Poly-hyphenate Saul Nash creates work that sits at the intersection of performance and design. His fashion shows incorporate dance and the pieces themselves, of course designed to move in, combine luxury manufacturing with silhouettes and technical fabrications that take cues from activewear. None of which is particularly surprising once you know that his BA, from London’s Central Saint Martins, was in Performance Design and in 2018 he received a scholarship to study for a masters in Menswear at the Royal College of Art.

Working now as a choreographer, movement coach and fashion designer, it’s hard to classify this multidisciplinary artist. Though Nash might fly physically high, he remains grounded and takes cues from the people he grew up with, taking into consideration their - and indeed his own - need for movement as a means of defining and shaping identity. “My inspiration draws from many places. Often the people and men I grew up around, my background as a dancer and my lived experiences,” Nash explains. “I design for people like myself. Men who all come together with a shared passion for freedom and liberation and the ability to freely move within their clothes.”

After three seasons under the Fashion East umbrella, he stepped out on his own at London Fashion Week for SS22 with Fragments, a show that referenced his experience growing up in north London. The concept might appear rose-tinted but that’s not the case. “The work is never nostalgic but more a therapeutic way of recollecting or piecing together certain points in my life,” he explains. “I often discover a lot about myself through my work and gain a greater understanding as to why I am drawn to certain things as a designer.”

Mindful manufacturing is one of the things that’s important to Nash and his thoughtful collections are created in limited runs and produced locally in ateliers based in north London. “Dance and movement are my love and passion. It has also been exciting to see the work evolve in the sense that it has begun to solidify itself with personal experiences and universal stories which connect with my community.” As for the collections themselves, an ever-deepening knowledge and love of craftsmanship means they’re getting increasingly intricate and detailed. “I work in the process of iterations. I like to see the craftsmanship get better from season to season so I am always seeking new ways to further develop my clothing and its techniques.”

Currently in residence at Somerset House Studios, an experimental workspace supporting artists and creatives, he has just staged a kinetic live movement piece to the Somerset House fifth anniversary AGM that continued to explore the story of Fragments and featured DJ N***a Fox. Which begs the question, what next? “With the brand, I am moving forward into the next season and doing further research into ways to innovate and further develop my clothes.” Watch this space.

Words Miriam Bouteba

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Published on 14/10/2021