MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT

In today's murky fashion landscape of discourse and 'cores, to be a revolutionary is to tune out the chatter and focus on your skill. Here, a vanguard group of designers who prioritize their artistry above all else.

- EMMA CHILDS

For an industry that revolves around “making things,” fashion has somewhat strayed from the “making.” We’ve entered a Bizarro World where clickiness is currency and expansive themes are trumped by trends that fit neatly into eras, ’cores, and aesthetics. For the designers who are game to gamble, it’s a race to capture the zeitgeist’s whims or find a gimmick that hacks our short attention spans.

But the rise of quick-hit style belies another reality. One where public opinion is overlooked in favour of nurturing a more valuable connection: the one between a designer and their craft. For these creators, the only way to stay upright on fashion’s high-wire act is to keep their heads down and eyes on their work. Their artistry is intimate—a bond forged from hundreds of hours spent crocheting by hand, setting gems in gold, and measuring stitches down to the millimeter.

These 10 designers, both contemporary and veteran, are perfect examples of those who have mastered their métier. For a glimpse into their process, we asked them about their respect for tradition (or their predilection for subversion), how they merge the past with the present, and why beauty is in the details.

Rachel Scott, Diotima Rachel Scott treats her textiles like clay. As she tells it, yarn, cotton, and silk are meant to be manipulated and molded to her vision.

"The way I work with crochet is quite unique in that I will drape it like a fabric and use it to deconstruct familiar silhouettes," says the Jamaicaborn artist, who won the CFDA's 2023 Emerging Designer of the Year Award.

You could describe her methods as unconventional. "[Design] is a constant play amongst all the elements and my creative process is constantly in flux.