Fashion designer Edeline Lee on how culture of consumerism fosters insecurity and disempowers women
- The Central Saint Martins graduate’s designs have been worn by Alicia Vikander, Olivia Colman and Solange Knowles
- Lee, who shows at London Fashi on Week, advises purchasing less and buying things with more meaning
You trained with designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. What did you learn from them? “Both of them were storytellers: whether through Galliano’s masterful use of colour and material, or McQueen’s precise detail and cut. The narrative itself was infused into the spirit of the clothes, and that aspect influences my work.”
How did you end up launching your own line in 2012? “A jeweller friend, Cora Sheibani, commissioned me to develop a capsule collection to showcase alongside her work. Our presentation was written up in Vogue and women wanted to buy the dresses. I made some more clothes with the money I made, and slowly and organically, I had a brand.”
Who are the women who wear your brand? “My perspective as a designer has always been international – I’m Korean, born in Canada and have lived in the United States, England, France and Italy. I speak multiple languages and grew up in a period when the internet changed everything and travel became cheap and convenient.
“The women I dress tend to belong to the category that doesn’t belong to any one place, but are able to be stylish, comfortable and gracious in any setting anywhere in the world.”
Is there an old-world vibe in your work? “When a shape is flattering, or follows the line of the body, people presume it is referencing the past just because the waistline lands at the true waist, but that, in fact, is the most comfortable place to tie a belt.