Meet GFF Talent, Maximilian Jennings, a fashion graduate from University of Brighton. Max’s final major project is inspired by his upbringing in the English countryside. “My motivation was to determine an epicene balance between fragile elegance and masculine virility. ” says Max. Read all about it below!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
I think for me the most valuable thing I have learnt at university is the technical side of fashion, both in terms of the tangible aspects such as pattern cutting and construction and the digital aspects of CAD design. These skills are so crucial and I really feel are essential to my work and any future work I undertake, whether that be personal or for another brand. Technical skills underpin the entire industry, I feel that the technicians at Brighton have given us so many of these important skills.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
My graduate collection is rooted in my upbringing in the English countryside. Throughout it I wanted to explore my relationship with the expectations of archetypal English men, exploring the vulnerability and gentility I believe should be, yet is not, innate in this ideal. My motivation was to determine an epicene balance between fragile elegance and masculine virility. To find in beautiful details, colour palettes or ways of wearing clothes an imbued notion of softness and fragility, yet to remain grounded in menswear. Tropes of traditional English public school and countryside clothing such as tailoring, piping, cable knit, and cricket jumpers, reinterpreted to form new notions of English masculinity.
The muse of the collection is a young aristocratic man who is born into but does not adhere to the inherited archetypal ideal of an English gentleman, instead adopting his own free willed less laboured notion. This muse would be akin to characters such as Sebastian Flyte, the protagonist of Brideshead Revisited, and Rupert Everett’s portrayal of queer defiance and fragility in the face of British tradition in Another Country. As well as this, the spirit of Cecil Beaton and his delicate male portraits, and the languor of Deborah Turbeville’s photographs permeate the collection. Ensuring a departure from the traditional ‘buttoned up’ idea of English men, remaining couth but with an instilled sense of self-determination.
What form does the final project take?
I wanted to ensure that throughout my work I was able to include different skills and categories, I knew I wanted to create a menswear collection, and to do as many looks as I felt necessary to convey my full vision. This ended up being 5 full looks and a range of accessories. For the garments I wanted to ensure it was balanced and included varying types of garments to feel like a fully fleshed out range, ensuing shirting, tailoring outerwear and knitwear/jersey were represented. For the accessories I knew I wanted to create a range that addressed day to day concerns, so created a range of bags and small leather goods, from a large east west tote to a tiny key cloche.
To communicate my collection I did 2 photoshoots, a first more lookbook and e-commerce-oriented shoot, focusing on being able to see the garments clearly, their details and fabrications. This was shot on digital in a studio and to have an off-white background so the focus would be on the clothes. The second shoot was intended to be an editorial / campaign, shot on location at a countryside manor and shot on film. Imbuing much more of a mood and atmosphere into the photos.
What materials have you used and how did you source them?
This collection is intended to feel tailored, yet languid, with sloping shoulder lines and a sense of ease defining the silhouette. I wanted this ease to continue into the fabric choices of the collection, whilst still adhering to traditional menswear fabrications. The colour story is largely muted, encompassing a palette of neutral camels, ecru beiges, and flecked oatmeals. These are predominantly worn tonally, with wool sateen suiting, lambswool twills, suedes, and exotic leathers providing varied and sumptuous materiality. This materiality is seen further in the development of a silk satin cable knit quilted sweatshirt, a lavish reimagination of the cricket jumper. There will also be injections of lightness through classic blue shirting fabrics, whilst the hazy rich and dark markings of tortoiseshell will punctuate looks through use in linings, accessories and statement outerwear. For my fabrics I wanted to, as much as possible, use UK based mills, as this met with both the British inspirations and sustainability targets.
Due to lockdowns, I was somewhat limited as I was mostly unable to fabric source in person, however, was able to find a few fabrics from London staples like Goldhawk road and Berwick street. Much of my fabric sourcing was done online, ordering many many samples and creating boards and folders to decide upon my final choices.
For the tailoring I sourced most of my fabrics from mills such as Dugdale Bros & Co in Huddersfield. For fabrics such as the boating stripe used for my look 5 trouser, I sought specialist mills, eventually choosing a wool sateen from Barrington fabrics in Bradford. For the outerwear fabrics I looked to Merchant and Mills and Abraham Moons as I was able to find a soft drapey wool coating and a waxed cotton both in the flecked oatmeal marl that was central to my colour story. I also developed a tortoiseshell digital print for use across different parts my collection, this was used as a lining for coats and accessories, silk scarves, and then scaled up and printed on a cotton sateen base for use in a statement overcoat for look 6.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?
I think my final outcome is very accurate to a lot of how I initially imagined it, but it is in the details and finish that has been where I have been able to evolve and refine my ideas. I knew the kind of colours and fits that I wanted but I think the silhouette became even softer and more languid as I progressed through the stages of toiling. I also think it became bolder with certain pieces, pieces I originally planned to execute in knits, turned into satin quilts, and I began to inject more of the print in statement outerwear. None of these changes individually redefines the entire collection but all together I think with my tutors I spent a lot of time elevating each piece and thus the entire collection.
Throughout the process I have learnt a lot, especially given the circumstances, as most of the work was to be carried out from home. I think I have learnt even more the importance of organisation and setting and then adhering to personal deadlines, as this was the only way to ensure that you could stay on top of this year. I also think there were many skills developed throughout this year that I has to self-teach due to the digital aspect, some of these include learning macrame to make knotted keyrings reminiscent of cable knit, learning to quilt for one of my pieces, and developing my own digital print with some help from a textiles student. There is a huge range of skills we had to exercise this year and I feel that as a year group we have all become hugely resilient and adaptable.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
I believe the notion that men must be tough and buttoned up is outdated, and that we need to include softness and gentility within our societal ideas of masculinity. Masculinity and fragility are not opposing ideas and should not be treated as such. I wanted my work to be firmly grounded in menswear, using key menswear pieces, details and fabrications, yet to also instil an exaggerated sense of the ease and softness I desire. This is also not to say that my work can only be worn by men, as it can and should be worn by anyone. Many of my pieces could easily translate into the wardrobes of any gender.
My work is not driven by sustainability but instead I endeavour to ensure each stage of my practice is as considered as possible. Some of the ways I have done this include reducing fabric wastage through careful lay plans, ensuring fabrics are from UK mills to reduce transport emissions, and ensuring I use natural fibres so that the pieces are biodegradable. As well as this I believe that wearability and manufacture quality are integral to sustainable design to ensure a longevity to garments, and thus kept this in mind when designing and making.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
I think that overproduction and lack of finish is a huge problem faced by the fashion industry. Fast fashion Is one of the largest polluters, and still, we see it continuing to gain speed. Greenwashing is constantly employed by fashion brands to hoodwink consumers and the public into believing they are acting sustainably, yet sustainably fashion is largely an oxymoronic term. The most sustainable garment is one that isn’t made at all, and thus it is impossible to have a large-scale production that is truly sustainable.
It is unlikely that fast fashion will stop, however there are steps I believe should be taken to ensure that we can slow the cycle. For my graduate collection I was aware that I will not be putting any of my pieces into large scale production and so many of my larger concerns cannot be directly addressed currently through my own work. When creating my collection, I did place a large amount of focus on ensuring each garment was made from longwearing and biodegradable materials and finished carefully and so that they would last.
I believe that with attention to detail and higher quality manufacture across all levels of the fashion industry we can reduce clothing waste. This does, however, need to be done in a way that ensures it is accessible. If we can teach to expect a higher level of finishing and quality to their garments this would help to extend the lifespan of out garments, many of which we see today are not intended to last past a few wears. Anything that can be done to slow fast fashion is a step in the right direction, fixing smaller parts of the industry so as to eventually fix the whole.
What is your plan once you finish your BA?
Now that I have finished my BA I am continuing with pieces of freelance work and pursuing a few opportunities. In tandem with this, I am further refining and developing my portfolio and work, continuing to research and build on my knowledge. I am actively looking for work in menswear design, both ready to wear and accessories, and hope to find a role in which I can further grow my skills and establish myself within the industry.