Bianca Saunders is softening the ridges of masculinity – DAZED
Fri 24 Jun
Bianca Saunders has just debuted the most impressive collection of her career, but as she gathers herself in a nearby apartment, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was just another day on the job. In a crumpled shirt of her own making, she describes the aftermath of her second-ever outing in Paris as somewhat anticlimactic. “I’m still learning to mentally prepare myself for those kinds of moments,” she says. “It’s just such a rollercoaster in the days leading up to a show and my favourite moments are always just before the models go out, when we’re waiting for kick-off. I actually only saw how packed the venue was when I came out to bow. It was pretty amazing.”
That Saunders is one of the most talented designers to have come from London is not just fluff. Last summer, she became the 32nd winner of the ANDAM prize, selected by a jury of industry bigwigs, among them Phoebe Philo, Kerby Jean-Raymond, and Balenciaga’s CEO Cédric Charbit. “Oh I was so starstruck! I died inside when I saw Phoebe’s face on Zoom and Cédric has been so supportive of me. I think he really sees the longevity in my work. He’s made me realise that people do want to know who I am and that I have a unique selling point, balancing masculinity with touches of my own culture.” And though Saunders has always abstracted her own experiences onto clothing, this season was perhaps the most sensitive articulation of those points.