An evening with Christopher Kane

I paid a visit to the Apple store Covent Garden last week to listen in on Scottish fashion designer Christopher Kane in conversation with Grazia’s Style Director Paula Reed. The store was buzzing with a mix of fashion and Apple fans and as he and Paula took centre stage they had everyone’s full attention.

Admitting he was nervous at the start, Christopher revealed the highs and lows of his five year career to date. After studying at Central Saint Martins for six years he interned with Giles Deacon and Russell Sage before setting up his own label after he graduated.

He talks about creating his graduation collection out of hosiery, socks and lingerie because he had no money at the time; ‘I know that lots of people didn’t like that collection when I was doing it but I didn’t care, I just wanted to stay true to what I believed and knew it was the right thing.’ Clearly he was doing something right as three hours later he was in Anna Wintours’ hotel room drinking a cup of tea and showing his collection on models – ‘it was like an out of body experience’ he explained.

Christopher refers to the great energy that surrounds London and how this is what inspires him when working in his studio in Dalston, he describes the capital as a ‘jewel box of undiscovered talents’. He goes on to explain how his label is very much a two-man show with his sister Tammy, who is sat at the side of the stage and with whom he shares many characteristics, ‘She keeps me grounded, she’s my best friend as well as my sister.’

The eager audience was soon invited to ask the budding designer questions and a fan finally asked the question that was on everyone’s lips: ‘When did you know you had made it?’

Christopher begins explaining how meeting Donatella was such a special moment as well as seeing people wearing his clothes. But it was on a night out, he recalls, when it seemed to finally sink in that he had made it, ‘I was at a party and there was this girl rolling about on a dirty mattress in a £3000 dress of mine’ He saw her wriggling around without a care for the price of the dress and thought ‘God, I’ve made it!’

Christopher was a down to earth, modest guy and far from showy so it comes as no surprise that Donatella told him ‘you should be more of a diva’, advice he has so far luckily ignored.

For those of you that couldn’t make it, Apple store Covent Garden upload regular podcasts for you to download and catch up on anything you’ve missed, I highly recommend taking a look, its brilliant stuff!