The Montebury: Tell us about your early life in fashion?

Nico Kubisch: I have been in fashion for quite a while now, a little more than ten years actually. I was always interested in anything art related, originally much more fine art, print and sculpture.

Was that what you originally studied?

NK: No, it was just more or less a hobby - that's all I did when I was younger. Then suddenly I became more interested in fashion and started with fashion illustrations. I'm originally from Berlin, which is a great city for art, music theatre and the whole creative scene. As I got more into fashion, I somehow applied for a job (I don't know how that even came about - I just did it) and I was lucky enough to get a job as an assistant designer within the Escada Group, which was quite good without having had any training whatsoever. I proved I could work quite well as a designer and I had the chance to stay on there, but I said that it was time to do it the proper way - do the training first, actually learn about what you are doing and then get back into the field.

What happened next?

NK: I decided to study at Esmod, a French fashion college and graduated there in 2001 with an award winning menswear collection. During those three years of college, I did everything from womenswear to lingerie and menswear, which I believe is what every designer should be able to do, and I would in fact like to do womenswear again.

What was inspiring you at the time?

NK: Brandwise, at the time, it was very purist - Jil Sander, Donna Karan and of course the Japanese in the 90s such as Yamomoto. I really looked at those quite a bit and it was especially interesting in terms of cutting techniques. So, that was my early years and straight after graduating I started my own collection.

It is interesting, because you started your own collection and then you moved to Alexander McQueen and now you have moved back to your own collection. Did the collection not work in the beginning?

NK: Just straight from graduating, and with Berlin being different to London, it was a very tricky thing to do. If you graduate in London from Central St. Martins, you do your own thing and you might become successful straight away. In Berlin, nobody takes notice of graduates, young designers and designers in general. It's only starting to become a thing now in Berlin that fashion is actually ‘there'. Also, we are talking about seven or eight years ago when I started, so there was not much money or much of an understanding for, in their eyes, ‘unnecessary things'. If you compare Berlin to Paris, Milan, London and New York, fashion is just not part of everyday life. So, I had to accept that and said to myself that this is not the right thing to do at the moment, it just won't work out. I also had a great opportunity to come to London to work for Alexander McQueen, and I couldn't refuse.

What was your time like with Alexander McQueen? Was that a big learning curve in your career?

NK: Every day I learnt, and it was probably the best experience I could have had. It was amazing - it was long hours, hard work but I enjoyed every bit of it. As I said, I could feel that every day I was learning simply because I had the freedom to explore, to create whatever I wanted to. After a short brief, it was all up to me. Sometimes he liked it, sometimes he didn't but when he did like it, it was something quite grand. I was focusing mainly on show pieces and I didn't have to worry about a budget - I just had to make sure that it was done quickly and as extravagantly as possible. Be crazy, and that's it.

Did Alexander McQueen offer you the job based on your previous collection?

Nico Kubisch Spring/Summer 2009

Blazer with hood in Japanese jersey, blue vest.

NK: Yes, they offered it to me based on the collection. I was hoping to move on, because as I said, Berlin didn't feel right at the time. When something is not right, the best thing is to move on. You can always go back if you feel you want to, but you need to keep moving. Although, the whole time I was working, whether it was freelance or not, it was always clear that I wanted to go back to do my own collection. Working for McQueen took a lot of time, and it was a great experience, but I soon found I had a lot of private clients who wanted designs for certain events. My private client base was growing and then finally I stopped working for Alexander McQueen and focused on my freelance work. I built up my private client base and worked for international companies in London, Brazil etc. At some point, I just asked, ‘why am I doing this?'. I enjoyed it to a certain extent, but I was just losing time - I wanted to do my own collection.

Who were some of your private clients?

NK: I had a lot of very private clients - lots of individual characters who wanted dresses for weddings and suits for every occasion. I also had a lot of celebrities, A, B and C class. I made something for Evany Thomas for the soap awards and also a few things for Scarlett Johansson.

It seems that you were quite successful with your female clientele and yet you have come back to menswear?

NK: It actually was successful, but somehow my passion was in menswear. For me, it was always frustrating to go shopping and I just don’t feel there is enough out there for men. For women, there is a huge variety, at every level of price and quality. For men, it’s very difficult. We have established brands and designers and then you have the high street but there is something missing in between. You have a few designers

Your Spring/Summer 2009 collection seems to be very relaxed and yet includes lots of clean cuts and sharp tailoring. What are some of the inspirations there?

NK: I generally draw a lot of inspiration from architecture. It's just not about inspiration, it's about influence as well. Having lived in Berlin, a lot comes from Germany. Very clean, very strict, very formal and very factual.

Was that something you were encouraged to portray when you were working in Germany?

NK: Definitely, it's all about rules and doing things in a certain way. So, I think that reflects in my collection to a certain extent. But, architecture such as Bauhaus still plays a big part, with its strong clean lines, very constructed. I find that living in London, life is a lot more relaxed. It needs to be relaxed and comfortable. I used to be a consultant for Gieves & Hawkes so I have a connection with the tailoring that has made it into the collection. I bring all of these things together and want to create something smart, almost dressy looking, but more for the contemporary man. It's about looking smart, but not too strict. It's all about being effortless, which is what I try to achieve with my collection.

What are some of the key pieces in your Spring/Summer 2009 collection?

NK: One of the key pieces definately has to be the double breasted blazer made of really nice textured Japanese jersey. The hood is cut into the collar so it's not just about putting a hood onto a jacket, but considering it as part of the whole construction of the jacket. That is where the whole tailoring aspect comes back in. There is nothing as good as a really well cut, tailored jacket for men. It is more or less the equivalent of a bra for women.

So, is this the Japanese inspiration coming back?

NK: In terms of fabric, I tend to go a lot to Japan. I source a lot of my fabrics from Japan. Quality is really important to me as I want to achieve a really high quality product. The Japanese fabric is often of outstanding quality, with some of the fabrics being knitted on a really old loom which produces one metre per hour. A modern loom will do about 180 times that much, but there is a reason for following that very slow process. The quality is so different and it gives it a really special character.

Where do you hope to take the Nico Kubisch brand in the longterm?

NK: It is certainly a brand for young professionals, but because of the tailoring aspect, the age range can go from 20 right up to 50. I really want to cover a large age group of men and to eventually expand into the global market. I would like to make it big enough to introduce more products such as luggage, footwear and hopefully womenswear at some point. I actually get a lot of women looking at the menswear and asking if there is anything similar for women, so there are already some women out there who see that style appealing to them.

What is your opinion on some of the changes that are starting to appear in the fashion industry due to the recent financial situation?

NK: Well, I am still a very young label and this is probably a very good time for young businesses, not just in the UK, but everywhere. It's about being flexible, and with my brand in particular, I feel I am always moving towards creating a very good quality product, which is longer lasting and will not be out of date in a month or two. I feel that people will move to a different shopping behaviour. Instead of spending a certain amount of money every week on anything, whether they wear it or not, I feel people are more careful about spending and will spend a little bit more on an item they can treasure.

As a consultant, how much of it is you trying to fit around the brand or the brand adapting to your new ideas?

NK: Well, if you are a consultant for a company like Gieves & Hawkes, it's quite difficult to go in there and push forward your ideas, so you have to fit in there, whilst bring something new at the same time. Consultancy with younger brands, I wouldn't do unless I could express my own ideas. This is an area where I can really push my creative ideas.

What are some of the key pieces that every man needs in his wardrobe?

NK: I think every man has plenty of shirts in his wardrobe, but it is a shame that 90% of those shirts look the same. I think there is so much more you can do. It's not about screaming, but is about the small detail and something different. I think men could look into that a bit more and be a little more creative with their shopping. I would like to see men creating their own identity instead of being dictated to by the high street.

What about your own wardrobe, what are some of your treasured pieces?

NK: This blazer I have on is probably one of my most treasured pieces. I can wear it with everything, it's so comfortable and it just speaks for my own brand. The Jersey fabric makes a classic blazer a little more casual whilst still looking smart.

Do you find yourself wearing your own collection more often?

NK: I do, definitely. And that is one of the reasons why I started my own collection. I got so frustrated with shopping, because I never found anything I liked or that fitted how I wanted it to.

How do you think menswear is going to change in the future?

NK: As mentioned, hopefully back to higher end products, good quality and a little more timeless as opposed to trends that change on a monthly basis. I hope things will be a little longer lasting and will be treasured. At times such as this, I don't think men are going to explore a lot in terms of colour. There will always be a few, but I think men will generally always be quite subtle. It's not about shouting about what you have and wear, but about knowing what you have and wear. People are happier to explore colour when we are in a happier atmosphere. If we had more colour everywhere, things might change a bit quicker. I personally like to work with colour a lot, but you can't push too far in menswear.

Do you think the political atmosphere in a society has a great effect on what designers are creating?

NK: Definitely. Society, politics and everything plays into fashion. It's pretty grey at the moment but there will be a point where people will want to break out of it and start to explore colour.