Amy Davidson: Intricate Architectures

Inspired by the Gothic, Amy Davidson's laser-cut leathers have taken her from Manchester to the Royal College of Art. She discusses her influences and aspirations

Feature by Jessica Campbell | 30 Oct 2013

Recent Manchester School of Art graduate Amy Davidson has many talents. In addition to putting together a beautifully sculptured yet intricate graduate collection, Davidson proved her versatility by creating a range of bags that led to her success at Graduate Fashion Week earlier this year. With her suitcase-style bags reflecting her collection concept of Gothic architecture, Davidson caught the eye of a panel of judges at Mulberry, impressing them with her 'incredible attention to detail’ and ‘beautifully considered use of material.' She went on to win the prestigious Mulberry Accessories Award outright. "I couldn’t believe it," she says. "The competition was tough this year so I was overwhelmed with joy. It also gave me the confidence to keep designing and thinking of new ideas."

This was an exceptional achievement for any designer, but particularly for someone like Davidson, who has had no formal training in accessory design. She explains why she chose to include bags alongside her womenswear collection.

"It’s good to have an open mind when I'm designing," she says. "In my fashion studies I always used wood and plastic and attached them to garments, so I tried to use the same materials in accessories and I really enjoyed the new process."

Growing up in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, Davidson explains how she has always had an artistic side. "I always loved to draw and sew," she recalls. "I wanted to choose something where I could do both, so I studied fashion and fell in love with it."

Her fashion journey began at Tameside College, where she studied Fashion and Clothing, before going on to study a BA (Hons) in Fashion at Manchester School of Art. She credits the School of Art for helping her achieve her chosen career path: "I couldn't have done it without their support," she says.

Like many designers, Davidson undertakes an extensive design process before she can achieve her unique creations. "I like to spend a lot of time researching and collecting great imagery to influence my design development. Then I try to find fabrics and trims that relate to my project and then put the two together."

Describing her work as considered, original, and creative, Davidson believes that studying in the Northwest has inspired her work. "It influenced me to look at architecture, and I learned how to translate inspiration that is not typically fashion-related into a garment or a bag."

It was this architectural influence that ended up literally shaping her graduate collection. "The inspiration for my collection came from my travels in France last summer," she says. "I visited a few cathedrals and fell in love with the intricate details found around the buildings and on the ceilings. I also love things that are delicate, like lace; you can see the skill and time that went into making something like that. My fascination with both these things led me to design detailed laser-cut patterns inspired by Gothic imagery. I chose to use the colours black and silver because they are the colours most used in my research and work best with the look I tried to achieve."

The development of her laser-cutting technique and her use of unfashionable materials made such an impact that she hopes to rely on the same techniques in the future to create something new and exciting.

Now living in London after being accepted to one of the most distinguished and sought-after MA courses at the Royal College of Art, Davidson is on track for success. For her MA she has decided to focus on menswear accessories, an intriguing choice for a designer who produced a womenswear graduate collection – yet this is another exciting dimension to Davidson’s work, and proof of her versatility.

Davidson’s transition to the Royal College of Art has affected her work in a positive way. "My workplace at the Royal College is beautiful, I’m on the top floor and I have a great view across London and of the Royal Albert Hall. We have industrial leather sewing machines that help us work to professional standard."

Once she has completed her MA she hopes to go on to work in the fashion industry. "I would love to have my own brand one day but I want to have enough knowledge and understanding of every aspect of a brand before I do it on my own."

With this in mind, her dream career plan is to firstly work with fashion and accessory giants Mulberry or Marc Jacobs. "They design stylish accessories that are clean and sophisticated, which I’m really interested in," she says. "I love the quality of finish and the craftsmanship in each item." Davidson also considers J.W. Anderson as a designer she would be honoured to work with, due to his understanding of "the balance between menswear and womenswear" and how he "isn’t afraid to switch roles by having a man in a 'feminine' lace top." His androgynous style is an element she likes to reference in her own work.

Compared to her own exciting yet relatively conceptual fashion designs, Davidson opts to dress herself casually for everyday. She describes her down-to-earth personal style as "usually practical and functional." She tends to wear comfortable clothing such as textured jumpers with soft skirts and skinny jeans with shirts. It's no surprise, then, when she claims Alexa Chung to be her fashion icon. "She is effortless in the way she dresses. She does not try to stand out and is not too glamorous, she mixes tailored pieces and feminine classics."

Ever ambitious, Davidson spent some time during the summer finalising her bag designs to a professional standard. Alongside her studies, she now has a sideline selling her accessories on Etsy. She also makes bags to order, with prices ranging from £40 to £200. (Any enquires should go directly to amydavidson@live.co.uk) There will also be the opportunity to catch Davidson’s work when she showcases and sells pieces at Lustre, a contemporary craft market in Nottingham's Lakeside Arts Centre, on 9 and 10 November. 

With her unique designs and clever ideas, Amy Davidson is definitely a designer to watch. The question is, will she focus her craft on accessory design or return to her former roots as a womenswear designer? Or maybe she'll excel at both practices. With her obvious talent, anything is possible.

@Amyloudavidson

amydavidson.wix.com/amydavidson