PHOTOGRAPHY George Hutton
“I actually grew up next to a trainline and during the night,” says fashion designer Matty Bovan of his AW25 collection, ‘The Freight Train Shakes The House At Night’. “The freight trains used to shake the house so much that stuff would move, and I was telling a friend of mine stories about this. I wrote it down and I liked that it sounded almost cinematic, I could picture visuals and a narrative. It told a story and it just fitted this collection.”
Since his hotly-tipped London Fashion Week debut in 2016 via talent incubator Fashion East, and then a double-Woolmark Prize win in 2021, Bovan has carefully crafted a reputation that prides itself on supporting local artisans and transforming deadstock materials. Woven into each maximalist design, Bovan pushes the boundaries of what we have come to expect from handcraft, from intricate crochet by his own hand, to working with Yorkshire’s finest craftspeople, paying homage to his hometown and its rich textile heritage.
For his AW25 collection, the designer has delved into the vivid visual language of cult film director David Lynch, whose complicated female characters in Dynasty and Mulholland Drive left a lasting impression on the British designer. Below, Matty Bovan shares how Dynasty, David Lynch and freight trains inspired his latest collection.
The collection was released online on 1st May. Why was it the right time for you to release this collection now, away from the fashion system’s schedule?
I wanted to pour my all into this collection, I didn’t want to rush any aspect, unlike normally where you have a very hard deadline. I knew I wasn’t doing a runway, so it felt right to do this outside of the fashion week schedule. I wanted to try showing off schedule as I thought this would also give the work room to breathe in a way. It also allowed me about 5 weeks of editing the film, alongside other projects, which really felt like a creative luxury.
The collection’s accompanying film features “vignettes of complex women” – can you tell us about some of the women, real or fictional, who inspired these characters?
Well I was lucky enough to grow up around a very strong willed grandmother, and mum, who always dresses powerfully in their own ways, and of course I have been inspired by 100s of woman, real and fantasy. I recently became really interested in Dynasty – the 80s TV show, I knew as a pop culture reference, but had never watched, so in researching for this collection, I watched a lot of clips, and although the clothes didn’t directly influence pieces, you can see the silhouette, placements, and the sense of proportion that did.
You’ve also mentioned David Lynch as an inspiration. I’d love to hear more about how his work has influenced you?
I’ve always been a fan of David Lynch, like a lot of people who see the world from that creative standpoint, but his passing of course brought up a lot of feelings and wanting to reconnect with his work. I rewatched Twin Peaks which I haven’t seen for years, and there is something so magically addictive about that show. I’ve always loved the uncomfortable dreamlike feeling of Mulholland Drive, which I rewatched, as well as Blue Velvet that I love. I feel like he portrayed women with layers to their characters, they weren’t just there to be beautiful or for one note. David’s women are flawed, and raw, and have such a sense of vulnerability, yet are very strong. With his work, there’s a sense of beauty, but also something very dark and moving behind the walls.
I feel like [David Lynch] portrayed women with layers to their characters, they weren’t just there to be beautiful or for one note. David’s women are flawed, and raw, and have such a sense of vulnerability, yet are very strong. With his work, there’s a sense of beauty, but also something very dark and moving behind the walls.
What was it like having your mum on set while shooting this lookbook?
Having my mum on set was great, and it is the first time I’ve shot her for my main collection Look Book. I usually have her around for certain projects if I can, but it felt the right time to shoot her this time, and in a sense it was full circle, because she has been such a big inspiration to me growing up. It was really nice to be able to share that with her, and it was interesting because it wasn’t clothes or accessories she would normally wear, it was very much her stepping into the Matty Bovan world, so I think we both enjoyed pushing ourselves outside of a comfort zone.
How did you approach designing this collection, using Friedmans Ltd.’s excess fabric?
Gut instinct, which is how I pretty much have always worked. I have a feeling and allow myself to run with that through research, experimentation, sourcing materials, and creating a silhouette. I knew I wanted to look at the 1980s, specifically the American 1980s, but completely take it into my world, and not do it so it looks like a costume.
There’s something about this broad shoulder, but with quite a flatness in the body with volume in the sleeves, that I found really inspiring. It wasn’t really something I’d done before. The line was quite long and quite flat, and it made the body almost like a canvas ready for appliqué. I’ve used Friedmans [Ltd] fabrics a lot in previous collections, and had been talking to them about how we could work together this time, as I really enjoy working with deadstock, something I’ve done for years, but this time I told them to just send me anything they had left over that they weren’t doing anything with, because I really enjoy not having full control of the fabrics, and knew I could make it work for this collection, as they do a lot of foiled fabrics. I also really enjoy the challenge of fabrics that are extreme in colour, texture or print.
It’s always been really important in my work to show Yorkshire as something which isn’t a pastiche or isn’t all flat caps and whippets. Of course that is part of Yorkshire, but for me it’s just been really important to highlight that we have a lot of creativity in Yorkshire alongside the more rural and beautiful landscapes.
Why is it so important for you to work with local artisans in Yorkshire?
It’s always been really important in my work to show Yorkshire as something which isn’t a pastiche or isn’t all flat caps and whippets. Of course that is part of Yorkshire, but for me it’s just been really important to highlight that we have a lot of creativity in Yorkshire alongside the more rural and beautiful landscapes. There’s lots happening here, with really interesting people, and the older I get the more proud I feel, I love the energy of Yorkshire and the North. It’s shaped me in so many ways, and very special to me and my work.
Choosing a favourite look can be difficult, but is there a garment or look from the collection you’re most proud of?
It’s always difficult, I love the last look with the cherries [Look 24], because it was incomplete by the time we did the shoot – which is unheard of for me – so I actually sewed it on the morning of the photo shoot (because I knew it could look good) and it came together really well. I’m proud of that one as it nearly didn’t happen!
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