Associated in the '90s to the Young British Artists, Sarah Lucas distinguished herself in the following years also through her sculptural assemblages made with nylon stockings that called to mind Louise Bourgeois' works.
Lucas' sculptures, rendered into bronzes, are currently on display at the 55th International Venice Art Biennale inside Carlo Scarpa's Sculpture Garden, part of the Central Pavilion in the Giardini section of the biennale.
In the microcosm of the garden Lucas' corporeal works turn into twisted and knotted bodies, their shiny and smooth bronze surfaces creating perfect contrasts with the severe and sharp lines of Scarpa's architectures.
There are similar conflicts in Leslie Dilloway's menswear collection, though in her case the contrasts are replayed between solid fabrics and metallic coatings. A graduate from the School of Fashion at San Francisco's Academy of Art University, Dilloway presented her collection in May during the school's fashion show.
Inspired by a fictitious character, a Turkish cab driver living in London in the late '80s, the collection was a mix of classic menswear reworked in wild fabrics with injections of metallic nuances here and there, the whole accessorised with fanny packs and backpacks in matching fabrics that added dimension to each look.
Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
Leslie Dilloway: I was born in Santa Barbara, California, but I grew up in the northern mountains of Grass Valley. I went to the Academy of Art University to study women's wear originally, but fell in love with tailoring and pattern drafting, so I switched to menswear. I'm still currently based in San Francisco; however, I will be traveling through Eastern Europe this summer, and then I'll be off to the next adventure.
What's the most important thing you learnt from your years at AAU?
Leslie Dilloway: I learned to not second-guess myself or my art by comparing it to the people around me.
How did you feel at presenting your collection at the AAU fashion show?
Leslie Dilloway: It was an incredibly surreal and proud moment - so many years of all-nighters and continuous work (and re-work) led to that experience. I was even more honored to be chosen for the show because I had just switched to menswear the previous semester. And we were really lucky this year to have the show at the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
Can you tell us more about the main themes that inspired this collection?
Leslie Dilloway: It was mainly from my obsession with mixing prints, colors, and textures that normally would not be put side by side. During the pre-collection phase I was experimenting with Medieval themes like Game of Thrones and welding my own jewelry and accessories. These themes took on many transformations through the design process as I was still new and absorbing menswear. The fabrics ended up being so wild that the designs themselves had to be really classic menswear pieces like the suit. I ended up making several fanny packs and backpacks in the same fabrics to add dimension to each look.
Was the Turkish cab driver living in London who haunts your collection inspired by a novel or a film?
Leslie Dilloway: That would have been a simpler way to put it, but no! It came from some pre-collection looks that I made in real fabrics for the first time. Someone said they reminded them of a cab driver they met while in London. As the collection developed and we added '80s and '90s sportswear details, it just became a story around a very specific character and his lifestyle. We joked about him selling drugs out of his fanny pack when he wasn't driving taxis all over London in the late '80s...
Do you feel that we are just putting barriers on creation when we say it's impossible to innovate menswear?
Leslie Dilloway: Menswear has constantly been innovated through fashion's history; it has just become more and more practical throughout the years. I don't think that there are any limitations on creativity, and that you just have to understand what or whom you are designing for. I find that those "barriers" are actually a more interesting challenge to design for - 'rules are made to be broken' kind of thing. Also, the point of fashion is for people to wear it. I find that a lot of women’s wear gets too over the top, and, while its all great for the runway show, no one is actually ever going to wear it.
Which was the most challenging part of creating this collection?
Leslie Dilloway: For me, it wasn't the endless hours sewing and drafting patterns - I actually enjoy that. The challenging part was narrowing down the story into six cohesive looks that worked great together and make sure that each design stood out on their own.
Is there a menswear designer you find particularly inspiring?
Leslie Dilloway: I find Issey Miyake to be really innovative and experimental and yet classic in his menswear designs. Also, I've always adored the rebellious attitude of Vivienne Westwood.
What are your future plans?
Leslie Dilloway: I just graduated from AAU so I am done with my studies for the moment. Currently I am dyeing my hair pink, moving my things out of San Francisco, planning my trip through Eastern Europe, and then off to probably Los Angeles or New York to get into costume design. My future plans are still up in the air, like most other recent graduates.
Images of Leslie Dilloway's collection in this post by Randy Brooke/WireImage
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