Designer name: Christian Blanken
Origin: Netherlands but Christian was raised in the Far East and UK.
Career highlight: “My photo installation with Terry Richardson entitled Women.”
Design background: Christian studied for his BA at the Academy of Fine Art in Arnhem, Netherlands and completed his MA at Central Saint Martins. He has previously designed for Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg, Harvey Nichols Private Label and the MaxMara Fashion Group.
Design signatures: “Clean, tailored, sharp, luxe and modern, not sweet!”
How would you describe the Christian Blanken woman? “Charismatic with an artistic side. She is sensory; she enjoys and understands good fabric, tailoring and attention to detail. Her lifestyle requires easy, modern and interesting pieces.”
Name three things that are inspiring you for autumn/winter 2010: “Burnished gold, Japanese geometric woodblock prints and contrasts between matte and shine.”
What encapsulates fashionable London for you? “London fashion is all about association for me. Over time, the Kings Road, the factories in East London, the V&A, the fabric stores on Berwick Street and the womenswear designer floor of Harvey Nichols have all played a part in conjuring up different memories that capture London as a fashion capital for me.”
What do you hope the new decade will mean for your brand? “Growth!”
How does London influence your designs? “I have lived in a few cities but find nearly everything about London inspiring: its size, the people, their style, the huge amount of culture and art on offer, the music, the toughness, the light, the weather, all make it a challenging, interesting and inspiring city in the context of what I do. It is unique.”