Ones to Watch: Knitwear designer Alice Palmer

This week on FashionUnited we are highlighting three London-based emerging talents as part of our ‘Ones to Watch’ series. Following on from menswear label Ada + Nik, we chat to knitwear designer Alice

Palmer, who was recently crowned Scottish Textile Designer of the Year at the Scottish Fashion Awards.

Alice, who

graduated from Glasgow School of Art and London’s Royal College of Art, sat down with FashionUnited to discuss her take on knitwear, how Fashion Fringe helped her, and the launch of her diffusion line.

How long has your label been running and how would you describe the Alice Palmer consumer?
Alice: "I started my label nearly five years ago. The Alice Palmer customer is someone who appreciates clothes of a high quality and likes to stand out from the crowd, wearing garments which are a little daring or bold."

Your knitwear garments have been described as pushing the boundaries and a mix between Missoni and Issey Miyake – what inspired you to focus on textiles?
"I have always been more interested in making the fabric from scratch, which is why I intuitively went into designing knitwear.

"While I studied for a Masters Degree at the Royal College of Art, I focused on developing innovative ways of constructing knitwear. I find textiles very exciting as there are infinite possibilities for colour, form and pattern."

For SS14 you are reviving your diffusion range AP by Alice Palmer – what made you decide to add another line? And what is the inspiration behind the collection?
"I wanted to reintroduce the diffusion line to make my clothes accessible to a wider range of people. The title of this collection is 'Magnetic Highway', inspired by diagrams of paths in space, and also computer games which involve grids - such as in the science fiction film 'Tron'."

With AP by Alice Palmer ranging from 25-110 pounds – would you consider doing a high street collaboration?
"This is something I have been considering and I will let you know more soon..."

With wool being celebrated last week – why do you think more designers seem to be adding knitwear into their collections?
"I believe knitwear has become very fashionable, and therefore more desirable for designers to indulge in. Also, many fashion colleges in Britain offer courses solely for knitwear, which encourages more textile students to enter into careers in fashion."

You took part in the Fashion Fringe scheme – how did the experience help you? Would you recommend the platform?
"I would highly recommend Fashion Fringe. They provided lots of mentoring advice from people such as Mandy Lennard and John Galliano, who was the judge that year, and showing on-schedule proved to be a very valuable experience."

One of your stockists is Dolce&Gabbana’s concept store in Milan – as part of their Spiga Project to promote emerging designers – how did that partnership come about?
"I met the buyer at Zip Zone in Paris and while he loved my collection - for S/S 2011 - he watched me for a couple of seasons before buying. I have sold to them for three seasons now and really respect Dolce & Gabbana for supporting emerging designers."

What did your recent win at the Scottish Fashion Awards for Textiles Designer of the Year mean to you?
"I am absolutely over the moon to have won such an award! It is fantastic to be recognised within the field of Textiles, and also as a Scottish designer. And Tessa Hartmann knows how to throw a good party - it was such a fun night!"

Images: Alice Palmer and SS14 Collection

Danielle Wightman-Stone