“Confused and tired of looking out of the window for somebody who never came. He could feel himself swelling with hatred. His shoulders tightened as if anger was a heavy burden. His fingers clenched into claws. He could feel himself mutating and fusing together… “. From this poetic metamorphosis dreamed up by designer, Dulcie Dryden, a dark and stormy menswear collection grew. Being awarded the Jon Adam Portfolio award and making the shortlist for the River Island Gold award has marked the start of Dryden’s career with a clap of thunder.

The sharp collection consisted of six different looks, each its own wearable version of clean-cut eccentric, with just a hint of psychotic. “For this collection, I had in mind a stylish, confident and experimental individual. He seeks quality in innovative clothing. When designing menswear, I like to keep tradition in mind. For this collection I exaggerated the traditional, adding elements of sartorial and military design. I like to play.”

The Northumbria graduate kept the crowd on their toes with a sprinkling of statement pieces, including hyena-inspired headdresses and a straight jacket, which gave the collection that all-important unhinged subtext. The overall silhouette of the collection swung both ways, as Dryden’s protagonist teetered between genders, her use of a masculine palette on feminine fabrics presented a modern version of androgyny; “The concept emerged from a story about a depressed, self-destructive man, confused about his sexuality, who became so sad that he curled up and physically mutated into a distorted figure. My clothes took angles around his deformed body using a mixture of masculine tailored fabrics and feminine fluid fabrics.”

 Although being creative came naturally to Dryden from a young age, her interest in fashion was by no means immediate. “I originally started by completing a diploma in Fine Art but decided to start a new path in Fashion Design as I wanted to mix the two disciplines. At first I hated fashion because we were directed to ‘follow’ it. Then I found I could break away from the mould and develop my own concept by incorporating my mood and feelings into a collection. Fashion became fun.” Once fashion had become fun, the Yorkshire-born designer refined her interest to menswear design, as her talent was instinctive, and the ideas flowed. Believing that above anything else, fashion should be conceptually new and well-cut, It would seem the designer has risen to her own challenge of creating something new and exciting for menswear design, “Fashion will always be a fundamental requirement to many people, but there are boundaries still to be pushed. I love the challenge.”

Though Dryden becomes completely immersed in the creative side of fashion design, she retains a business head, speaking frankly about the changing times, and the implications that the current economic state may have on fashion. “I imagine we will see a lot of co-branding between designer and high street. Vintage items may become the one off pieces replacing couture, which is probably too expensive for the majority of people. Perhaps this could be the beginning of the end of the ‘throw-away culture’, encouraging customized lines and limited editions within the ordinary person’s means.” Seemingly reassured that fashion has a future beyond what seems to be an eternal grey area, the designer rounds off her acute predictions with perhaps the most accurate musing of all; “Although the average individual may be less inclined to spend money on clothes, perhaps we will also need fashion to lift our spirits.”

Dulcie's designs are currently available on request. Please contact dulcie.dryden@virgin.net for more information.

Jodie Kharas