The Visible Craftsman

During a lull on Sunday I wandered around the exhibitors at Earls Court and found myself unsurprisingly attracted to a display of magazines at the University for the Creative Arts at Epsom. I've been flicking through the contents of Segue (available online here) ever since. My favourite article inside issue seven introduced Edward Lorenz Tan, a menswear graduate from Parsons, to me. The Parson's judging panel recently named Lorenz Tan Menswear Designer of the Year and from this article it is obvious that he is an exciting talent. There are few images of his work available online so I had to snap my favourite image from the article which shows a t shirt from his 'Craftsman' collection.

"Most men who buy clothes now don't necessarily understand how much work actually goes in to a button-down shirt or a pair of pants," Edward Lorenz Tan.

The designer dipped his fingers in black paint during the construction of each piece of his 'Craftsman' collection documenting where he touched the garments and ultimately demonstrating how much work was put in to the creating process. It is true that most of us have no idea what goes in to the construction of our favourite wardrobe inhabitants and I for one would love to know more. This collection explicitly displays the designers craftsmanship to a much more tangible level for a newer generation and ultimately shows that there is art in the creation of even the seemingly simple pieces. I have to confess that I am tempted to dip my own fingers in to paint and attempt something similar...although it might just get me in to trouble...