photography by saniqwa jarvis
Interview by Alison Potter
LFW The Daily proudly presents a back-of-the-Mercedes interview with Zoë Jordan of Irwin & Jordan on the eve of their salon-show debut
What was your starting point for this collection?
We played with the military look, but in a feminine way, for example using khaki lace. We also explored rich, vintage jewel colours. Another influence was the flash City boy/Wall Street banker pinstripe look.
What would you consider is your signature look?
I would say it was a mixture of elegant and clean with a boyish twist. We try to do British heritage but in a modern way. Our aesthetic is laid-back, understated glamour for a woman who is confident and knows herself, rather than making a statement or trying too hard.
Have you been influenced by Savile Row and menswear tailoring?
I love the aesthetic of Savile Row. I also love classic good tailoring, and in the world of fast fashion and big brands it’s nice to do something that is considered, well cut and which people can wear for more than one season.
How does this play out in your collection?
There is a keen silhouette, draped in well-cut, fine fabrics. That’s why we chose to do a more intimate and personal show, so people can really see the materials we have used: pinstripe, French lace, Italian jersey. We really put everything into getting those fabrics right.
What is your favourite piece and why?
The standout piece for me is the finale outfit, which is a sequined fishtail skirt, with an oversized jersey T-shirt. It has a fresh and modern twist that is key to our look. My other favourites are the cobalt-blue day dresses, which are wool jersey with leather panelling. I love them – I like pieces that you can wear day to day. For our salon show, I’ll be wearing a lovely tweed biker jacket, the perfect example of heritage reworked and given a fresh twist.
Do you have a staple comfort piece?
I always, always reach for a tailored jacket. I think it finishes off any look –you don’t really need much else!
What was the road you travelled to get to your first collection?
I’m not trained as a designer, I actually used to be a trader in the City, and I’ve studied product design and architecture. Fashion has always been something that I’ve been interested in and I embarked on this adventure, finding out how the industry operates, working with great tailors and pattern-cutters. We’ve been working hard for three years, and this is the first time we’ve been able to show what we have been doing.
Did you see a gap in the fashion industry that you wanted to fill?
As a trader I worked in a predominantly male environment, and I did feel there was something that I wanted to wear but couldn’t get. Something that was a bit tomboyish, practical but also pretty.
Did your mother’s style influence you?
I grew up the eldest of four, and my mum was only 22 when she had me. We were always on the move, and it certainly did inspire me that my mum didn’t need to have an outfit prepared or something planned to look good. She has effortless style. I remember in the south of France, my parents were invited to the Monaco Grand Prix and she didn’t have anything to wear or any money for a new outfit. She went to a charity shop and bought a dress, showered in the sea and was off. She definitely had a kind of confidence and nonchalance that inspires me.
Finally, what is the cheekiest thing you have ever done in the back of a car?
Do you know what? On the way back from a school tennis match I mooned out the back of a car and the Headmaster had apparently seen me. I was suspended from school! So that literally is the “cheekiest” thing I have ever done in the back of a car!
Mercedes-Benz, whose fashionable fleet of cars ensure London Fashion Weekers get around in style, is celebrating its LFW affiliation with the launch of Voices of Fashion, a daily blog with exclusive LFW updates and interviews with the designers who are the voices who define fashion. See voicesoffashion.co.uk
