London-based fashion house Self-Portrait has announced the launch of a new Residency programme through which it is planning to invite creatives to try their hand at reinterpreting the brand’s own signature style. And who else to kick off the launch of such a project if not Christopher Kane?
Kane, formerly the head of his own eponymous brand and now the inaugural Resident of Self-Portrait, will be designing out of the brand’s London studio at Harella House, where he has been tasked with infusing his own handwriting into the programme’s first collection.
Pieces from this line are to then become available in stores and across an international retail network from the end of November 2024, when full details of the residency will become clearer.
The decision to launch the initiative was a response to the often isolating atmosphere the fashion industry can be for designers, according to founder and creative director of Self-Portrait, Han Chong.
“Having spent the last ten years building our brand and honing our team’s skills, it feels incredibly rewarding to share our expertise and techniques with others, giving them the keys to our studio, and the space to explore and expand their own craft, while staying true to our commitment to honest luxury,” Chong continued.
Beyond this, Chong hopes to open up Self-Portrait’s infrastructure, platforms, resources, teams and distribution network to promote external creatives, with the programme to continue evolving under the direction of new Residents across all creative disciplines.
Like Chong, Kane had once helmed his own luxury label, which had first launched in 2006 as part of the British high street chain Topshop. However, similar to his early collaborator, the designer was forced to appoint administrators and set out in pursuit of refinancing the company.
It was later revealed that Kane, together with his sister Tammy Kane, had managed to reacquire the Christopher Kane brand, buying up all trade names, trademarks and other intellectual property in a process overseen by FTS Recovery.
