Conner Ives is someone who has had many home runs in his short career as a designer. After moving to London from Bedford, New York, he took on graduating from Central Saint Martins and putting all of his effort into building a fashion label that he has envisioned since he was seven years old.

Since creating his eponymous label, he has achieved it all - dressing Adwoa Aboah for the Met Gala whilst being in his first year of university, attracting the attention of Rihanna and creating multiple custom looks for her [as well as working for her own label, Fenty], and later having his actual runway designs displayed within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition - all whilst having an ethos of spotlighting and protecting the communities he cherishes, an example seen at the end of his AW25 show when he took his bow wearing a 'Protect The Dolls' t-shirt, advocating for the protection of trans people's rights - a cause that took culture by storm, raising over £900,000 thus far.

Coming into the Fashion Forensics hot seat, the American designer talks about breaking the Internet with his 'Protect The Dolls' t-shirt, his first visual memories of wanting to be one with fashion, and how the support of his community is the reason for his success.

GRAPHITE is a platform for creatives and trailblazers aiming to elevate their work....

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Watch the full video episodes exclusively on YouTube every Tuesday.

Subscribe to Fashion Forensics on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever else you get your podcasts.

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@FashionForensics

Standing Ground's Michael Stewart spent nearly 5 years trying to show people his craftsmanship talents before being given the stage to do so.

Known for his savoir-faire, his couture adjacent techniques in his work have propelled him to become one of the most exciting and special talents in the industry, however, this did not happen in peace. After spending almost 5 years gathering interest, the Irish-born designer made his debut under Lulu Kennedy's London-based talent incubator Fashion East and since then Stewart has built a world, full of sculptural perfectionism in everything he shows.

Coming onto Fashion Forensics, he talks at length about his fascination with the celestial, outer-worldly folklore that informs us of our past and the interaction between Earth and the Cosmos, and how all of those elements have brought him to create a design world that feels unique.

GRAPHITE is a platform for creatives and trailblazers aiming to elevate their work....

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Watch the full video episodes exclusively on YouTube every Tuesday.

Subscribe to Fashion Forensics on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever else you get your podcasts.

Join us for more on Instagram and TikTok.

@FashionForensics

When he first founded fashion retail space Machine-A in London, Stavros Karelis gave small and independent artists and designers a stage to express themselves upon.

Quickly, the conceptual boutique became more than just retail, but a cultural hub frequented by artists and creatives like Scissor Sisters, Lady Gaga, Anna Trevelyan, Nicola Formichetti and more. Since its inception in 2013, Karelis has turned it into a global experimental space where young and exciting designers sit firmly alongside established brands, launching the careers of many of the industry's greats through giving them creative freedom in how their designs interact.

Coming into the Fashion Forensics hot seat, he talks about his early British influences - from the cult classic Trainspotting all throughout The Prodigy, and how it all led him to pursue his ultimate goal of moving two steps ahead of the industry, and experiment.

GRAPHITE is a platform for creatives and trailblazers aiming to elevate their work....

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Watch the full video episodes exclusively on YouTube every Tuesday.

Subscribe to Fashion Forensics on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever else you get your podcasts.

Join us for more on Instagram and TikTok.

@FashionForensics