I begin each collection by picking a strong theme that speaks to me the most at the time, and research both the theme thoroughly as well as researching actual garments through archive publications, books and in museums. For me, the theme has to be translated intelligently into carefully cut, beautifully executed garments – that is the essence of the Eugene Lin brand. From there, I sketch and drape and tweak each garment, repeatedly toiling each piece until the cut and fit are perfect. The inspiration varies between seasons. For my debut SS10 ‘Harmatia’, which is Greek for ‘sin’ and translates directly as ‘missing the mark’, I translated it into deconstructed shirt and trouser details. A broken waistband, a shirt that melts and drapes, it centered around the idea of ‘missing the mark’ of propriety. For AW10 ‘The Gordian Knot’, I took the corresponding myth and translated that into a series of draped knotted details on jackets, coats and dresses. It is all very technically challenging, and my clients and stockists appreciate that. As a trained pattern cutter, I cut all the patterns myself. Nobody knows my clothes better than me and the training really shows. I have had numerous stockists and editors ask if I was a pattern cutter before I even tell them – just from looking at the garments. Sampling is done externally, as is my production, but they all come back to my studio so that I maintain tight quality control. I believe in quality and only the best will do for the brand.

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