7 Days of Designers- Interview with Worth. by David C. Wigley

Well, I never said that the 7 days had to be consecutive.  After his busy pre-|FAT| schedule, I finally got the chance to chat with David C. Wigley after his show.  His collection, Worth., instantly caught my attention when a ballerina dressed in a black tutu with animal-like skeletal face paint tiptoed on stage.  His collection held ready-to-wear fashions with an edgy kick.  These black, white, and blue garments held an intense feeling of draping fabrics for both men and women.  An interesting feature was the harnesses that a few of the men were wearing in a daring fashion that could still work for daily practicality.  His final piece was a fine flowing blue and grey dress that made the model look like she was wearing an ocean wave being tossed in the wind.

Wigley's past modeling experience opened him up to the world of fashion. What distinguishes Worth. from other labels is its use of environmentally friendly techniques.  Wigley's interest in sustainable fashion stemmed from his 2009 showing at |FAT| where he had the idea that "timeless pieces should be good for the environment".  He uses sustainable materials such as organic cotton, felted wool, and bamboo.  He wants to encourage people to buy timeless pieces that they can wear over again.  This promotes sustainable fashion because it means that materials are being reused instead of disposed.  Sustainability is also why he reuses some pieces in his collections.  Timeless pieces act as staples and accessories to whole outfits instead of being one-hit-wonder trends.

Wigley said that his collection was inspired by the Black Swan.  The ballerina was inspired by a thought that he had on what our insides look like.  From those two inspirations, her look became a "haphazard" mix of skeletal structures and ballet.  From his collection, Wigley says that he likes the classic pieces such as jersey shirts and skinny jeans.

Speaking of jeans, I also asked Wigley what he would be if he was an item of clothing.  He raved about his $24 H&M jeans that he says he practically wears everyday.  He works full time as a visual merchandiser for H&M, which probably explains his enthusiasm for the comfort and affordability of the jeans.  Lastly, I asked him how long it usually takes him to get ready in the morning.  Typically, it takes him around an hour, but the hustle and bustle of |FAT| meant that he had to trim down that time and get ready in 5 minutes and throw on "whatever was clean".  Even if he took a fraction of the time to get ready in the morning, he was still looking sharp and even relaxed after his great show.

Photos by Geoff Fitzgerald of digitalfabrik.ca