Jungle magazine were fortunate enough to meet Danielle Faith Ross, designer behind the bespoke brand Raus, for her debut SS17 collection ‘THINK FOR YOURSELF’. In an intimate studio in Hackney, we met up with Danielle prior to her presentation, to learn more about; herself, the collection, and the future of Raus.
Danielle recalls that from a very young age she had always been fascinated by the textures and shapes of clothing. Growing up she began working on projects that allowed her to rework fabric, finding herself dissecting and reconstructing coats and trousers for hours. Her passion for men’s wear stemmed from finding a real appreciation for bespoke tailoring; a desire to construct the perfect jacket, to tailor the perfect trouser. She, as a designer, respected the craft enough to plead with tailors early in her career to take her on and continue to teach her the art of tailoring, which has now become her signature style.
The collection showcases the use of refined materials, ‘richly constructed with a bespoke handcrafted quality’. Raus SS17 ‘Think for yourself’ is the perfect combination of traditional, classic luxury wear. Prince wales check, pinstripe and suede are perfectly contrasted with contemporary detailing such as sleeveless boxy styles, alternative collars, zips replacing buttons, and pinstripe waist belts. All of which add an intriguing twist to the conventional suit jacket, and challenges the stereotypical expectation of a man in a suit.
To a soundtrack of FKA Twigs, the presentation played out as though it was an art exhibition, a video projection played revealing clips of the ‘everyday modern man’ wearing bespoke yet re-worked tailored looks against the backdrop of every day mundane tasks. The models movement, and use of spotlights throughout the presentation conveyed the idea of them thinking for themselves – not conforming to usual societal norms, being comfortable to express themselves in these alternative, yet ultra-luxury garments.
The collection sees Danielle redefine the double breasted jacket and the reworking of traditional trouser legs and collar. There is also an emphasis on detailing; seen through the use of quilting, pad stitching and the perfectly lined check and pockets, delicately embracing all the qualities of a true bespoke designer. Every piece of this perfectly constructed collection was hand crafted by Danielle herself, further enhancing the ‘think for yourself’ motif.
The colour palette sees the use of grey and navy with burgundy drawing the collection together, crafting a distinctly luxury look. It also plays a sentimental value to her collection, as the first ever suit she made contained burgundy lining, and was the colour of the first men’s wear jacket she reconstructed.
As for the future of Raus, well, ‘to continue expanding the brand, continue to understanding the values of those she creates these luxury suits for, and make a difference within the fashion world’. We do not doubt this for a second, she is an incredibly humble, special designer with a lot more to showcase.
Words by Leanne Roche
Images by Georgia Sillitoe
