“My loosely tailored garments and simple basics look right on any type of man. I design for all ages and that’s meant sincerely.”
Finding beauty in discreet places, Molly McCutcheon is the Hackney-based bar maid who designs clean, tailored menswear inspired by awkward boys and ginger hair. Harbouring a man-sized crush on model James Cooper, Molly is obsessed by the oversized silhouettes and the louche attitudes of holidaying artists, writers and other significant types photographed in the 1930’s. Working from a clearly defined colour palette, hues of turquoise, acid yellow, jade and sky blue featured heavily in her graduate collection. Molly’s initial thought processes were much more of a blank canvas, including an all white collection. Dressing up pretty boys the way all girls would like their lads to be seen, she is a woman who knows what she likes and isn’t afraid to pass judgement or speak her mind.
Working closely with friend and fellow Westminster graduate Liam Hodges, Molly’s stand-out debut graduate collection brought a refined artisan feel to the experimental realms of amateur fashion. Opulent she isn’t, sartorial she sure is. i-D Online caught up with the Northern star to find out what’s good and where it’s happening.
Do you remember your first ‘fashion’ moment? I remember aged 4ish dressing up in my mother’s weird hats and scarves and insisting on being photographed in the dodgy back alley by my house.
Who or what are your major style influences? Very sad, but my parents. Stylistically I am a carbon copy of half of each of them.
What were your curation methods when putting this final collection together? I wanted to create contrasts – polyester shine next to raw linen, creased next to pressed, etc.
Where do you source your fabrics? Woolcrest on Mare street – a godsend. Trade price fabrics and over-generous traders. Unbelievably cheap. Two of my jackets were made out of the white cotton drill that is normally used for butcher’s aprons. I like its rigidity and the way it creased – they were great for that. Some Dalston Mill basics, Cloth House in Soho for the odd unavoidable extravagance. Bachelors Leather in Dalston, they’re great. My garments in this collection contained too many small amounts of fabric that I would go on to hand-dye, for me to order in fabrics of a particular type from one source.
Who are your favourite stylists and photographers? For up and coming, Harry Lambert is a stylist that really understands the aesthetic I am aiming for. And at the moment I proper love any photography/shoots by Jolijn Snijders.
What is the staple item in your wardrobe? A good, stylish dark jumper. Usually one of my boyfriend’s. He has far better clothes than I do and more time to shop.
Who has inspired you the most throughout your career? The visual image of a muse that doesn’t actually exist.
What are your top 5 fashion hot spots?
1. The Spurstowe
2. Haggerston on a Sunday night
3. The George and Dragon
4. Alibi and then Efes
5. Oh and the staff at Catch are pretty damn sexy, even if the crowd isn’t.
Click here to see more from our i-Ntroducing series.
