It’s full speed ahead for Mark Fast, a Canadian fashion designer and London darling.
Pagination
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Over the phone from New York, Mark Fast is witty and warm — he betrays no hint of nerves, although, as he lets slip at the end of our conversation, he’s meeting Anna Wintour later that afternoon. The Vogue editrix is a star-maker; she can shoot budding designers into the stratosphere. But one could argue that Fast is doing just fine on his own. Since 2003, the Winnipeg native has lived in London, where he attended Central Saint Martins and now shows his chic, sexy knitwear at London Fashion Week. Last year, he collaborated with Christian Louboutin on a line of footwear (think knitted panels with Swarovski crystals on python leather), and this spring, Faster by Mark Fast, his collection of luxury basics, is available at Holt Renfrew across Canada.
How did you become interested in fashion?
“I lived outside of Winnipeg, and I had no friends [laughs]. Seriously. I was an imaginative kid, I loved the movies and, for a while, I wanted to be a magician. When I was around 12, I started watching Fashion File and Fashion Television. There was something about seeing what came down the runway — it was new every time; each show created a different world.”
What were the highlights of your Central Saint Martins ex- perience?
“My friend Bora Aksu dressed Tori Amos for her tour, so I got a glimpse of the ‘behind the scenes.’ For my M.A., I was taught by Louise Wilson, a fashion icon in London. She gave me the best advice: ‘Why not stick to something that you’re happy with? If you want to make tight knitted dresses for the rest of your life, why not?’”
Which knitwear designers do you admire? What do you find inspiring about knitwear?
“Jean Paul Gaultier has the best knitwear, even in the ’80s. He was so ahead of his time with his holey mesh cardigans and his sheer layering over chiffons. I also love the way hosiery is made — I apply that to my work. Each line and hole is done separately — right to left, all by hand. When you change the tension, you change the look: A looser tension creates something more voluminous. The possibilities are endless.”
Mark's inspiration and why he picks plus-sized models for the runway on the next page ...
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