An interview with: Milly Devine

With a year of degree studies and the title of assistant intern to Lulu Guinness already under her belt, the Plymouth based designer has established a look that’s instantly recognisable. A joyous, eccentric take on childhood cartoon classics sees the release of her latest colourful collection. I caught up with Milly post release to divulge in what really inspires the 19-year-old designer.

For your latest collection, what were the main concepts behind the

garments and how much creative freedom did you have when developing ideas?

My main concept was inspired by cartoon characters and how their bodies are often really distorted and anatomically incorrect which was a really playful concept to take into a tailoring project, which wouldn’t have normally be my cup of tea. However, taking on such a fun and colourful topic really inspired the child-like qualities of the garment.

The first thing I noticed about your work was the instant attraction I had to the colours of your collection and the visual playfulness. What was your process when choosing these colours and how much did they reflect your concepts?

I really went wild with colours to be honest, I’ve always enjoyed using bright colours in my work as it fits with my colourful personality.

Visually, have you always been drawn to the graphic and ‘distorted’ aspects of cartoons and fictional characters?

As a kid, I watched cartoons and I still do really, so I would say yes. I find cartoons to be really interesting just because of how exaggerated they are in every aspect and the thought of designing for someone like that really appeals to me.

You have previously worked for the likes of Lulu Guinness; how was that experience and how much do you think it has influenced the way you tend to work?

Working for Lulu Guinness was such a great opportunity and has really built my confidence for leaving university and going into the “real” world. In terms of how I work now, I would say that I think in a way that is a lot more professional in presentations and at a standard which is great in preperation for my final year.

Guinness, as a designer, has a distinctive aesthetic and almost humorous approach to her collections. Do you think having a style that is a clear reflection of ‘Milly Devine’ is something you try to incorporate into your work?

Yes definitely, I always want to put out part of me in my work and show my personality because fashion is such a great vehicle to say so much without speaking.

What inspires you as a designer? Do you notice that you have a clear attraction to other creatives?

I would say the most influential designers for me have to be Molly Goddard, Bas Kosters and Ashish but I always find Graduate talent to be massively inspiring too as I always feel their work shows so much raw passion, most recently Billie Jacobina is someone I always look out for. Aside from the fashion world, creatives like Tyler the Creator play a big part in the type of person I think about wearing my designs, so I like to be surrounded by like-minded people and artists when I’m in a creative mindset.

My ambition for the future is to have my own label which can compete with the fashion powerhouses. But before then I would love to gain as much experience working for as many brands as possible to really gain a strong understanding of the industry.