Interview: Designer Trine Lindegaard

Born in Odense, Denmark and currently residing in London, Trine Lindegaard is an incredibly talented menswear designer and was rightly labelled “One to Watch” by Vogue.com and Vauxhall Fashion Scout. She specialises in combining simple menswear design with unique, quirky textiles, and, thanks to the lovely Maylis at Temomanin PR, Trine is probably one of my favourite emerging menswear designers at present.

On that note, I couldn’t help but bug her for an interview…

What is Trine Lindegaard?

It is a small London based Menswear brand.

What were you doing before you established your own brand?

I was studying Menswear at the Royal College of Art. I did some freelancing and worked on different projects straight after graduating, but quickly decided to start my own brand.

What do you do when you’re not designing?

I spend a lot of time doing all the other stuff around the brand. I do more or less everything myself so to be honest designing is a very rare thing. I also still do some freelancing on various projects.

Aside from your own, who and what are your favourite designers and brands?

Menswear in general is amazing at the moment. It has really been moving forward the last couple of years. Louis Vuitton by Kim Jones and Givenchy showed amazing collections last summer. I always love the use of textiles and colour of some of the well-established Italian brands, such as Prada and Marni. There are also a lot of amazing younger menswear designers in London and I am a big fan of James Long, Matthew Miller and Agi & Sam.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I get a lot of inspiration from everyday moments, things I find on the street, and stuff that doesn’t really relate to fashion in an obvious way. I am very fascinated by people I see locally. I live next to a big African market, so my SS13 collection using woven African fabrics fitted in well.

There are a lot of weird and eccentric people around Dalston, where I am based. I love people that are naturally stylish, but in an unusual way. For instead the most stylish person around is this older homeless man who carries himself so well and always looks super stylish even though he is a drug addict and sleeps rough on the street. He is a gentleman too.

Where do you see yourself in 5 year’s time?

I hope to be doing what I am doing today, but I would of course wish for the brand to grow and become more successful. I would also like to be doing more collaboration, and perhaps move away from London. Who knows? I have been here for nearly ten years now. Time really does pass quickly. I love it here, but I do miss my home country Denmark at times.

What is your idea of an ideal weekend?

A weekend completely off. I don’t remember when that last happened. For an ideal weekend I would like to go to the English seaside. I love the British deserted beaches this time of year. Saying that I am off to Australia on Sunday and I am sure the beaches and weather there will be amazing.

If you could collaborate with another designer or brand, who is it that you would ideally like to collaborate with?

I would love to collaborate with a sports brand making cycling clothes. I have been into cycling for years now, and even though there are more and more cycling clothes available, I still don’t think there is anything around that truly pushes in terms of design and functionality.

What has been the highlight of your fashion career so far?

There have been many great moments. It is funny because things keep on moving so what seems like the most amazing moment one day will move on to something even better. My first editorial straight after graduating was being featured in Vogue Homme Japan. That was amazing at the time. Then I was named “One to Watch” by Vogue.com and had my first show the year after. Now I am really happy that I am getting some amazing stockists for SS13, and that really allows the brand to grow.

What is your favourite film?

Harold and Maude, a film by Hal Ashby from the 70s.

What initially made you want to become a designer?

It kind of just happened. When I was growing up I wanted to either become a designer or a chef. I am now addicted to Masterchef, and often wish I had taken that route.

Why did you decide to design menswear and not womenswear?

I started out doing womenswear, but I only designed clothes I would wear myself, by swapping to menswear I took the focus away from me and was forced to look at it in a different perspective. When doing menswear it is important to keep the clothes wearable. So I am always aware of functionality when I design, but I try not to be boring. -I guess it is always about keeping the balance. I think that is why I enjoy menswear so much; it is somehow more challenging than womenswear.

Do you have a ‘signature’ aesthetic?

Bold, bright and playful. I also use a lot of different textile techniques within my collections.

Do you have a design process?

I always start with the mood and colours. Then I choose the fabrics and develop the textile techniques and the whole collection is developed around that.

What advice would you give to aspiring fashion designers and menswear designers in particular?

Work hard. It is really hard work… every day. It is important to have a good balance between commercial pieces, to be able to get stockists and bolder pieces that work well for press. And most importantly; always stay true to yourself.

You can view more of Trine’s brilliant work on the Trine Lindegaard website.

Images courtesy of Trine Lindegaard