Oakazine

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Filled with the youthful exuberance of a child king and the austerity of a man born to lead, Christian Deslauriers has become a bright star in the world of menswear design. This Montreal native has built a reputation on dark variations of menswear staples- evoking the idea of both a young man in grown man’s clothes and an older man reaching for youth. As a designer, he values wit and eloquence above all which perfectly explains his knitwear, his graphic prints, his jumpsuits and his undersized hats. His path to Christian L’enfant Roi was swift- after completing his fashion design degree at College LaSalle, he joined the Andy the Ahn team. He eventually became the second in command to one of Canada’s foremost womenswear designers and, after refining his skills, launched his own collection in October 2010. We spoke to Deslauriers about his future travels, his best advice and just what it was like being born on the first star to the left.

Read our full interview with Christian Deslauriers after the jump. -Kelsey Kreiling

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As Danish-born Camilla Salgaard finished up her graduate studies in 2010 at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in London, she created quite a stir at London Graduate Fashion Week’s prestigious Gala show. Her debut collection — clever in its architecture and black, very black — stood out for its strength of vision and originality, ultimately getting shortlisted for the renowned River Island Gold Award. An experiment in volume and construction, Salgaard’s collection juxtaposed structural power with feminine softness; catering to an independent woman whose style is defined by her uncompromising bucking of the status quo. Her garments range from classic and elegant to avant-garde and edgy, and are designed to be mixed-and-matched to according to whim. Despite receiving her many accolades Salgaard remains as modest as ever, stressing that modesty is an “important aspect of the Danish way of life.” Learn more about Camilla Salgaard in our interview after the jump. –Text by Richard Quigley, Editor: Peter Berwind Humphrey

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The last few years have seen a growing trend of conceptual knitwear designers exploring the age-old methods once relegated to scarves, intarsia sweaters, and endless hats. Among Sandra Backlund & Michiko Koshino, Derek Lawlor has also found a place as an innovative voice in contemporary knitwear design. The English born Central St. Martins Masters graduate has had his hand in reviving, and even revolutionizing, this movement with Japanese armor-inspired pieces created with a completely new technique. Not content using traditional materials to create his textural garments, Lawlor developed a unique use of waxed cord formed into lace shaped over body conscious cashmere dresses. Long fringes of cord create movement while looped layers of cord become levels of scalloped embellishment. Lawlors work is intriguing, at once pushing the viewer away with its severe color palate and at the same time, drawing them in to explore the tightly wound layers and shapes. In an attempt to get closer to the core of his designs, we asked the designer about his collection, his life and his favorite things. Read our interview with Derek Lawlor after the jump. – Text by Kelsey Kreiling. Production/Editor: Peter Berwind Humphrey

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If CSM masters student Phoebe English weren’t a fashion designer wunderkind, she would be a trapeze artist. Or a ballerina. The astute Central Saint Martins lady has chosen knit as her art form though, and uses it to create L’Oreal prize winning garments (apart from plenty of applause, of course.) Charmingly self-aware, English knows what she’s talking about, and has a marked intelligence behind her design aesthetic informing every stitch. Refreshingly, English isn’t out to get one over on her fellow designers or classmates either – claiming that each of her St Martins graduation class was a star in their own right. Meet Phoebe English, she of the curly handwriting and wondrous knits…  and be prepared to be bowled over. — Text by Becky Cope. Photographer: Josh Shinner. Hair and Make up: Jess Cheetham. Model: Hildie @ Premier. Interview after the jump.

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Summer, sun, surf, sea, sand, sex, salt ‘n vinegar fries…a lot of good things start with the letter ‘s’. OAK recently opened up a brand new Summer store in Fire Island Pines, New York, and in celebration of our new seaside home had Michael Wozniak (Ford) and Hellen (Trump) take some of our favorite Summer staples for a spin in the Fire Island sand and surf. Stylishness, sultriness, and sexiness ensued. See more after the jump.

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Michael Andrew Saiger’s unisex jewelry label Miansai takes vintage war relics — bullets, model airplane parts, military pins, and coins — and retools them into supremely cool pieces of wearable history. A world-traveler and former model, Saiger crafted his first piece of jewelry his junior year of college; quickly parlaying his knowledge of antiques (his mother owns an antique shop), and quirky-classic personal style into an entire line of jewelry and accessories. Inspired by icons of industrialism like construction sites and ship yards, Miansai’s pieces exude that rustily nautical 1940’s sort of charm: subdued and classic with bad ass undercurrents (think of them as the jewelry equivalents of a Jack and Coke.) Right in time for this summer, Miansai has unveiled some of our favorite pieces yet. Using the brightly-hued rope cord that invokes nostalgic visions of sandy beaches, zinc oxide, and lifeguard whistles, Saiger created a line of beach-ready bracelets which fasten with gold fishing hooks — basically, summer in bracelet form. With OAK’s new beach store launching on Fire Island, we’re looking forward to seeing Miansai bracelets in action all over the beach all summer long. Check out OAKAZINE’s interview with Michael Andrew Saiger and check out his pieces at OAK. Interview after the jump.

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For all of the austerity and muted tones found in the work of London based designer Alexandra Groover, she can only be described as wholly full of life. Inspired by architecture and the natural world, Groover manipulates felted wool and bias cut silk to grow from cubic shapes into soft, body-conscious silhouettes. The California native has found her home in London after completing her studies at RISD and Central St. Martins, and apprenticing in the studios of the late Alexander McQueen and Zandra Rhodes. Groover’s design aesthetic extends elegantly in to her new film, Birth. The first in a trilogy, the film displays Groover’s fifth collection below the cliffs of Birling Gap; showcasing experimental garments that also feature a collaboration with footwear designer Benjamin John Hall. We interviewed Alexandra Groover to learn more about her great design loves, her early mornings, and everything that she’s working on next. Interview after the jump. – Text by Kelsey Kreiling

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