Pride Meet the Mastermind Behind W London’s Futuristic Pride Outfits
When it comes to designing, London’s Jack Irving knows that more is always better. From shimmering fabrics to futuristic cuts, Irving’s forward-thinking designs were the perfect outfits for this year’s Pride parade. Irving’s bold shapes and brilliant colors were front and center on W London- Leicester Square‘s Pride parade float – a tricked out bus celebrating W’s LGBTQ panel initiative Queer Me Out.
Go behind the scenes with the designer and learn about the process, the parade, and his inspiration that shines proudly all year long.
How did you become interested in fashion design?
Jack Irving: My interest in fashion design is highly influenced by my hometown of Blackpool. If you’ve ever visited you’ll know that it’s famous for its bright lights, and big, bold, and colorful attractions. As I grew up I was also drawn to the designers Alexander McQueen and Thierry Mugler and artists such as Leigh Bowery who were all so pivotal in the process of finding my own style.
Whenever I create a piece, I always want to make sure that whoever wears it feels empowered, fabulous, and otherworldly.
What was the process of designing the looks for the Pride float, from start to finish?
JI: We began by taking inspiration from my AW18 collection, but we also wanted to integrate colors, shapes, and concepts from older creations. Just like all of my designs we wanted the creations to be maximalist, eye-catching, and sparkly to create a Jack Irving Extravaganza! We also wanted to ensure that the shapes and silhouettes would be inclusive for everyone involved so they would all feel fabulous!
How did W London fuel the inspiration for your design?
JI: We took inspiration from the W hotel bar and foyer design and decided to go for a futuristic disco warrior theme and create a tribe of disco warriors.
What are some of the surprising elements of your designs?
JI: The inflatable element of my costumes is my signature look. They’re big, bold, and breathtaking. The inflatables are so big that they can be seen from afar during the parade! Plus they touched the crowd which created a great interactive element. This combined with the dancers added another layer of movement as they swept past the crowd like two giant disco sea urchins!
What does Pride mean to you?
JI: Pride is a reminder of what amazing progress we have made to get to where we are now with LGBTQ+ equality issues, but it also allows us to identify areas where we still need improvement and continue the fight for equality.
