Ian Kettle MA (RCA)

A collection can be any number of different garments, from a few exclusive pieces with different design elements to a large selection of varied styles. More important than the number of pieces is the point the collection is making - its fashion statement. In this course students will first establish the purpose of their collection and the market they are aiming at. The next step is to find a theme to stimulate a visual interpretation. An intense research process follows, where often quite vague ideas have to be pinned down and the direction of the collection established, resulting in the right choice of fabric, colour and silhouette. A storyboard is then put together to clarify your intentions and visually lay out the size and diversity of each story and of the entire range. Then the designing takes place. Designs are chosen, altered and redrawn; as they evolve a well-balanced collection is achieved.

Ian Kettle studied BA Fashion Womenswear at Central Saint Martins and MA Fashion Womenswear at the Royal College of Art. He now lectures on the Central Saint Martins BA Fashion Design and has his own womenswear label which he sells in London and New York. He has worked for Erdem, Alberta Ferretti, Blud, Dexter Wong and in a freelance capacity with Transport shoes, Martins Evolution/Cajun, Katherine Hamnett, Joe Casely-Hayford, Kypo, Anna Scholz, St Tropez Leisure, Kara Ollum, Disorder Magazine, Chocolate Films and Heals and his work has featured in numerous press, including; Vogue, Elle, Elle Collections, WWD, Nylon and Neo2.