A SIT DOWN WITH IAIN MACKAY CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF LOGAN MACKAY MENSWEAR

Specialising in the creation of coats and jackets, Logan MacKay Menswear fuses elements of traditional tailoring with contemporary design in order to produce garments that transcend fashion.

Based in London, Logan MacKay place great emphasis on simple yet powerful design, meticulous attention to detail and British manufacturing, which when combined, provide the foundation to all of our collections.

1. Tell us about how you started the brand.  

I started the brand after graduating from university where I had studied Business Entrepreneurship, so it’s quite unique in the sense that I hadn’t had any formal training or experience with fashion design and haven’t been to a fashion college like many other designers these days. I do have a family friend who has taught me pattern making – he’s now retired but had been in the industry for over 40 years, so he has a wealth of knowledge that I can tap into, I even take patterns I’ve drafted to him to look over to make sure they’re correct.

2. What inspired the latest AW16 collection? 

To be honest there was no specific inspiration for the AW/16 collection. I take a slightly different approach in that I design clothes that I would personally love to wear and hope that transcends to the customer. I feel that at times fashion can be too gimmicky and as a result you could end up with something totally unwearable. Personally I don’t see fashion as art; it’s design, it’s about balancing creativity with functionality and business, because at the end of the day clothes have to be sold and worn by people. Maybe I think this way because of my education in business rather than fashion, who knows.

3. What challenges do you face manufacturing in Britain and is it expensive? 

At this stage I haven’t really encountered any challenges with manufacturing in Britain as we only do small production runs, so it’s quite easy to keep on top of things. I’m sure this will get harder as the business grows. I’ve also been very lucky with the factories I’ve dealt with, they’ve all been so helpful and I have developed really good relationships with all of them. The main factory I use in Bethnal Green allow me to come in at any point in the day and watch how the clothes are being made. In terms of price, I haven’t found it to be that expensive, of course it would be cheaper getting things manufactured abroad but I would rather pay that little bit more to ensure I’m getting quality.

4. Whose personal style do you admire and why? 

I like Oliver Cheshire’s style. He’s able to blend elements of tailoring with more casual clothing, for example he recently wore a grey tracksuit with a really well fitted pea coat, which I thought looked good. He also supports British brands so I’m hoping he might wear a couple of Logan MacKay pieces soon.

5. What is your favourite piece from your collection?

I would probably have to say the black leather biker with a navy shearling detachable collar. I think its always a good option to have the collar detachable, especially when living in the UK as you can have all four seasons in one day. I also really like the tailored joggers in both black and grey, not only are they incredibly comfortable to wear, but they can also be dressed up or down depending on what you’re doing.

6. What does 2016 hold for Logan MacKay?

I would like to build on the momentum gathered from London Collections Men and continue developing as a designer. I’m already thinking about how I can improve for SS/17 and the different things I can incorporate into the next collection.

www.loganmackay.co.uk