During the summer, Mark Fast spent a lot of time surrounded by nature, in his native Canada and Wales––but now, it’s “back to the grind,” as he said at a preview. For Fast, the “grind” revolved largely around his knitting machines, the therapeutic oscillation of which he likened to the tide approaching and receding from the shore. He also drew parallels between the natural polishing of sea glass––jagged shards becoming softened––and his own process: “There’s chaos in the knitting, then something quite beautiful comes out at the end.”
To expand on the nautical analogy: the sea transforms discarded items into tidal relics, while Fast looks at yarn and considers how it can take on a new form. “It’s a lot of number work,” he explained. For spring, the calculations led to hand-crocheted skirts, bralettes and dresses in his signature style, made from a stronger yarn than previous seasons that “helped with the tight body-con” fit, and a seamless tubular technique that spanned skirts and dresses. All of which formed the foundations of his collection.
Much like the variety you’d find on a coastal fringe, there were extras thrown into the mix. Velour separates and a diaphanous top-cum-dress arrived in the same pale shades as the knitwear––and black ruffled blouses and lace dresses evoked the “grungy and gothic” moods he’s explored before. Washed denim was inspired by a salt-bleached scrap of fabric Fast found on a beach walk (as if on cue).
The goal is to “mass produce” the core knits, making them available beyond a bespoke capacity. “It’s tricky to do something so high craft, the reproduction is so time-consuming,” Fast explained. “I don’t know if it’s ever going to happen. I think I might be doing things by hand until I’m an old man,” he said, smiling. The quest continues.
