Photo: Douglas Irvine/Courtesy of Self-Portrait
On Friday, Self-Portrait announced the launch of its new Residency program, opening its studio doors for creatives across multiple disciplines to design one-off collections that embody their respective styles. For its first “resident,” the London-based fashion house tapped in designer Christopher Kane.
Kane — who founded his eponymous label in 2006 with his sister, Tammy — designed out of Self-Portrait’s London studio at Harella House and created the program’s first collection, further details of which will be revealed in November.
This marks a major fashion return for Kane, who’s undergone financial troubles with his self-named label that was forced to appoint administrators and almost shut down last year. As of July 2023, Kane and Tammy reacquired the company assets, though there had been no further updates on the business.
Photo: Courtesy of Self-Portrait
As for why Self-Portrait started the program, its founder and Creative Director Han Chong shared in a statement that he’s found the industry to be “isolating for designers” and wanted to find modern ways of collaboration.
“My ambition for Self-Portrait has always been to create an inclusive brand, one that empowers with every interaction, and one that focuses on community over competition,” he continued. “This ethos was the starting point when conceiving our new Residency program. To me, this represents the future of genuine partnership, where creatives support and uplift each other rather than seeing each other as rivals.”
In addition to Self-Portrait’s studio space, Residents are also welcome to the house’s infrastructure, platforms, resources, teams and distribution network.
Photo: Courtesy of Self-Portrait
“Having spent the last ten years building our brand and honing our team’s skills, it feels incredibly rewarding to share our expertise and techniques with others, giving them the keys to our studio, and the space to explore and expand their own craft, while staying true to our commitment to honest luxury,” Chong added. “Self-Portrait Residency aims to not only enrich and evolve our collections and redefine how we connect with and excite our customers, but I hope it will also provide a home for creativity to thrive and prosper.”
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Source: Fashionista.com
