhouettes. Her shift to create garments with purpose, epitomizes her symbolic combination of modernity and tradition.

Creatively, Bowen ruminates on her childhood fascinations of figure skating to deliver garments grounded in structural functionality and intentionality. By channeling technical design properties, Bowen seamlessly juxtaposes the old and new, exuding her enchantment with crafting garments for lifelong wearability. Her tactful rejection of fast fashion is a testament to her ethos and showcases the polarity of the industry now and the old-world values she encapsulates.

What inspired you to get into fashion and pursue this avenue?

I actually had a very suburban Canadian upbringing with almost no exposure to fashion. My mom taught me how to sew as a teenager, just as she had taught me how to draw and paint as a kid. So, these creative outlets were part of my childhood, but fashion was something that grew on me in high school when my twin sister and I started collecting fashion magazines and watching 90s Fashion Television reruns. It became kind of a secret obsession because it seemed almost unattainable to have a career in fashion at the time. But I was convinced I wanted to be a fashion designer by the time I was 16, so for the following two years I worked on creating a portfolio to apply to London College of Fashion in the UK and I’ve been working in fashion ever since.

Walk us through the design process of your AW21 collection. What inspired the silhouettes?

I was doing design research for AW21 during the height of covid basically. It was a strange time to be working on a collection because life was put on pause for so long. During that time, I found myself revisiting a lot of nostalgic places and I dug up some of my old clothes stored at my grandparents’ house that were from my childhood bedroom. I was a competitive figure skater growing up so I had a collection of training outfits and competition dresses that had been stored away in boxes which were really fun to revisit. I ended up using my old spandex, lacy skating dresses as a unique, personal source of inspiration for a collection that I wanted to consist of more flexible (quarantine friendly) materials to begin with. This is actually where the silhouettes came from, mixed in with the tailoring I incorporate every season.

There is a clear reference to historical fashion interwoven into your work. What eras and motifs influence how you approach your work and designs?

I wouldn’t say there are any eras in particular. But I love heritage brands because of their attention to craft and long-held brand values. The story behind the garments these brands create is inspiring to me because there are always functional and practical reasons behind design features, placements of pockets, fastenings, reinforcements etc. that give them the ability to stand the test of time. I love smart garment construction. That’s what inspires me the most. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an era where this is cherished like it used to be. So, I’m happy when references to this design approach are noticed in my collections because it is something I think about a lot when I am making clothes.

How do you infuse your work with elements of your own personal philosophies and essence?

I think this happens very naturally for any designer. I don’t have to think about it too much. I’ve moved around a lot in my life (my mom lives in Scotland, my dad in Jamaica, I currently live in Canada but the UK was also home for a while) so this might sound cheesy but once you find the beauty in your surroundings, you’re drawn to specific places or things that will be reflected in your work as an artist or designer. Some really obvious elements are the Scottish silhouettes and tartans that I’ve incorporated into previous collections because I’m in love with everything about Scotland. I’ve referenced figure skating costumes more recently too which my friends would say is very much part of my ‘essence.’ In terms of personal philosophies, I just make sure I am not playing a part in fast fashion and the clothes I create aren’t contributing too much to passing trends.

During periods of stagnancy, where do you look for inspiration to further your creative journey?

For me periods of stagnancy happen when I have too much going on. I’m notorious for taking on too much work, the pace of the fashion industry is sometimes a nightmare and looking for inspiration is something I can only do when I slow down. So, leaving my studio completely, putting myself in a new environment, focusing on hobbies is what I’ll usually do. But honestly, spending hours on my laptop scrolling through old iconic collections on firstview.com is just as calming and motivating.

What sentiment would you hope to unleash and spark in the observer through your apparel?

I don’t know, that’s tricky. Pride? Or joy? Just a positive sentiment for sure. I want the observer to think my clothes are really beautiful. That putting them on will make them feel really good about themselves and they’ll want to cherish them. That’s it!

From your experience crafting garments, explain the importance of making “clothes to last”.

Aside from the obvious need to stop fast fashion and not pollute the planet with mass-produced clothes, I think people need to remember that fashion is an expression of identity. So why not buy garments that you love and can keep forever? Too many people with no knowledge of what goes into making clothes want to start a brand these days but it is so important to learn how to make clothes first; pattern drafting, cutting, sewing, and gaining knowledge on garment construction, finishing’s and fabrics is incredibly important. It is impossible to come up with original ideas if you don’t know how to execute and experiment with them. That’s the first and most important step to creating a unique product and standing out as a young designer. So that’s a change I think needs to happen…less fleeting t-shirt brands.