Kirsty Ward interview

The writing for the interview for Kirsty Ward is too small to read, so here it is again :)

Kirsty Ward has made her mark in the fashion world after just her second season!  Designing for Alberta Ferretti in Italy for one and a half years, being ‘one to watch’ at London Fashion Week, designing jewellery for David Longshaw’s line and launching her eponymous label with a spring/summer 2011 collection during London Fashion Week.  She loves the unpredictability of fashion, being inspired by ‘bad taste, contradiction, experimental approaches and hardware,’ says the BA Manchester Metropolitan and MA St Martins graduate.  She describes her current collection as a continuation from her Spring/Summer 2011 collection with ‘segmented layering and experimental pattern cutting, jewellery trapped within the clothing as a modern form of embellishment - blurring the lines of where the garment stops and the jewellery begins’, with an image of the type of person wearing her clothes as ‘someone who appreciates the hidden details within the clothes that no-one else can see’. 

 Kirsty isn’t formally trained in jewellery design, it’s just a hobby, but her 3 season collaboration with David Longshaw has proved a success and led her to being selected as a finalist in ITS#9, resulting in positive praise and press worldwide.  She describes her jewellery as ‘juxtaposed masculine and feminine aesthetics with beads, Swarovski crystals, fine silks and plumbing all artfully strung together’.  Both Kirsty and David met when they were both working for Alberta Ferretti, forming the beginning of a romance.  

The connection between Kirstys personal style and collections is very strong, with her love of menswear and large jewellery shifting into her designs.  She explains ‘I like simple vests, basic shapes and staple wardrobe garments:  Deep down there’s the minimalist in me but I create statement jewellery which adds something extra.’  Next season she would like to collaborate with an underwear company to move her sheer garments forward and make them more accessible and possibly collaborate with a shoe designer too.  With so much achieved and to achieve, you wonder what she does in her free time!  Well when she’s not working you can catch her in any bar as long as she’s with the people she loves, drinking her favourite drink prosecco.  Once she has had a few drinks she thinks she can do the splits.  Although she says ‘my body the next day tells me I cannot!’  She also loves going to the cinema, to exhibitions and going on random road trips with her boyfriend David Longshaw.