Jenny Postle was one of six designers chosen by Cathy Edwards from the Central Saint Martins MA show for our Exclusive story, The Masters. A look from her collection was styled by Edwards and photographed by Ben Toms, and here the designer spoke to
Jenny Postle was one of six standout designers chosen by Cathy Edwards from the Central Saint Martins MA show for our Exclusive story, The Masters. A look from her collection was styled by Edwards and photographed by Ben Toms, and here the designer reveals ideas behind her inaugural collection.
Where did you source your textiles?
I sourced yarns from all over the country – in London shops, in shops in the North and the West Midlands – and others were those that I'd had in my collection for years. I have always approached yarns, not in terms of what goes together or if it’s a ‘good quality of yarn', but rather by what I think is a bit peculiar or weird. I like my materials as well as my textiles to jar and sit awkwardly alongside each other, but always in aesthetically pleasing way. A breakthrough came when I started to consider fabrics in the same way as I had yarns. Hence the patchwork idea. Fabric wise, the majority came from Shepherd’s Bush.
Do you know how many you sourced in total?
About 30 yarns in total, and slightly more fabric.
Were the textiles compiled in a random or considered way?
Both. The origins of my work are always random. When I start working with pattern, of course it's influenced by research, but usually I make most of it up as I go along. I then take these initial ideas and swatches forward and refine and develop the yarns and pattern. Eventually it starts to get whittled down and considered more and more until I get the final result.
A lot of your designs cover the face, what influenced this?
It was something that was hinted at by a range of my research. Initially I was drawing scary monster masks on all of my designs, which is something I have been doing since my BA. I was then influenced by the Diaghilev exhibition and started to use some of the stage make-up faces and costume ideas in my designs. And finally, Phyllis Galembo's Maske, which is a photographic series of absolutely beautiful masquerade and carnival characters. In all honesty, though the idea of having the elongated polo neck coming up over the head came from getting a toile – which I had made too small on the neck – stuck on my friend’s head when I was doing some toile photos. I cut some eyeholes in it and that was that.
See all the designers chosen for our Exclusive, The Masters here.
