STYLE
With geology as an unlikely inspiration, Michael Stewart’s gowns are revolutionising eveningwear
MICHAEL STEWART, FOUNDER OF LONDON LABEL STANDING Ground, found himself at a crossroads when he was 18. A talented painter, the Irish creative planned to enter the art world. ‘I did watercolour and acrylic landscapes. It was “my thing”; I always assumed I’d go to art college.’ But on Stewart’s acceptance into Limerick School of Art & Design, he found himself drawn to the college’s prestigious fashion course. ‘I grew up in rural Ireland, where there is no fashion – people don’t dress up and no one in my circle worked in fashion. It’s a different world; I became very interested,’ he says. Stewart followed his impulse, switched to fashion design and never looked back.
Supported by Fashion East’s talent-incubator programme, the designer has carved out a unique space for Standing Ground. Stewart’s eveningwear – his specialty – is one of clean lines, elegance and precision-draping that contours the wearer’s figure. The designer’s contemporary silhouettes include padded bands sitting on the hipbone, weaving around the body.
Of his process, he says, ‘I never sketch designs. I drape onto bodies and work with pattern cutters to adjust the fit.’ It’s a bespoke quality that has stars enlisting him to create tailor-made red-carpet gowns. Imaan Hammam and Salma Hayek can attest to his allure. ‘She’s been incredibly supportive and kind,’ he says of the latter, who championed him on the Toronto Film Festival red carpet.
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