Caólum McCabe shortlisted for the British Fashion Council X British Library Fashion Research competition in collaboration with Charles Jeffrey.
I was so nervous the night before. I was in correspondence with a fabulous man Dominic who had reached out to me two days prior to candidate interviews. With such short notice for preparing myself and new elements of work to be completed I hadn't slept for the best part of three days. I had never been interviewed by anyone let alone a panel of such elite and prestigious fashion people. My upbringing in Ireland somewhat instilled boundaries within myself in terms of what I wanted to wear. I remember my sewing tutor Gill Kelly, absolute gem and star of all things construction related, was completing a demo on a bias cut dress with second years at the time. I couldn’t help but feel the need to be my most authentic self during interview and had taken the dress late that night to try on which ended up being so low in the back that my bum was out.
I ended up wearing the most divine asymmetric Westwood corset I had received as a present which didn’t do me good for sitting and eating, every time I managed to slip a bit of a muffin in my mouth I kept undoing the fastening for fear of busting it. But as the saying goes “fashion over function”. I spent my entire morning prior to interview trying to bead and tweak my knit samples over coffee, then getting dressed in Cafe Nero toilets just outside Great Victoria. I was so apprehensive, especially when commuters began to take more and more of an interest in my last minute sketching and choice of clothing. It was all very new to me but so worthwhile.
“I encourage you to explore the femininity you champion with your masculinity. There's so much more inside of you, you can see it all there...fuck everyone and do it. Next time I see you I want to see you as you truly are, dressed in your lavish green Irish ruffles” - Charles Jeffrey
As the day progressed I really had nothing to worry about. I met so many amazing like minded people, and to be able to have a first hand experience and discussion with Charles on my work was so refreshing. He is incredibly profound and full of spirit and colour like so many of the British Fashion Council who were also present such as Steven Dryden, Collette Taylor and Judith Rosser-Davies who were all so welcoming and remarkable. A truly memorable experience and one for the books.