Bovan’s love affair with crochet is evident in his designs. Running his eponymous clothing line since 2015, Matty Bovan is known for his cacophony of sculptural knits, textures, and vibrant, handmade adornments. The multichromatic explosion of chaotic creativity embodied in the 31-year-old designer’s work has garnered him critical success; last year, he won the prestigious 2021 International Woolmark Prize. In October, Bovan unveiled an art exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, titled Boomerang. The creative achievements continue to mount up; during the pandemic-induced lockdowns, he launched a second clothing brand, BOVAN, an e-shop that features jerseys, sweatshirts, sportswear fabrics, all of which were custom-printed in his hometown of York. “I wanted to create something that was more affordable and relevant to the times we were living in,” he says. “It’s very different to the type of things I usually create.”
“If I could give any advice to those trying to find creativity, even in the bleakest of times, I would just say ‘Stay off your screens, stop checking those emails, and learn a new skill.’” – Matty Bovan
Thus, while many of us were struggling to get out of our beds during quarantine, Bovan was working on two collections, a new clothing line and a sculpture installation – all from the comforts of his own couch. Inspiration amidst such a stagnant period of creativity seems to come so effortlessly to the designer – a special trait, he says, that derives from an introverted personality. “It’s been an interesting time for everyone in the last few years – a lot of people have struggled with finding creativity,” he says. “I like to stay inside, and I treated it as a time where I could just reflect. And if I could give any advice to those trying to find creativity, even in the bleakest of times, I would just say ‘Stay off your screens, stop checking those emails, and learn a new skill.’ Whether it’s knitting, drawing, or painting – any physical hobby is really important.”
“If I’m not challenging myself each season, then I’m not doing it right.” – Matty Bovan
Bovan goes to retrieve a parcel from his front door. While he’s gone, I take the time to observe his surroundings through the screen. My attention is drawn to the living room back wall, which is adorned in a printed black and white wallpaper. The designer shares that it’s one of his own designs, and that patterned interiors lie at the core of his brand’s DNA. For his recent Autumn/Winter 2022 collection, Cyclone, upcycled fabrics were repurposed into a range of deconstructed gowns, bombers and jackets, and parkas. Dreamy seventies dollhouse interiors inspired his Spring/Summer 2022 collection, Hypercraft – a myriad of flowery wallpapers, family photographs, old blankets, and trinkets from his grandmother’s house made for a homely affair. Indeed, Bovan’s penchant for pattern and ultra-extreme party dressing allows for the designer to create “fever dreams” and otherworldly terrains within each season. “The one good thing I get to do with my job is that I get to create my own little world each season, so it’s more about what I want to say at the time,” he says. “I’m quite emotional in the sense that I know what I want to do, even from the beginning. Really, it’s quite directional; a lot of research, moodboards, and books lie behind each of the collection’s strong identities. If I’m not challenging myself each season, then I’m not doing it right.”
Quite often, Bovan’s approach to putting together a collection is to often create a reaction against what he’s previously shown. “For me, it’s important to challenge what I’m doing every time; I don’t want to produce the same collection every season,” he says. “It should always be about reading new ground. So when you get that moment of ‘is this it? Is this too bad, or is it too good?’ you have to push your own taste. It’s all really exciting to me – like finding new textiles or techniques, silhouettes or shapes – that especially is it for me, those moments where you can find those small joys. It’s about keeping inspired along the whole journey.”
“I remember being at CSM and feeling so at ease.” – Matty Bovan
Bovan moved to the neighbouring city of Leeds aged 18 to study a foundation in Fashion and Fashion Marketing. On an open day at Central Saint Martins – and a conversation with now BA head of Fashion, Sarah Gresty, he realised London was the place to be. “I just remember speaking to her and thinking, ‘She gets me! This uni gets me!’” he says. After receiving an offer to study Knitwear, Bovan enrolled at the prestigious college – following in the footsteps of the likes of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. “I remember being there and feeling so at ease,” he says, fondly. “There was none of the competitive awfulness which people say they would have. It was great, it was fun, and I felt very lucky to have been there. I came down for the BA show the week before last and it felt like coming home – seeing all the tutors is like seeing old friends. I just feel so grateful and so lucky to be a part of it.”
Continuing his studies at CSM on MA Fashion, Bovan recalls how the 18-month course challenged the way he designed. “The point of the MA at Central Saint Martins was to break everything down and build it back up again,” he says. His tutor, the late Louise Wilson OBE, helped the young designer to find his identity through his designs. “She said my work really didn’t look good, saying ‘Why are you doing something that isn’t you?’,” he recalls. “That was one of the biggest pin-drop moments; I had to turn inwards and think ‘What actually makes me me, and what can I do when it comes to choosing stuff?’ That really carried across into my portfolio, being like ‘Don’t try to be something which you’re not because that’s no use to anyone.’ It really was about finding me.”
Bovan has a knack for drawing on handmade techniques to bring his creations to life. Employing yarn from locally-sourced suppliers, knitting and punch-yarn techniques are then hand-painted; this myriad of textures has allowed for innovation including his knitted “fur.” He has also created a highly-specialised hand-dyeing process, which involves using acid shades in natural dyes. The final product? A multi-dimensional texture with differing saturations of pigment and surface application.
“It’s all about learning and growth, and understanding how you can work with new technologies, and making it feel like it’s done by humans.” – Matty Bovan
Bovan is also beginning to interweave more technological processes into his work. Interlacing his hand-in-hand work with computer technology, he manipulates his paintings and drawings by using computerised knitting machines. The key, he notes, is to keep it as textured and as structured as he can. “People seem to see technology in a harsh light; it’s seen as something evil, whilst hand-stitching is deemed ‘lovely,’” Bovan says. “But I think there’s quite a meeting-in-the-middle kind of thing. It’s all about learning and growth, and understanding how you can work with new technologies, and making it feel like it’s done by humans. I think it’s soul-less if people don’t put any soul in it.”
“Now more than ever, it’s important for aspiring fashion designers to showcase their visions, to believe in it fully, and to really go for it.” – Matty Bovan
From our conversation, it’s clear that authenticity is important for Matty Bovan. Honesty and character is what makes a fashion designer, he insists. “Now more than ever, it’s important for aspiring fashion designers to showcase their visions, to believe in it fully, and to really go for it,” he says. “After seeing the BA show at Central Saint Martins and all of their work, you can see they all have strong visions and characters. They’ve all risen to the occasion, and my advice for them now is for them to really push their own visions and brands. Don’t try and be something you’re not.”
