Q&A
Tony Crathern Tony Crathern is a talented creative fashion stylist in the visual industry, who has worked with the likes of Liberty, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Joseph. As creative consultant for Adel Rootstein, Crathern is responsible for designing new mannequin collections and creating new showroom experiences in London and New York. Here, he tells us what drew him to Rootstein and what mannequin design trends are likely to emerge in 2017. RF. What attracted you to Rootstein? TC. I have always been drawn to Rootstein from the time I started in the industry. Rootstein, to me, always had the best realistic mannequins and still do. When approached to be creative director by a brand with such an amazing heritage like Rootstein, and also to follow in the footsteps of some greats like Michael Southgate and Kevin Arpino, I was so honoured, how could I refuse? Tell us about the new London showroom, which opened RF. in September. The new showroom in Munster Road, West Kensington is a TC. great space for showcasing our new collections. There is a great front window space, which at the moment has got two of our Lift mannequins, suspended and revolving, with bright pink and orange Mohicans. The showroom itself is dressed all dramatically in black (luckily, we had so many archive pieces, myself and Danny Letton managed to pull together a fantastic show look). The wigs and makeup were given an 80’s retro look and mixed with the archive pieces of clothing. We also created a feature head wall to showcase our large selection of abstract heads. The whole showroom has a very modern feel, with that Rootstein feel of style and luxury. RF. Where do you draw your inspiration for the collections? M TC. y inspiration for the collections comes from absolutely everywhere; a time, a place, fashion, film, history, art. When I start a collection I know from the first sculpt who he or she is, what they will wear, what hair and makeup — the whole look. You have to connect with the figure to bring them to life. You also have to think about where they will fit in the market place, and who the mannequin is best suited for. I love to see our mannequins in a window, where some talented dresser has done something wild and wacky with them.
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RF. What mannequin design trends will emerge in 2017? T TC. he talk of the industry is a return to realistic mannequins. I think people are wanting a more dramatic window. The high street has to now compete with the internet and the only way the store can do that is to give the shopper an experience, a bit of theatre. RF. How many collections do you expect to launch this year? W TC. e plan to do two collections a year, aimed around key events around the globe. Bespoke has been a big thing for us in 2016, working with customers who want a personal touch for their brand. We worked with Prada on a big project, making bespoke positions for their Paris store. Rootstein will return to EuroShop in March after a 15 year RF. absence. What can visitors expect from the stand? TC. R ootstein has decided not to show at EuroShop in 2017. We have to put all our efforts into New York at the moment and our move there. We do, however, want to be a part of EuroShop next time around and look forward very much to being there.