April May 2014 April.May 2014 2 | Page 34

what’s on: fashion & beauty what’s on: fashion & beauty Spotlight on: jacob birge We turn the spotlight on Edinburgh based fashion designer, Jacob Birge. Here he talks us through his career highlights, his latest collection, and his advice for other budding designers looking to embark upon a career in fashion. How long have you lived in Edinburgh and what brought you here? I have been living in Edinburgh for around three and a half years. I came here to study at ECA and stayed after graduation. Talk me through the inspiration for your latest collection. My S/S14 collection is inspired by Scandinavian architecture – a combination of natural colours and the different qualities and surfaces within one design is reflected within the collection. Within our research we tried to find various techniques of combining soft materials with more solid surfaces – we believe that a good design is a balance between them. Brown, beige and grey displayed on the white background are the major colours of the collection. There are strong references to 1950s fashion in terms of silhouette and feel. 34 informededinburgh.co.uk As well as designing fashion collections, your work also crosses over into visual art and films. How important is the link between fashion and art? This is a reflection of my general interests. I previously studied Chemistry so I have