Constructed Realities: Designer Mark Glasgow in Profile

Every year, Manchester School of Art introduces a diverse range of exciting graduate designers to the world of fashion – and 2013 was no exception, with many students securing design jobs within established companies before their graduation. Recent graduate Mark Glasgow went the extra mile, scoring himself not only a job but also a place on the prestigious Menswear MA at the Royal College of Art (RCA), London.   

Glasgow, originally from the small coastal town of Donaghadee, County Down, completed his Foundation Diploma in Art and Design locally at the University of Ulster, Belfast. After this year of experimenting with art and design, he decided to uproot, leaving Northern Ireland to start his degree in Manchester.

Although Glasgow admits that he has always had a love for fashion, it wasn’t his original choice of creative career. “I began my first year at Manchester School of Art specialising in Sculpture before discovering that Fashion design was my true calling,” he explains, claiming that it was a natural progression from creating sculptures to designing menswear, as both are relative to the human form. The swap proved successful, and he praises the School of Art for the opportunities it provided him, saying that “university helped prepare me for designing in the real world.” He especially appreciated the important connections that the university had built up with the fashion industry and, as a result of these strong links, he was offered the chance to complete various live design projects throughout his time at the School of Art.

It was one of these industry-led projects that proved instrumental to Glasgow's success. During his second year he won a prestigious internship with Old Navy (a subsidiary of Gap Inc.) through a national design competition organised by the company. He outshone hundreds of entries and was given the opportunity to complete a paid placement in San Francisco, CA with Old Navy’s design department – and it was this time spent in America that helped influence Glasgow’s graduate collection. With the running theme of nostalgia, he recorded his American experiences through illustration that he later translated into screenprint.

Before spending the summer of 2012 in America, Glasgow would have described his work as tasteful. However, he now feels that, through his observations of this parallel culture, his ideas have broadened. Glasgow's work at Old Navy made him more aware of the industry and how commercial it can be – and this has encouraged him to embrace his creativity and take risks while he still has the opportunity to do so.   Glasgow believes that studying in the Northwest has affected his design process and methodology in a positive way. The Fashion programme at Manchester School of Art is renowned for its textile approach, and, instead of using fabrics in their raw or bought state, Glasgow likes to take a personal, hands-on approach, making them unique. He spends considered time manipulating his chosen fabrics through processes such as screenprint and bonding, creating exciting patterns that reflect his quirky yet charming research. He favours the process of weave and the idea of designing and creating his own fabrics: “I like to include a novelty aspect within my work, mixing synthetic materials such as plastic with natural cotton fabrics,” he says.

Glasgow credits the support and encouragement of his tutors at Manchester School of Art and those who encouraged him to apply for further study for where he is today. His in-depth way of thinking and anthropological approach to his work made him an ideal candidate for his MA – but securing his place at RCA wasn't the end of Glasgow’s success story. Just a week after accepting his offer, Glasgow was headhunted by Old Navy and offered a permanent job with the company.

Though he has declined the job offer for now due to his MA commitments, Glasgow says that working in America could be a possibility for the future. For the moment, he is enjoying his London experience, and loves how his new surroundings are influencing his style of work. “My workspace is chaotic, with lots of stuff going on at once resulting in a mess,” he says, and jokes that he is a bit of hoarder: “I collect and accumulate fabric from various sources – but most of the time it is a lot of crap.”

When designing, Glasgow likes to take a conceptual approach with his research and work – and this has continued into his Menswear MA. He finds an initial starting point that interests him, then looks at it in a critically in-depth way. His latest project at RCA explores the idea of Disneyland as a false version of reality, yet how it is perceived as an authentic place. He explains that the ideals of Disneyland fascinate him, as it is a “completely constructed reality that we still experience in a very real way.”

When Glasgow finishes his MA he hopes to work within a design team. “In the future, I can see myself working as part of a group of people rather than venturing out as a solo designer," he says. "My aim is to work for a mid-level luxury brand, such as Carven or Acne.” This notion of working as part of a group may come from his current experience at RCA: he describes the university’s studio as a close community where they all swap and share ideas, supporting each other rather than letting competition consume them.

Glasgow describes his work as “nostalgic, colourful and playful,” suggesting that his work has elements of humour and fun. “My work is reflective of how I like to dress, but it is a more extreme version. I enjoy playing with scale and creating almost childish shapes.”

This charming menswear designer is sure to make an impact in the future – and as menswear in general gets ever more exciting, Glasgow’s bold use of colour and striking prints should be heading up the crusade.