C/Bruerberg: Voluminous Knits and Digital Prints.

Is it just me or is the bulk of the most interesting design to be seen off-schedule at London Fashion Week, rather than in the plush environs of Somerset House? I remember a couple of seasons ago attending the Vauxhall Fashion Scout shows at Freemason’s Hall for the first time and thinking the following: a) ‘It’s much less crowded in here…’, b) ‘Random people are talking to each other and not looking down their pointed noses and throwing each other daggers. Odd’, and c) ‘I’m seated! SEATED!’, as well as d) ‘These designers are bloody good…’

It was here that I saw the sharp tailoring and easy, sexy pastels of Satyenkumar for the first time and was pretty much captivated by the dramatic geometry and narrative of Orschel-Read, too. Basically, along with Fashion East and the NEWGEN initiatives supporting new talent, it’s one of the highlights of my London fashion sojourns.

This season Camilla Bruerberg, the designer behind men’s knit label C/Bruerberg, takes centre stage as she transplants her decidedly steely yet sensuous aesthetic from her native Norway to the madness of LFW. Having graduated from Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Bruerberg has since gone on to collaborate with fab band Röyksopp, as well as the Norwegian Theatre. She v. kindly took some time from her insanely busy schedule to answer a few of my burning questions…

MM: What attracted you to menswear design, and to knitwear, specifically?

CB: It was natural for me to choose menswear. You get to work with lines and silhouettes that are different to those in womenswear. What is so great with knitwear is that you get to make the textile from scratch, and can shape it as you like. It’s important to me to have that kind of control over the project.

MM: How would you describe your aesthetic?

CB: Casual silhouettes, playful, subtle and experimental, with a big focus on textiles.

MM: How has preparing for LFW AW 2011 been?

CB: I just had my show in Oslo, and it went well. It’s been busy preparing for two shows! Fun to get to show to the Norwegians because there the interest is just as big from women as it is from men. Will be interesting to see the response in London!

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Camilla Bruerberg shows her Autumn Winter 2011 collection at the VHS Ones to Watch menswear show on Feb 23rd @ 3.45pm at Freemason’s Hall alongside A. Hallucination, Mr. Lipop and Asger Juel Larsen.