Photo by Ella Knez
At the annual Central Saint Martin’s Reset Show, new fashion students flaunt their skills to the public and press. The event diagnoses early on which designers are up-and-coming, going places, and have vision. Seattle-born Andi Flandreau ticks all three boxes.
The BA Fashion Design: Print student describes how her work is deeply influenced by her upbringing. She draws inspiration from both Catholic imagery and from her family history. Having attended Catholic school and transitioning while surrounded by the church, she uses her practice to “prod and poke’’ at tradition and religion. “I transitioned my senior year, and I think all of these things influenced a lot of my work,” she says. “I’m glad that I have these experiences because I think it is a big part of both the person I am and the designer I am.”
Flandreau’s reset show garment was inspired by first communion dresses. “I have a fully dated digital picture book that’s from the 40s to present,” she says. “I have all of these images of First Communion. In my last project I referenced a picture of my mom when she was six in the 80s. I incorporated a lot of that into my project.” Through the project, she explores themes of purity and the way the concept has changed throughout history.
“My catholic upbringing made me doubly question religion,” she says. Visually, her work draws from her interest in the intersection of film, fashion and photography, the aesthetics of the 50s, 60s, and 80s, and her vintage family photos. She hopes to use her practice to subvert norms and challenge the way we view beauty. “I want to question beauty and elegance. The way we view beauty is so one-dimensional,” she says. She is also deeply inspired by her fellow fashion students at Central Saint Martins, enjoying the competitive environment.
Flandreau seems to be well on her way in the fashion scene, with images of her work circulating online publications. She can already be spotted behind the scenes at The Reset Show in photographs featured by i-D Magazine. With a unique creative vision and many eyes on her designs, Andi Flandreau is a UAL fashion designer to watch.
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