How did the book 'Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' inspired you in this collection? What is the message that you were trying to convey?
The narrative of this story was really inspired by where I was living at the time. This collection was conceived when I was living in a small village in the northern woods of Saskatchewan. It was really beautiful for a city girl, but I wondered how it was viewed by the locals. The forest would possess no novelty for them, it would just be where they lived. And there were a lot of very serious social problems in this village – substance abuse, poverty, suicide. That was really the starting point – the fact that all this natural beauty wasn’t enough to sooth the issues that also affect cities so badly. So often we hear that our social issues are a result of our disconnection from nature. I was in a place closer to nature than any other I’d experienced, and it was certainly not better. All that said, this place still had joy, and art, and music – and so I started looking at the ways that humans cope with terrible things. I also saw the photographic project “The Ruins of Detroit” by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre. These photos are of something so sad, and yet they are so beautiful. I am very environmentally conscious, and have a rather dire view of what awaits us as a species. So for the story of this collection, I wanted to make a worst/best case scenario for that future. Girls living on the other side of societal collapse, having lived through something terrible, but finding the beauty that was still there and carrying on. It’s a dream world, for sure. I wanted to call it “The End of the World”, but felt that was a bit heavy. I’m a big Murakami fan, and so I took the first part of his title “Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.” I’ve taken some flack for the collection not being a literal interpretation of the book, but it was really only one reference in a sea of them. He does write about sci-fi cyber-worlds, but HBW is also about a dream world of shadows and unicorns and self-examination. I think this is reflected in the muted tones of the collection; the subject matter, the softness, the dreaminess. It’s a dark fantasy land, but it’s still a fantasy land. And I think that’s an important element of fashion – the fantasy. Fashion can be an escape, but that doesn’t mean it has to ignore important issues in the real world. Some people think this collection is too ‘fairy’, others too dark. It is what it is, really. It’s just my version, my view of things.
What is your vision and philosophy in fashion?
Fashion to me is art. It’s a voice, like any other form of expression. The thing that makes it so dear to me is that it is also utilitarian. We can express ourselves with fashion. We can admire a painting, and relate to the subject matter by hanging it on our wall, but we can’t wear it. We can’t make it our own by pairing it with other elements – it’s still the artist’s voice. Fashion is different. We can admire the workmanship of a dress, but we can also throw it on with our favourite accessories and then it becomes ours – a unique expression of our own vision, and one that no one is trying to interpret the deeper meanings of.
What is the biggest influence on you in fashion?
Everything around me. Everything every day affects me in some way. It all goes in and then comes back out in some form or other.
Who is your favourite designer? How did he/she inspire you?
McQueen. McQueen has influenced my approach to design from the beginning. All of his pieces are so gloriously detailed and constructed. Each piece could just be hung on a wall and looked at. I have really admired his overall aesthetic from the beginning, and achieving that level of craftsmanship is my life-time goal. I also think Westwood is a genius. I saw this dress in a magazine once...it’s a long sleeved, full-length, full skirt ball-gown – and it has one seam. That is such an incredible feat of pattern-making/cutting that I was forever impressed by it.
What is your next project and your future plan? Will you be doing menswear?
Well, I’m in talks about adding menswear to the AnotherWordForPink line. I had hoped to do that this spring, but the plans fell through. I’m hoping for the fall now. The S/S AWFP stuff will launch in two weeks, and once that’s underway I’ll start planning the S/S show for the signature line for the fall.
What is your favourite style off the runway?
What is your favourite style off the runway?
A bit messy/glamourous. Marla Singer. Some sequins with jeans. Incongruous pairings make me happy.
Photos are courtesy of Marcus Kan
Now, we hope you have more knowledge about Breeyn McCarney and also get a chance to see the details from this collection. We have become fans of her clothes and we wish her all the best in the coming future as a fashion designer. Once again, it was a pleasure working with Breeyn and we are anticipating her next collection! Make sure you go to her website and check her lookbook and video for the runway show!
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