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He painted Matchstalk Men

1930s references abounded at YMC – with the stick-figure boys in their straw bowlers and dusty linen chore jackets resembling characters from an L.S. Lowry painting. Sharply bonded fine-line knits in button vest and short combos, worker jackets and coats in washed out hues had a waist cincher, adding a new direction to the usually boxy cut, and loosely tapered trousers all worked harmoniously to maintain the intelligently minimalist feel YMC is adored for. The meaning of the soundtrack is always intriguing at YMC, with their head of design – Fraser Moss – being such a self confessed music obsessor; it is no surprise, then, that the audio and the visuals blended seamlessly.

Colour Blocks

The show seemed structured by colour: first came deep blues and indigos, next was evergreen, followed by black, and ending in rainbow(ish). Dotted cloud print was spotted throughout – with the base colour changing with the show. The blue section felt like the boys were off for a holiday on the Riviera – with their chin strapped suede swim caps and fluttering scarves tied at the neck. Pieces were repeated in the evergreen – a white bowling shirt with two coloured stripes across, jacket shapes and coloured cuff detailing. A camo print brought an explorer feel to the evergreen section, while dusty blacks and greys were where the 30s influence was fully realised. In the colourful section a proofed linen shirt was spotted with reds and yellows, and hi-shine PVC macs brought a futuristic feel to a classic cut.

Metal Work

Texture was incredibly well explored – metal was woven against linens and cottons to create malleable structures through jackets and outerwear. Tailored suede, brocade cotton and super soft denim appeared throughout. The drop-waist boiler suit, with an open chest and tailored trouser, brought the term work-wear into reality. YMC does what it does, and does it best. Considered minimalism with varied textures and layers are all based around a muted palette. This is a brand for the cool casual man, who wants precision – not fuss.

Photography: Christopher Dadey.

Words: Tom Rasmussen.

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Simply coloured in a warm blues and soft charcoal blacks, the range is only available from YMC directly and a handful of stores. Smart, classic but with a modern twist, the collection is full of staple pieces to update your wardrobe in time for the British winter, from surprisingly subtle leopard print bombers to thick electric blue knit accessories and everything in-between including heavy duty shirts and chinos as well as sweaters and the YMC work jacket to prepare you for the colder months. The thought of frosty mornings is almost appealing when you can plan to wear layer upon layer of of these timeless garments.

In 1995, Fraser Moss and Jimmy Collins borrowed industrial designer Raymond Loewy’s slogan ‘you must create’ to name their company. The brand began to take inspiration from work and military wear and focused on wearability. The ethos of the company is to take classic designs and re-work them, allowing them to transition through fashion seasons. Even within their own collection they’ve certainly stuck to that philosophy, giving their archive pieces a new lease of life.

The collection has been inspired by the brand’s previous use of dyed products in previous seasons to show their appreciation of the process undertaken by one of the last genuine fabric dyers on the outskirts of London. The collection is available online and in stores now.

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With her love of Bauhaus and Kandinsky and her personal penchant for clothes which encompass both boyish and feminine in equal measure, Julie Eilenberger has injected her creative stamp into YMC’s AW14 womenswear collection. Taking inspiration from the aforementioned artists, with luxury materials also in mind, Eilenberger’s AW14 provides androgynous silhouettes, nautical notes and a plethora of colour and texture. We catch up with Julie Eilenberger herself to find out how she is bringing womenswear to the forefront of cult British label, YMC.

Let’s start with your transition into YMC – obviously you took over the womens line that Fraser had previously been working on, how did this come about?

It was kind of a casual thing because I knew the people that ran it. They needed somebody, a woman, to come in and start doing the womenswear and Selene, who works with the YMC team, thought it would be nice to have me on board. It started as a freelance thing but its never just a freelance thing – it takes over you’re life. I also don’t like to do things by half, I like to see things through, so I couldn’t just hand over my drawings to my assistant and be like: “Okay I’m off”! I wanted to be part of the fittings as well and everything, so a month into it, it became a full time thing, you know, organising photo shoots and bringing everything together at the end of the season – that’s the most exciting part – but no one had done that before. Now the collections are growing and they’re starting to sell really well.

So this winter’s collection includes a lot of primary colour and knitwear. What was the decision behind that?

I was very inspired by primary colour along with Bauhaus and Kandinsky in particular who’s all about primary colours. I studied in Berlin for three years so obviously you’re pushed into the whole Bauhaus thing but I just found it fascinating. I always went to this small Bauhaus museum in west Berlin. They put on a new show every few months but it’s always really particular: one month its all about posters and graphics, the next month it’ll be all about architecture and the next month it’ll be similarities between Japanese design and German Bauhaus. So for me I think that just fit the whole YMC thing. I mixed that with some nautical references because that fits really well with the primary colours and the Bauhaus graphics, it’s kind of boyish but feminine at the same time, which I’m all about, that mixture of feminine and masculine.

What about the materials?

I like really pure materials and that was important to me when I came to YMC, that everything should be as natural as possible and YMC is that kind of brand. It’s not always easy when you’re working with countries all over the world, making sure that everyone is doing what you want, but it really makes the difference in a jumper. I wanted to bring that luxury material aspect to YMC whilst staying feminine and boyish at the same time.

What about your own line, is that something you still do?

No, I’ve got no time for that. The whole YMC thing happened around the same time I decided to do my own thing. I was working for Sophie Hulme and doing my own thing on the side. I did decide to do it properly, but then I got poached by YMC and they told me it was part time, but that didn’t really work. And I never realised that you can’t do both things.

What aspects of your own line have you brought to YMC?

I was always playing a lot with structure – different structures and materials and the balance between something masculine and feminine. I think my look was a lot more ‘fashion’ whilst YMC is more what I wear personally, and what my friends where personally. When I was doing my own thing it was more that I needed to let stuff out of my brain, whereas with YMC it’s more of a ‘what do I want to wear?’ approach.

How would you describe the YMC woman this winter?

I think she’s someone who cares a lot about quality, and cares about buying a piece that can last. In terms of fashion season and trend season, but also in terms of quality. Our customers come in for a jumper that they want to keep for a few seasons. It’s not just a trend.She’s definitely a girl who’s not too girly but there are some dresses you could wear out. She’s somebody who likes to come in with her boyfriend who might also pick up a few things.

Or she can pick up some clothes from the guys section too!

A lot more people are starting to do that!

So aside from art, what else inspires you?

I think I always go crazy with different sounds. I called my dad last week and was like: “I need some jazz right now, what can you recommend?” and he was like “Here’s my spotify playlist”. And then I went through this phase where I was listening to a lot of soul from the 70s, so I go through different phases with music. But its funny because now I’ve been getting into this 70s vibe so then I’ll start watching movies from that era, and then I’ll start dressing like them  subconsciously! But I love movies and I love music, but it’s not like one thing influences me, it’s everything.

So if we look to SS15, what can you give away?

For summer I brought over some of the nautical references from the winter and pushed that more. So a lot of nautical references, sort of French Riviera – lots of blues and denims and whites, mixed with a Japanese effect and lots of volumes and blacks and whites. It’s very graphic – I always go very graphic I think. Some nice Breton stripes and some exciting bags as well, we’re really starting to push the whole accessories department, and for the winter, which I’m working on at the moment, it’s even bigger.

www.youmustcreate.com

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Staying true to their heritage as a brand, this season YMC took us on a trip to the cathedral of knowledge. A valued source of inspiration for those in the fashion industry, the SS15 collection was showcased in a location enriched with knowledge – the British Library.

Surrounded by rare music recordings, iconic photographs and historic titles, the collection itself was a sun-drenched haze of pastel hues, sharp tailoring and clean-cut lines presented in the form of wearable casual wear with a sophisticated edge.

Following last season’s palette, dusky pastel pinks and powder blues progressed into darker shades of crimson and cobalt blue, with military nudes and monochrome making a repeat performance. Experimenting with a re-worked basketball shirt, the timeless bomber jacket, transparent latex rainwear and a fisherman hat with built in visor for peeping through the low-hung brim – it was clear that Fraser Moss had raided the 260,000 strong journal database when searching for inspiration this time round.

Continuing their representation of the modern British gentleman, stand out looks came in the shape of a geometric black and white two piece lounge set and a utilitarian toffee-coloured suit teamed with a pair of red brogues. There are no better six words to describe the collection than the YMC ethos itself: “You must create your own style”.

Words: Brooke McCord

Photography: Amy Beasley

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Marking the first time British label YMC have teamed up with a singer-songwriter, Bat for Lashes’ Natasha Khan has collaborated with the brand to create a capsule clothing line.

Characterised by a unique blend of femininity and androgyny, the streetwear driven collection includes digitally printed t-shirts, caps and trainers inspired by laid back old school ‘70s sportswear and memories of warm sunsets on foreign shores. Taking design elements from the shapes in Natasha’s own wardrobe along with inspiration from vintage pieces she has collected on her travels to New York and LA, each piece is finely curated in keeping with the YMC aesthetic.

“This creative process has been really fun. I love that YMC are a small British family based company and admire their commitment to beautiful, simple design that is good quality,” says Khan of the collaboration. “I have enjoyed the freedom and natural development of this project being allowed to feel our way and come up with something genuinely beautiful, meaningful and special!”

Last night’s launch party at Shoreditch’s Forge & Co also showcased an exclusive fashion film available to view now on Nowness – a sepia-coated road trip through a 16mm lens, directed by none other than multi-talented Khan herself.

In addition to their own Poland Street and Hanbury Street stores, this collection will be available to buy online on YMC’s website.

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Images: Hatnim Lee

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