BRYAN HERRERA ︎
An intimate conversation with a womenswear designer with a soft spot for earth and whose ethereal realm is made of airy silhouettes, raw designs and locally sourced materials
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Straight out of his snug bed, Byan yawns after his beauty nap but immediately lights up when we start talking about his work in a overflowing conversation interrupted only by short sips of juice — you can tell, this has been his favourite moment since lockdown started.
Have you ever read one of those emotional Japanese novels with a sparkle of magic, where the characters are so light and deep that you feel like you’ve known them forever? Bryan Herrera could easily be the main character and the author of one of those books and at the same time.
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Born in Ecuador and raised in London, he now studies womenswear at Central Saint Martins and stores all the eclectic energy of the city to process it into poised and organic designs. Sustainable fashion is everywhere but the human element that is often lost by most designers, is newly found by Bryan who is able to tell stories — “usually fiction but based on reality” — through his clothes and whose plot is all about the interactions between his fictional characters and the space around them.
Living part time in his ideal world, he hopes for a slower future for the industry, and illustrates “fashion around here is earthy and refreshing” always having Ecuador’s biodiversity at the back of his head while designing his “natural and raw clothes”.
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“I use a lot of found materials or organic fabrics and I always have raw edges that only the wearer can see” tells me underlining the intimacy and purity of his designs that also take from his beloved Wabi Sabi philosophy — “I think there is a lot of beauty in imperfections, it gives clothes their own character” explains Bryan. The design process is always a big signifier of the kind of designer and Bryan’s only confirms once more his warmth, “it may start with a sculpture that I’ve made or a photo that I’ve taken” illustrates while jealously keeping all these non-
fashion creations secret.
Ask him about success and he’ll say that “it’s about being exactly where you feel the most comfortable at and I feel like I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do” concludes with the most peaceful small laugh.
WORDS BY CHIARA
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