FASHION
GRAHAM TYLER GETS WEARABLE
SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
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WORDS
by KRISTOPHER FRASER
PHOTOS
COURTESY of PURPLE PR
Graham Tyler has become an expert at taking neutrals like black, white, and grey and working them in ways we would never even imagine. Brace yourselves, kids, because he’s become very adventurous with his latest collection doing everything from corsets to his unique take on a wedding dress. Tyler was inspired by Joseph Cornell’s short film Jack’s Dream, where a peculiar puppet show takes place and the puppet show was sliced up with scenes from the ‘20s, involving a sinking ship, a castle, and a sunset, which Graham interpreted as peculiar metaphors for childhood.
Graham has inserted a new pirate shirt into his core assortment of pieces, which has two tabs that can be turned into a tailcoat. The title of the collection is “All The Stars Are a Riot of Flowers”, which comes from Graham’s favorite book The Little Prince. The phrase was woven into jacquard fabrics in Tyler’s father’s handwriting. All of the very specific details are done by hand.
One of the most standout pieces from the collection was a Victorian corset with bust cups. The corset was draped in one piece and the skirt was draped in a second piece, twisted, then draped around. Tyler’s become more focused on more wearability, as he wasn’t known for that, and he’s approaching his brand from more of a sales perspective. “I’m trying to make sure there is a larger assortment of more accessible items,” Tyler said. “My imagery and aesthetic can be quite stoic and severe, and sometimes it can be hard for a consumer to access that. So, I created a few more pieces that felt accessible to the everyday consumer.”
Graham Tyler fall/winter 2020
Tyler contrasted the more accessible pieces with editorial pieces like corsets, pirate jackets, and screen-printed wool sweaters. Given that his pieces are done by hand, and he comes from a background in painting and sculpture, Tyler’s works are fashion pieces treated like art. His recent collection was presented at George Billis’ Gallery in Chelsea, and each look had a different plaque like originally works in a gallery. “The people around me are less interested in buying clothes, and are more interested in buying art items, collectors’ items, or relics for their closet,” Tyler said. “That is becoming quite noticeable even in the market because everyone is going toward buying vintage items and resale items which feel really special. People are also more art pieces due to their rarity and exclusivity. That’s why I focus on a more artisanal approach to making clothing.”
Tyler is also expanding his line to incorporate more jewelry and enamel items. This season he also collaborated with Parisa Wang. “I really love Parisa Wang’s bags, she has a very menswear minded construction to them,” Tyler said. “It was very exciting to work with her in a collaborative capacity and share her vision. It was a pleasure to work with her.”
Tyler is also part of the gender fluid fashion movement, as he cuts his clothes with both men and women in mind. He often fits his clothes on both men and women because he finds fashion minded consumers are not interested on whether it’s a certain gender or not. Clothes are about the person who wants to wear them. He’s certainly got that right.
Graham Tyler fall/winter 2020
