Above images: Tourne de Transmission FW15 ‘NOISE’

Designer Graeme Gaughan is endlessly fascinated by differing styles of cultures around the world. Moreover, the visual mixology that occurs as a result of our digitally cross-pollinated society. FW15 from Tourne de Transmission recalls this vision again.

Inspired by a recent revisiting of Heinrich Harrer’s epic account of his experiences in Tibet, the collection, appropriately titled NOISE, explores concepts of isolation, stillness and silence. If you’ve only touched Seven Years In Tibet’s cinematic incarnation feat. Brad Pitt, take this collection as a modern re-introduction – then go get your hands on a copy of the book and be enlightened.

Tempe Nakiska: So how did this idea of stillness come about in the FW15 collection?
Graeme Gaughan: I always approach collections with two main processes in my head: the first will generally be more about a mental bookmark and what I am feeling at that point. The second will be much more tactile and about materials or inspirational places and how they are worked in the clothing.

There is something about the idea of isolation and the whole concept of drowning in silence… It’s something I often crave in my own day to day and hence the ‘Noise without Noise’ element to the prints and text this season. Having also become a father in the last year or so, inspiration was definitely drawn partly from my own lust for serenity or some moments of pure calm. Of which there have been few in the last 18 months!

TN: Do you live by the notion of mindfulness?
GG: I do wish I could be more zen-like at times and learn how to switch off. But I find it incredibly hard to do so… We are all so 24-7 that it’s like we cannot be. I was revisiting the book Seven Years in Tibet: My Life Before, During and After by Heinrich Harrer, which later became a film by Jean-Jacques Annaud. And started looking at the sensory enlightenment and calm that the book touches on by being embraced in a new environment, a discovery of inner peace as the rest of the modern world (at the time) plunges into war. It really puts our own situation right now under closer scrutiny. Especially given recent events in Paris and the chain of events that may or may not unfold…

This drew me to Tibet more and I saw this as another opportunity to extend on my research into the fusion of Eastern and Western dress culture and how the two clash with varied results. Having explored and studied North African and Middle Eastern dress codes for a couple of seasons now I felt it was time to broaden my scope.

TN: What elements of Tibetan dress did you look to for the collection?
GG: Although I have never been to Tibet I start to research the simple dress codes of farmers through to Buddhist monks. And the overriding fact that all of their clothing was windswept and knocked about to within an inch of its life. There was again the mish-mash of traditional dress mixed with modern Western clothing which always inspires me.

TN: How do the references most strongly translate?
GG: Looking at the monks and how they make one fabric and colour do so much for them in one outfit was very inspiring. This is why I have so much denim in the range, a workwear staple that we have washed and battered to hell and have used across the category range to create a similar effect. Letting the fabric create the drape and silhouette to an extent through its own weight and sturdiness.