Fashion
designer Richard Nicoll recently unexpectedly opted not to show his eponymous
collection during London Fashion Week, and now he has explained why he decided
to cancel the season's show. Nicoll reveals that over the last few years, he
has found himself under great pressure and he just needed to take a break: ''I
needed a break. My sales weren't going very well and the last couple of years
have been super-stressful. It's so different from how it was when I started and
I'm just not sure if I'm signed up to what it has become.''
Although
he may not be producing his own collection at the moment, Nicoll has taken on a
new role as designer for high street brand Jack Wills, and he has spoken on how
he is approaching the design aspect. He comments that he is trying to refresh
the general look of the brand, while still holding on to what makes it original
in the first place: ''I wanted to understand that demographic better because I
wasn't really au fait with it, but that's been part of the fun. It's my
responsibility to refresh the brand, but not reinvent it. It's been interesting
to find that balance. What's unique about Jack Wills is that it's not really
fashion, it's more lifestyle product, and in a way that makes it more
approachable.''
He
added that he loves how young and fun the brand is, and has embraced many of
the design elements that were already a main feature of the company's look:
"I like its youthful approach to British dressing. I thought it would be
fun to take on a big brand and refresh its DNA. I've embraced key elements,
like the branded sweaters, and made them a part of the seasonal collection. Mixing
heritage pieces with laidback dressing is unique to Jack Wills."
