Think 'gangster' this winter

I’m sorry In advance, as after reading this article those purses may be a little lighter ladies.

If you haven’t already heard of Alan Moore and his stunning Ten30 Brand, (p.s. where have you been?!) then listen up! This Glasgow born designer is one to know and with his new collection just released last week Mr Moore was in need of some serious fashion questioning.

With an honours degree in Textiles from Glasgow School of Art, a background working with Laura Lees and a growing intuitive self-start brand, Alan Moore is definitely a Fashion Smartie. SO it’s understandable I was desperate to get to know him a little better and understand the man behind the brand and his savvy Glasgow ethos.

So let me introduce to you all….drumroll please…. Alan Moore, Ten30 and their newest collection:

Alan Moore

You must be over the moon with the success of the show last Saturday at Glasgow’s Malmaison, please tell all about the new collection:

I was thrilled with the turn-out to see my strongest collection to date, and excited to see media and Textiles Scotland showing support for what we, as part of a new generation of Scottish designers, are working on with Harris Tweed.

This collaboration with Garynahine Harris tweed sees a subtle Scottish theme running in the collection but it’s main inspiration has been the female characters in old gangster movies like Casino, Goodfellas and Scarface.

Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface

I wanted to take the stereotypical aesthetics of these trashy, powerful, money hungry woman and explore it a bit deeper. I found that there is an underlying vulnerability and insecurity that is usually missed, i wanted to incorporate both of these traits into the collection.

So it’s a bit more mature and refined than anything else I've done in the past. I think this is the strongest and most coherent collection to date, and I'm very pleased with it. It’s very simple and classic, elegant silk shirts with subtle detailing, 60's inspired Harris Tweed jackets and lots of luxurious faux fur and soft black leather.

Ten30 A/W 11

Ten 30 A/W 11

Alan with his models

How have the other collections you’ve created differed, what have they been inspired from?

There is always a lot of thought goes into each collection, every detail of the concept is as important as the aesthetic of the garments.

For the last collection we invented a female muse and wrote short stories about her and posted them on "her" blog. We always created a facebook profile for her and managed to gain more than 200 friends. I am fascinated by social media and the idea of dual personalities and things like that so this collection was a chance to explore all these ideas. 

I am usually inspired by old films, i love dystopic sci-fi fantasy films and have previously made collections referencing Snake Plissken and Escape From New York, as well as TRON.

I think Glasgow and Scotland have a huge reputation for producing innovative textiles, rather than fashion, and this always plays a big part in my work. I like to experiment and develop prints, embroideries and wovens, making that the focus, rather than any avaunt gard pattern cutting. Ten30 is always very wearable, and I want to keep it like that.

So you think Glasgow plays quite a big role in your creations and fashion consciousness?

Since I am from Glasgow and having studied at Glasgow School of Art, I think there is an inherent design ethos or belief in Glasgow that is shared by the creative community, and that is all i know. I was fortunate enough to have an interview for the masters course at Central Saint Martains, where I was told my work was "typically Glasgow" i don't know if that's good or bad, but i like it. (*Good)

There is such a varied scene in Glasgow. Although it is a small city, the city is divided up into so many different looks and life-styles almost sub-sub-cultures if that makes sense? The diversity and availability of clothing in Glasgow makes is so easy for anyone to dress how they want to, and not be forced to be dripping in Topshop. I think the reputation Glasgow has for music, art and culture all tie in together and make the city what it is.

I don’t think there is a bitchiness or fashion hierarchy in Glasgow. I find that people are very complimentary and non-judgemental on other people style, even if it’s not to their taste, there is usually a positive to be said. I like that attitude. (*We like yours)

With the launch of the new collection any other plans in the pipeline?

I like to plan no further than a year in advance, and if I stick to the plan and all goes well, I plan for the next year and make sure the label is improving and I am improving as both a designer and a businessman. The plan so far is  to work on a project in December, another project in February a couple of collaborations and working on Spring/Summer 12 to be launched in March next year. So there’s a lot to get on with.

Any celebrities you would like to see wearing your brand?

I'm not really one for celebrity spotting and not a fan of doing bespoke designs, but I’d love to see someone like Eva Green in some ten30. She’s incredibly beautiful, sultry and has an understated sex appeal which i love; I also imagine she would be a pretty cool person to hang out with.(*We wanna hang out with you and try on your new collection? Please?)

Beautiful Eva Green