Meet the Maker | Mimi Wade
To celebrate London Fashion Week AW20, J&M Davidson collaborated with fashion designer Mimi Wade. Known for her kitsch and cute designs with punkish undertones, Mimi Wade has been an anticipated fixture on the LFW schedule since 2016.
Now she has designed a special limited-edition capsule collection of the iconic Fringe Bag.
JMD: Tell us about eponymous brand Mimi Wade and how it came to be? How long have you been doing what you do? How did you discover it could become a career?
MW: I always wanted to go to art school since I was a very young child and when I was on foundation at St Martins I decided fashion was what I wanted to study so I did the BA there in Fashion Print. After that I was picked up by Fashion East and that's when I realised this could be a career and I'm so grateful for that opportunity, it was extremely formative.
JMD: The medium or the message : what's more important to you?
MW: Both are equal importance to me, and I think one should inform the other. I'm obsessed with using beautiful luxurious materials and developing interesting ways of printing but my designs are also steeped in research.
JMD: Where do you find inspiration?
MW: Movies are my main source of inspiration, mainly old ones. My granny is also a big inspiration!
JMD: What's your most valuable tool you use for your craft?
MW: Drawing! Both with pencil and paper, and on photoshop. I couldn't design without. The mix of analogue and technology is what gives things that visual depth.
JMD: What's your recipe for happiness?
MW: Work hard, try to get enough sleep and see your friends as often as you can.