008 // Everything Starts With a Sketch
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After more than twenty years in fashion, the place I still feel most comfortable is sitting down with a pencil and a piece of paper.
Technology has changed an enormous amount during my career. We can communicate ideas faster, visualise them in different ways and coordinate development across the world.
But when I want to work out what a garment might become, I still reach for my sketchbook.
Thinking on Paper
An early drawing doesn't have to be particularly beautiful. Often it's a rough outline, a collar shape, an unusual pocket or a few notes about a fabric.
The point is to get the idea out of my head so I can start questioning it.
Does the jacket really need that seam? Is the body too short? Would a different pocket change the proportion? I can draw several versions in a few minutes and learn something from every one.
That's what I enjoy about it. It's a conversation with the idea before anybody else has seen it.
Experience Still Matters
My training and career taught me that a good looking drawing isn't the same thing as a good garment.
You need to understand cloth, construction, how a pattern works and what happens when somebody moves. Sometimes the fabric suggests a better solution than the original sketch.
I've embraced digital tools, including AI, while building Supermoon. They've helped me organise the many different jobs involved in starting a brand and find more efficient ways to work.
But I don't want them making the creative decisions for me. Instinct, taste and the pleasure of designing are the reasons I still do this.
From Sketch to Sample
Some drawings turn into finished garments. Others change completely after the first sample, and plenty never get any further than the page.
I'm fine with that. Designing isn't just about generating more ideas. It's about recognising which ones are worth pursuing and knowing when something needs to change.
For me, the best part is still that first moment when an idea begins to take shape on paper. It's where Supermoon started, and where I expect it always will.
Supermoon / / Edition 01