Runway Realway BY DORI GRAY PHOTOS BY PROVIDED
Hailing from London, U.K., Bianca Saunders is a young Black designer who has already made a name for herself in the fashion industry. She graduated with a M.A. from the Royal College of Art in 2017, specializing in menswear. “I was able to find my own aesthetic in menswear, as there was less to see and more space to change at the time,” Saunders said in an interview with British GQ. Though her debut at London Fashion Week Men’s was in 2018, she has since amassed impressive accolades, including being on Dazed’s 2019 “Dazed100” list, Forbes’ 2020 “30 Under 30” list, winning the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN Prize, and winning the ANDAM Fashion Award Grand Prize this year. Saunders’ eponymous menswear brand has been simultaneously adventuresome and relaxed. She challenged what it means to exclusively be a menswear designer, utilizing elements like ruching and ruffles to create a brand signature that anyone can appreciate. According to the Bianca Saunders website, she “[draws] from touchstones on either side of her British and West Indian background.” The Bianca Saunders Spring/ Summer 2022 Menswear 18 | THREAD
Collection, “Henchman”, was actually inspired by photos of Saunders’ family in Jamaica, which were taken by her mother at 18 years old, as noted in a post on the brand’s official Instagram page. “I was looking at … the colors in the photos and how the style was in-between casual and tailored,” the post quoted Saunders. She even had her brother, uncle, and cousin model for the collection, further enforcing the importance of family and heritage as her inspiration. The Henchman collection featured a collaboration with menswear brand Farah, and utilized sustainable denim from ISKO. Co-ords with intricate, under-the-radar luxe detailing were the collection’s main event, and all 28 looks followed a serene primary color scheme of white, green, yellow, blue, and tan. One double denim ‘fit had a jean inseam that wrapped around to the model’s shin, splitting at the ankle and elevating the look. A simple and seasonable way to get the Saunders look is to tuck a solid-colored turtleneck into identically colored loose straightleg pants. Contrast the outfit with shoes of a different hue and prepare to walk a runway — or the grocery store aisles.
