Florence To: Ethical design

Click here to see the shoot with Florence's designs

Where do you live and work at the moment? Do you support yourself with your design business?

I live in Glasgow and work from home. I applied for funding a few years back with the Arts Council but was unsuccessful so I took a part-time job for a few years to fund my collections. Now I just freelance full time.

What training did you have? What's your design background?

I studied for 4 years at the School of Textiles and Design in Galashiels then moved on to study a masters in Textiles as Fashion at The Glasgow School of Art. While at GSA a major part of my training came from interning with London based designers Preen and Boudicca. Their approach to design was ethical (in the sense of not wasting materials), functional and every little detail was important. They are considered to be fashion designers but they treated everything like an art form, it wasn’t about just how cool it looked, they just wanted to be aesthetically creative. When you’re quite young it’s a big influence to be trained in that way. After my masters I went back to London to work for Alexander McQueen’s Menswear. I come from a womenswear background but wanted to learn the technical aspects of menswear. This led me to create unisex clothing which merges women's and menswear, keeping the label more forward thinking: functionality for both genders.

Do you have a favourite design brand?

I don’t have a favourite, but at the moment I like what NON menswear are creating. Their designs are modern, beautifully hand tailored and have a surreal fantasy feel to them.

Do you have any tips for the coming season that you can share with us?

Don’t throw away old clothes; re-make them, removing parts rather than adding.

What are your plans for the future – is there anything exciting in the pipeline?

I’m hoping to get funding to start a unisex label based in Glasgow. My clothes have always been seen as androgynous and I feel there is a large market for non gender biased fashion. The purpose of the label is also to help promote ethical fashion, integrating consumer consciousness with lifestyle choices and concern for how we treat our environment.

What is your biggest success so far?

That’s a hard question! My idea of success would be just to make people feel good in my clothes. If I manage to survive in what I love doing then that’s my biggest success.

What is your newest collection title and what's its inspiration?

I’m showing some new pieces in this photo shoot which I made to work with the projections. This required a lot of thought about the colour and type of fabric, as this determines the strength of the visuals. Otherwise, part of my aesthetic involves renovating and re-using materials to make them look pleasing to the eye and also to make them wearable.

My new collection is still in production and hasn’t got a title yet but I would say the current inspiration is functionality in seam placements. I love all forms of art, the things I read and do research into usually falls into fine art, sound and installation. Watching early 1900s European surreal films inspired me to work more with menswear; the tailoring, cuts and style were very clever and still ahead of their time. Although I would say my main inspiration is the environment I live in and the people I see every day.

What is your design process?

I’m both intuitive and strict with how my clothes are put together. Usually if I go against my gut feeling I will make a mistake that takes longer to fix. I think every designer goes through that. Before the piece is put together, the garment is in puzzle form and when you finish putting it together you’ve created some sort of life whose purpose is to move with the wearer.

Describe your work in three words?

Ambiguous. Sustainable. Ergonomic.

What technology do you use?

I like to use anything that means I can be hands on! For example, in a previous collection I crocheted over found objects. Usually my garments are hand stitched before being machine sewn, and I also work closely with the grain of the fabric.

What made you pursue a career in fashion?

I used to draw and paint when I was younger as my mum used to and my auntie taught me how to knit and crochet when I was 6. I enjoyed the practical as much as the design side, being able to deconstruct an idea and create a new functional form was exciting for me.

What are your plans for the future?

My plan is to start up a unisex label for the beginning of next year, but at the moment I am working on set design with Aoife McKim for Magic Waves Festival in London in December. This came about as I began creating visuals for monthly night Berk at the CCA terrace bar as a creative project, which then led to VJing at other art and music events. It’s been an influence on my fashion work too as I’ve become more sensitive towards abstract shapes and patterns, so I'm keen to keep experimenting with this.

Where can we see and buy your work?

I sell shirts on Not Just A Label, I do work to commission and sell pieces from my previous collections on request. You can see my work on my website.

Here's a video from the shoot