LUCY UPSHER
Styling & Photography // Jodie Deakin, Model // Justina Aleksandraviciute
How did you first get introduced to fashion?
I was always really into it all from as long as I can remember I know that’s a bit of a non answer but I can’t pin point exactly when. I remember trying to look just like All saints and Geri and taking my party dress decision very seriously- I always got my hair crimped especially too. I also used to really like designing costumes for characters when watching films, so maybe you could say I got introduced through the dressing up/fantasy side of fashion.
What does it mean to you to be a designer and who do you design for?
It can be really hardcore and intense, but for me that is part of the attraction. I don’t think this should rule out enjoying it and keeping it fun, it’s a massive chunk of my whole life so it would be pretty miserable if it was all stress alone. I design for women who are unashamedly outlandish. Not someone who shops looking for fashion really but is instead drawn to clothes that she finds exciting that intrigue her own strong sense of style. I don’t think she’d go saturday shopping for her staple outfits; someone who just falls in love with something and has to have it.
Where did you study and how important was that to you in the progress of your development as a designer?
I studied at University of Westminster, which was good in that I don’t think it has a typical graduate ‘mould’, whereby it influences too much on your style/taste/direction. Instead they really encourage you to the be the best version of yourself rather than focus too much on fitting into what you think will get you a job, you need that conviction and sense of your own identity to get ahead.
Did you intern whilst studying and what did you learn whilst there?
Yes I did, I interned on and off during school holidays from about 16 and then took a sandwich year to spend in industry during my BA. It did obviously help improve my sewing and pattern cutting; learning little tricks and tips off professionals, but I think the most beneficial aspect is seeing how other people work and how the team manage to do it. Every place I worked was a completely different experience which helped me realise how much the brand you work defines whether or not it’s for you rather than necessarily the job title itself.
You experiment a lot with texture in your collection, what was your favourite fabric to work with and worst?
I really enjoyed working with fur, partly because I think fur machines are really fun. Plus the results are a little less predictable because of it’s movement and natural properties, making it an exciting challenge. Least favourite could be rubber. I used it for my precollection and although it can create some really cool results, especially when layering with other textures, there’s no way getting around the fact it’s a bitch to sew, at least until you get your head round it.
What does the future hold for Lucy Upsher?
I am mostly working in print at the moment and have been teaching myself to knit so will hopefully be branching out further and wider, not just strictly womenswear.
Lastly what are your five favourite places?
Rio De Janeiro- I spent a Summer there 3 years ago and think still think it’s the most fun place imaginable. I forgot the rest of the world existed for a bit.
London- I love doing touristy bits in London even though I feel most at home here. I especially enjoy that loads of museums are open at night- so good for dates. It also hands down has the best fashion on the street.
Paris- THE. CAKES. Once i’m off that Eurostar it becomes all about how I can visit as many patisseries as physically possible in my allotted trip time. Each time I visit I still like to think that I’m playing a glamorous film character version of me with constant backing track music in my head.
Knaresborough- A chocolate box village in Yorkshire that I used to visit a lot to see my college friends. It has a cave with a petrified shoe of Queen Victoria’s and rowing boats; I think that’s all that needs to be said.
Annecy- I visited here last Summer on a wonderful car trip across France with my boyfriend. It’s where France meets Switzerland at the border of the Alps. It is so beautiful, with a fresh water lake- you dont get salty eyes! Plus we ate cheese fondue and drank red wine the whole time.
