Saul Nash may be relatively new into his career, establishing his eponymous fashion label only four years ago, but he’s made that time count. He’s carefully cultivated his brand and, in doing so, has gained recognition in the industry, cue the International Woolmark Prize 2022 and Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design 2022.

With a few fundamentals at play, he’s known for merging fashion and performance — an approach cultivated during his time at the Royal College of Art. Choreography and movement are intertwined with sportswear, and he wants to challenge the perception of this product category — who wears it and how — while promoting freedom of expression and self-liberation.

Nash discusses his career to date, the highlights, and how he sees his brand evolving.

Felicity Carter: What was your first memory of style?

Saul Nash: Growing up, I always had a vested interest in clothes and style, particularly sportswear, I was obsessed with the different trends and would always make friends in Footlocker so I could be ahead of what was coming into the shops.

FC: How, when, and why did you get into the industry?

SN: I was consistently surrounded by fashion and trends in my formative years – something I’m sure anyone who grew up in London could attest to. I would look up to the male role models in my life and how important the way they dressed was to them – this brushed off on me later down the line, and I would be very particular in how I would style myself. To the point where I would use my mum’s sewing machine to customize my clothing, so I would say my interest in fashion initially started from there.

I didn’t initially intend to create a brand, but the realization of wanting to explore this came from my studies within performance, and I was interested in creating something which would live outside of the confinements of the performance space. Later down the line, my interest in wanting to merge performance and fashion grew, and I was lucky enough to have the freedom to explore this further during my master’s at the Royal College of Art.

FC: How would you sum up the aesthetic?

SN: Kinetic. Timeless. Fluid.

FC: What is luxury to you?

SN: Something which makes you comfortable and can make you feel good in any context.

FC: Who is your customer?

SN: Initially, I started with dancers in mind, but this has extended to a broader audience of individuals who lead an active lifestyle.

FC: What are the cornerstones of your brand?

SN: I created my brand with community in mind. Community always comes first.

FC: What do you want to communicate and challenge via your brand?

SN: I have wanted to use my work as a catalyst to challenge preconceived ideas around sportswear and the men who wear it. I also use the brand to promote self-liberation and encourage freedom of expression amongst the communities who associate with it.

FC: Tell us about the process…

SN: It depends, some seasons are inspired by the end performance itself but generally, the concept comes first. Material development, an understanding of the intention of what it is I am trying to create and how it will function for the end wearer, are key thought touchpoints too.

FC: Career highlight to date?

SN: There have been many, the most memorable highlights are being a part of Fashion East, Winning the International Woolmark prize and most recently being awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.

FC: What are your immediate and long-term goals for your label?

SN: I have always believed in taking time to slowly nurture and grow the business, from establishing the brand in 2018, we continue to focus on working on the foundations of the company as we continue to grow year on year. I want to continue to establish and develop the product categories which currently exist whilst working to build on my current community and retail partners like FLANNELS, FARFETCH and Browns. Movement and fashion go hand in hand, and the choreography and movement side of the business continues to be an essential part of my practice and feeds into every collection we put out.

See more on saulnash.co.uk.