Carolyn Massey Spring/Summer 2016

Third-time Winner of the BFC’s ‘NEWGEN MEN’ Award and On Stage Sponsorship for Unica SS11

For Spring Summer 2016, Carolyn Massey looks to the concept of clothing as an old friend for inspiration. This results in a collection inspired by the way in which garments are worn and lived-in by the people that inspire the designer. An extensive range of fabrics including cotton drill, merino wool, cotton shirting, and leather, feature in a palette of rust, stone, cream, petrol blue, and navy, whilst a play with proportion and shape is sustained throughout. With panelling informing structure and form, Massey furthers her experimentation through knitwear featuring blown-up herringbone as well as ribbon detailing.

Accessories constitute an integral component of the collection in the form of a capsule shoe collection - made in England, and a new line of bags including a statement-making doctor’s bag and backpack completed with detachable box bags.

“The seasons diffuse as we look to invest in garments that will transcend a one season sell-by date.”

In recognition of her design prowess, Vogue Italia Editor-in-chief, Franca Sozzani, and Chairman of Milano Unica, Pier Luigi Loro Piana, have selected Massey as one of the ten designers to present at the On Stage project 2016. Launched in 2009 to support new fashion talent, the On Stage project provides designers with an opportunity to collaborate with some of the most significant Italian textiles companies. Through this project, Carolyn Massey will participate in a collective fashion show to showcase the designs created as part of this initiative. The show will take place on September 8th 2016 at the Milano Unica textile fair with styling from the team at prestigious publication, L’Uomo Vogue.

Due to ‘frustration, boredom, and demand’, British menswear designer, Carolyn Massey, launched her eponymous label in June 2006 in Paris, having completed her MA at the Royal College of Art just twelve months before.

Continuing to evolve apace over several seasons, Massey’s sizable strides have been recognised and rewarded by the British Fashion Council, who selected the London-based designer as a recipient of its inaugural NEWGEN MEN award—sponsored by TOPMAN—supplying showcase funding and the opportunity to present on the official London Fashion Week schedule on Wednesday 22nd September 2016.

Having garnered positive reviews from press and collaborated with renowned menswear retailer Topman on several occasions, Carolyn Massey has proved both a critical and commercial success. A detail obsessive, she is known for her quintessentially elegant English cuts and sartorial nuances—her work investigates what it takes to be a gentleman, and how this concept of masculinity has been appropriated during times of civil or social unrest.