Joshua Crabtree feels fortunate in 2020

The function of the final presentation is to grab the professional audience’s attention and kick-start students’ careers. Due to the travel ban and lockdown in early March, many members of the industry weren’t able to participate in probably the most crucial moment of university. Although the team of tutors shared the portfolios with those who couldn’t make it to the exhibition, opportunities were put on hold if not lost. “Normally after the show, you receive your first press request within a month,” explains Crabtree. “It was not until July that I got my first inquiry.” The delay with which the industry operated added to the gruelling radio silence that came with the lockdown. For although the industry almost came to a standstill, their expectations on the new graduates didn’t.

“I tried to be optimistic. But for the first time, I needed to give myself a break.”

“I feel very fortunate to have still had the opportunity to show my work because I know that there are a lot of talented students who missed out on the opportunity,” shares the designer. While usually students smoothly transit from the chaos of the final show to entering professional life by promoting the final collection, 2020 confronted the former students with no opportunity to kick off their career; much less to fill the void post-graduation. “I tried to be optimistic. But for the first time, I needed to give myself a break.”

“The way that I design and view life is about taking an obstacle on board and use it as a strength.”

When talking about his creative process, Joshua Crabtree says most of his motivation stems from finding a negative and turning it into something positive. “The way that I design and view life is about taking an obstacle on board and use it as a strength.” This mentality soon drove the designer to set himself mini deadlines and objectives to fill the vacuum that the strenuous schedule of the MA had left. First and foremost, however, this thinking set the tone for his MA collection.

Following the purpose of producing pieces that embrace vulnerability within the modern day rituals of men, Crabtree designed garment by garment rather than starting with a silhouette. “I wanted every creation to have a reason to exist. I wanted to create not only clothes but rather a mood for the wearer,” states the designer. Therefore, the visual interpretation of seemingly random scenes of everyday life as recorded by the photographers Alessandro Calabrese and Leonard Fresquez, inspired Crabtree in his making of the collection. Repurposing durable deadstock by recreating a modern fabric, the designer added a new reality to the garments, influenced by his interpretation of the clothes’ previous purpose. He explains: “I think it is really important from a marketing perspective to design fabric that makes the consumer nostalgic about a certain time, or a silhouette one identifies with. Ultimately, it solely comes down to finding a way of creating that reality as new and forward thinking.”

As the graduate speaks about his belief in the importance of fashion for one’s identity, it comes as a surprise that not fashion but graphic design was his initial interest. However, the first touchpoint with the subject convinced Crabtree otherwise. “In my foundation year, I realized that I liked fashion and was doing OK at it. From then on, I never looked back.” And although he is not here for the glamour, the CSM graduate turns out to be a firm believer in in-person fashion shows. “You know the feeling when you hear a piece of music, and your hair stands up your neck, and you get the chills? Some shows can do that!” The digitalization of the fashion industry’s processes undeniably levels the playing field for less privileged students. Still, he is convinced that a digital screen will never be able to raise the audience’s anticipation, create explosiveness and a heightened experience such as a show does.

“Having that creative community and the ability to meet so many like-minded but different people is something I am incredibly grateful for.”

Reflecting on presenting both his BA and MA collection at London Fashion Week, Crabtree feels fortunate about the opportunities he has had and the people he met throughout his time studying. “Having that creative community and the ability to meet so many like-minded but different people is something I am incredibly grateful for,” he says. Right after graduation, the British luxury brand Dunhill offered him a job as an intern. Due to COVID-19, however, the designer eventually started the position in September. But Crabtree continues to surprise. Although he can’t tell specifics, he left the company for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that took him to go after one month of interning.

“I had a lot of late nights and moments of breaking down about things, which were very small looking back”

“I had a lot of late nights and moments of breaking down about things, which were very small looking back,” acknowledges Crabtree when contemplating the highs and lows of his time at Central Saint Martins and his start into the professional world amid a pandemic. Whether it is his love for movies that are not really about anything or him pondering how to stay current and finding the place for his work, the designer’s spirit appears to, in fact, be able to turn every obstacle into something positive. At least up until now, the aspects were for Joshua Crabtree to count himself fortunate.