Q&A: How Stephen Doherty's Collaboration With COS Came About
It all began at London's Chelsea Flower Show. Stephen Doherty was working in a pop-up studio at the show when he met creatives from COS' team. A year later and the collaboration is in full bloom, literally. The collection, a harmonious fusion of art and fashion, features limited-edition pieces featuring Doherty's exclusive floral artwork.
Each garment in the capsule is designed with versatility in mind, allowing for endless possibilities—allowing you to adapt to any mood or occasion.Using a unique ink and technique, the prints used in the pieces capture the essence of casual dressing. The collab doesn't stop at clothing; it extends the vision to accessories such as leather mules, silk scarves, and more.
We spoke with the multi-disciplinary artist to delve into his artistic process, inspirations, and the profound connection between art and fashion.
Esquire Philippines: How did you discover your passion for art?
Stephen Doherty: I always enjoyed drawing and making things from when I was very young. As I got older I leaned into the more creative subjects and had really encouraging teachers for Art and Design in high school. I remember my Art teacher showing me an Alexander McQueen collection with Philip Treacy’s hats and realizing that it could be your job to make beautiful things. I was pretty much sold on having a job doing something creative from that point.
How did your collaboration with COS come about?
I was working in a pop-up studio over the Chelsea Flower Show last year and then met with some of the creative team at COS who were also there. We had a chat and they asked if I would be interested in working with them in some way. A little later they reached out and we shared ideas on what we saw for the collection and put together an initial line-up. They’ve been really open from the beginning and so great to work with. We definitely have a shared appreciation for beauty in simplicity.
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What attracted you to working with a fashion brand?
After studying at Central Saint Martins I worked with the knitwear designer, Craig Lawrence, for a few years. I’ve always found that world exciting. I stopped because I missed making my own work, drawing and painting. It’s been really exciting to step back into that world in a new way with my art work.
How did you approach the collaboration? What was the process like?
It’s been really fun, they’ve been such a pleasure to work with. It started as an open conversation as to how we could best work together. We exchanged some ideas and then the creative team proposed the initial line-up, which I loved. Then it was a case of making artwork that we felt was a good fit.
Did you face any challenges merging your vision with clothing pieces?
It was definitely a new way of working for me but it’s been such an interesting process. It was a new challenge to consider how the artwork would best sit on the body and how the garment shapes could help enhance the artwork.
What are your favorite pieces from the collection?
The trouser set is my favorite. It has so much volume, the movement of the fabric really adds a sense of lightness. I love the placement of the print on the shirt and the impression of the flower softly falling open as it wraps around the shoulder.
