James Hillman was born and raised in Jersey, Channel Islands, where since the age of 15 he's been studying and working in fashion. Whilst at school, he started dress-making and textile trying to make unusual fabrics with materials such as cling film, wax and stitching. At 16, he went to intern at Ted baker in London. In 2005, he got accepted at Central Saint Martins from where he graduated in 2009. This season's collection was a sleek and polished parade of gray tailored menswear. The arrangement consisted of an interesting contrast of fabrics mixing perceptions of masculine and feminine through using leather and chiffon, silk and jersey. The LFW début collection was based on three main concepts : the 59 Bike Club, an admiration for clean elements of the Teddy Boy look -which featured slightly oversized collared jackets and clean white shirts-, as well as a desire for simplicity. The garments were a display of square manly elements and close-to-the-body styles. Small priest collars were sliced out of immaculate shirts, a technique that was repeated throughout on neatly slit pockets. Crushed jersey tees with asymmetric cuts softened the collection, layered under biker jackets, more traditional blazers and waistcoats. It seems James Hillman took pre-existing menswear silhouettes and made ever so slight but effective edits; a simple slit here and distortion of proportion there. A personal highlight were the organza outfit, from an sheer almost boat neck (men's) shift dress to a skeletal pair of dusty gray knee grazing shorts. A lovely use of androgyny also appeared in a white shirt with delicately thin sheer sleeves and a crescent cut-out where the organza met the stiff white cuff.
