EDWARD BUCHANAN

Designer & Creative Director

Classically trained fashion designer and Parson School Alumni, Ohio-born Edward Buchanan oversees creative direction for his knitwear company, Sansovino6 in addition to running a full design service consulting business specializing in knitwear.

Having lent vision to companies such as OFF-WHITE and Emilio Pucci, Edward also currently teaches a Master's course in Knitwear and serves as the Milan fashion director of UK-based, Perfect magazine.

Contributor: Adam Katz Sinding

AS SOMEONE WHO WEARS MANY HATS I'M SURE THERE ARE MULTIPLE PATHS YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN TO GET YOUR START IN THE INDUSTRY. WHAT DREW YOU TO FASHION?

I studied fine art and art history prior to moving to NYC to study fashion design at Parsons School of Design. My trajectory into design came naturally as I was always surrounded by creativity. My interests have always been focused on craft and creation from the inside out, design just made sense for me.

When you say you were “always surrounded by creativity”, what does that mean?

My mother was a church pianist, and my family was full of musicians, writers, singers, and guitarists so I grew up singing and playing. I often wonder how I ended up in fashion, but my grandmother was also a seamstress for the church ladies. So, the creative hand and mind was just in my blood I do believe.

Is there a person you can attribute to helping shape your journey in an impactful way?

Working with Virgil Abloh was very special for me. Our working relationship was built on trust, respect, and building community. It is rare that you find all of these things collectively in a collaboration, or an individual. I was his elder, and that is what was so special about Virgil is that he reached up, down, in-between, and worked with total honesty. Virgil called on me when no one else was hiring me, or creatives with my experience that looked like me, and he wasn’t afraid to say my name.

Given your vast experience, do you believe that the wider industry has evolved?

I’d like to think that the industry is being questioned as to why it is not evolving faster than it has. The vast majority of the luxury houses have white male creative directors which is not evolving. We have dabbled in what size diversity means, and inclusivity in general, but we are still here. It amazes me how we know that the effects of diversity and inclusivity essentially effect corporate revenues, but this industry is still taking baby steps forward.

Do you find that these changes have been made for the “right reason” or for the bottom line?

If the latter, is that an evolution?

Diversity and inclusivity have been used as social media buzz words.

After George Floyd, the fashion industry all stepped forward and put their black boxes on Instagram stating firmly, "we are with you, we support this community". A few weeks after, they were promoting their white male creative directors and parading out their all-white staff.

The revolution needs to happen, but disadvantaged communities have no other option but to be entrepreneurs and create these spaces on their own. It takes much longer, but when you own it, it cannot be taken away and you can create your own hiring practices and consumers.

Being Milan based, is there anything you are hoping to see emerge within European fashion cultural, that eventually spreads globally?

I’m hoping that more support for young and independent voices will be made available. This can only happen when those at the top of the totem are willing to release power and allow individuals in that do not look and think as they do.

Have you noticed any steps being taken which might allow this?

Fashion is 360, I’ve seen it all come around and return again. Young independent thinkers are the core of a creative culture. It’s what the institutional houses watch closely, because where do we go without risk? It is survival for these designers, so they have to figure it out without enormous budgets to support their efforts. Diversity within these spaces is a much more complex conversation because it is informed by the systemic racism within the culture that we are educated in.

It starts from the bottom up. We cannot expect change at the top, if we are not teaching it from the bottom.

Your most prized wardobe item at the moment?

My staple garment is a grey mélange t-shirt which I have many different brands, but I’m still partial to Hanes. I have no regrets, but I have a wardrobe full of basic cashmere sweaters of my own design that I rotate.

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