Through the looking glass with Phoebe English

Young British designer Phoebe English's intriguing film, produced in conjunction with her A/W 2013 collection that has just hit the stores, sets her clothes against an atmospheric backdrop that plays with symmetry and shadows. Continuing on English's collaboration with director Marie Kristiansen, the film highlights the different levels of transparency in English's clothes - from dense black coats made with eight layers of netting, to sheer white mini dresses. 'The A/W 2013 film is designed around the main themes I was working with for the collection - x-rays, layers of transparent surfaces and functional detailing,' English says. 'The eye masks were derived from a desire to hide and protect the models whilst they were being displayed in a show environment; this was reinterpreted in the film with the protagonist being displayed on a plinth.'

Her eponymous label may only be a few seasons old, but the Central Saint Martin's MA graduate has shrewdly worked with business and creative partner Rose Easton to grow her business steadily, and counts the likes of Dover Street Market and Hostem as stockists. Says English of the film, 'I wanted to make a clear and focused film that was sharply edited and to the point. I had made a very specific storyboard and plan, but this should always been worked on in a reactional way on the day of the shoot. Marie brought a whole new dimension to these ideas with the symmetrical and beautiful use of shadows.'