William Richard Green is the menswear designer behind this month’s ‘share and share alike’ i-Sustain.
William Richard Green creates menswear that seamlessly flows between tailoring, street and sportswear, offering a slouchy loose aesthetic that is essentially masculine and yet looks good on a woman. It’s not rocket science it’s just well realised design with a distinctive style and a broad appeal; menswear that looks good on a girl doesn’t have to be effeminate or camp, let’s face it the boyfriend jean was invented for a reason. The fact that Will also sources and makes everything in the UK just adds an extra layer of design authenticity. In the end it doesn’t matter if it’s a girl and a boy, two girls, two boys or a whole family sharing, if the boot fits then why not wear it!
Why do you think you’re part of this project? I think it’s because I solely use fabric produced and milled in the British Isles predominantly with British raw material, then only use UK based factories to manufacture the garments and most of the trims too. This obviously reduces the ‘carbon footprint’ which is the subject matter of a lot of sustainable/eco discussions currently, but more importantly for me it encourages the idea of British craftsmanship and skilled manufacturing communities to be brought back to life.
Do you have a philosophy? I would like to think I produce ‘design-led’ mens fashion collections, which comfortably sit beside designer brands, but also happen to have the morals and production values of classic heritage brands, without having to shout about it.
Who or what inspires you? I tend to be inspired by functionality and utilitarian design, generally re-contextualised around the season’s chosen theme, which is often overtly masculine and then refined to the level of high-end clothing design.
What’s unique about your work? I’m not trying to be unique or different, I’m just trying to make a good quality clothing label that appeals to a wide range of people.
What could you do better? A soufflé.
Where can we buy your clothes? Selfridges, UK, Lifestore, Israel and Eliminator, Japan.
What are you working on now? Just getting my Autumn/Winter 12 collection ready to take to Paris as well as constantly researching into British craftsmen and manufacturers and building working relationships with them.
Click here for the full shoot and credits.
Text: Alex McIntosh
Photography: Kerry Dean
Styling: Sam Willoughby
Hair: Eamonn Hughes@Premier Hair and Make up using Kiehls stylist series
Make up: Veronica Martinez using Kiehls
Photography Assistance: Chloe Coates
Styling Assistance: Gemma Butterworth and Otter Jezamin
Models: Marko B@Premier, Zhanna E@FM
Re-touching: Russel Day@Daybreak Creative
