Often the cover of a magazine catches my eye and I peruse through pages, and decipher just within a few seconds whether or not I want to know more about its contents.
There's also a moment when I'm on a call and the decision to press hold comes when another call is intercepted ... unaware of the details! That's exactly what happened when a friend of mine phoned me to view the work of emerging talent and designer Sean McGirr.
After taking a brief look at McGirr’s pieces an expressive and wearable tale was utterly apparent. But, this time it was quite singular to your typical men’s apparel. The intrigue and preface was made in a glance, chapter skipping was unnecessary and I had to find out more. So, I spoke to the source himself to fill in the pages.
Vogue Hommes Japan
For menswear and accessories designer McGirr, creating an initial line that told his fashion story was paramount to achieve a collection that he was not only proud of, but garments that had a very personal touch. With two collections under his belt in a year’s time he’s already garnered a notable résumé having worked with acclaimed fashion editor, Shun Watanabe (Vogue Hommes Japan), and no stranger to the fashion scene, designer, Charlie Le Mindu.
Currently based in London, the Dublin native designs garments with a curve of freshness for the young man who is consciously upstanding in the midst of fashion’s commercial high of … sameness. Who is this slender aficionado wearing his garments? “He’s someone who’s very sick of street wear,” said McGirr.
“London is totally saturated with street wear … I wanted to make a collection that was still relative in the street, but in a more grown-up sense.”
In McGirr’s line inspired by Battle Royale, the influence of school uniforms was the setting for his style narration of what was later to come. It’s quite like a first chapter offering for the progressive lad, who in time evolves as a contemporary gent, all without too many quivers of direct mainstream persuasions.
Pieces from McGirr's first garment assembly also had influence from his own style, music, and growing up as a teenager. “It was almost like an overview of my garment experience until that (teenage) point. The first collection definitely felt like it had to be made, because there was just a really strong sense of adolescence,” said McGirr.
In his current collection, Stand and Deliver you’ll find a much more mature and tailored look, including double breasted jackets, and pieces with a more refined and modern sensibility than his first collection. “I was kind of inspired by how school uniforms can fit very badly, and I wanted to use the same aesthetics, but make them fit perfect in places, and quite loose and fun (in other places). There’s a lot more details in the fit in this new collection,” said McGirr.
Stay tuned, his style book has only begun! You may see more from Sean McGirr headed for London Fashion Week this September.
What do you think of McGirr's designs?
Images: Courtesy of Sean McGirr.
Getting to know Sean McGirr:
Do you have any favourite designers or artists at the moment?
Salvator Dali, especially at the moment I’ve been looking at his work a lot, because there’s surrealism, fantasy, and modern thinking.
I look to Shun Watanabe … I love his attitude toward clothes! I also love Japanese label, Undercover.
A work that you’re most proud of:
Last year, I did a collection for Charlie Le Mindu, we raced against the clock, churned it out and it was shown during Paris Fashion Week. I was really happy with it.
My personal style described in a mere three words is …
Loose. Tailored. Boyish.
Any words of wisdom or advice you would give to an aspiring designer?
Know who you are, it takes a while sometimes to learn it: understanding what you’re made of, what’s your signature style, and what you bring to the table.
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