Introducing Buiseid with an exclusive editorial and interview. Photography by Darren Black. The models are Roberto Duse, Eddy, Mark Francis and Tom Pitiris. Footwear by Hernan Guardamagna. Buiseid – Just a guy making stuff from bits and bobs that he finds in scrap bins and charity shops in his East London studio.
A great deal of attention is put into altering the original state of the materials, usually by quilting, dyeing or embellishing. Each piece takes a lot of time to design and construct and due to material restrictions, they’re usually one-offs.
KALTBLUT: Tell me how you first became interested in fashion; and why you decided to become a fashion designer.
Aside from the usual young queer boy being interested in dressing his sister’s Barbies, you know the norm, my interest in fashion started organically. I was 15 when I started to watch fashion shows on YouTube. Normally kids would be embarrassed when their parents walk in on them watching porn but for me, it was watching and rewatching Victor and Rolf, Alexander Mcqueen, and Thom Browne shows. It was when the time came after college that I made the decision to move to London (from a small town in Somerset called Wellington) and study fashion design.
I don’t think I’ve ever had control over “why” I decided to become a designer, one person in every generation of my family has made clothes, it’s in our blood. To not make clothes would be to deny life itself.
KALTBLUT: Tell me a little bit about your journey that led to you realizing your new collection.
Growing up in Zimbabwe, for birthdays and Christmas, my parents would say “You can have whatever you’d like as long as we can make it!”. It’s that sensibility of using what we have to make what we need that has permeated my design aesthetic. There are a couple of words I choose to disassociate myself from and that’s “ethical” and “sustainable” because I believe those words have been defiled in the industry, instead, I use the word resourceful.
Also, going through my degree funding the whole thing myself while working two jobs, I got very used to fishing fabric and trims out of waste bins and charity shops, and now it’s impossible for me to design from ‘new’ materials. This led to this collection being about what clothing could potentially look like if, after an apocalypse, a brand had to create garments from scraps collected over several months.
KALTBLUT: How would you describe your style and fashion?
Trendless, transseasonal, interchangeable and durable.
KALTBLUT: Are there any fashion icons who inspire your design?
Thom Browne was the first person to give me goosebumps from a show. Plato’s Atlantis by McQueen was the first show to make me cry but there is something about Browne’s ability to create extraordinary silhouettes while maintaining his tailoring sensibilities that really gets me going. I would also definitely call him a fashion icon because he lives his brand’s aesthetic and it comes across as genuine, that shrunken schoolboy suit is such a vibe on a 50yo. I personally dress like a post-apocalyptic 1950s school boy which is definitely inspired by him.
KALTBLUT: What would you say makes your design stand out against other brands?
Tricky question. I don’t consciously think of how my work fits into the zeitgeist or where it would fit in, in Dover Street Market. I don’t look at trends or what people are wearing and when I watch shows I see it from a place of admiration not of inspiration. Maybe that’s what sets me apart, I live under a rock, I suppose that’s why my brand’s slogan is “Interesting clothes for people who are interested”, it’s its own thing.
KALTBLUT: Where do you find your inspiration for your work?
My design process is pretty organic, the inspiration for my work comes from manipulating materials that I collect, and they tend to dictate the garments. I am a bit of a gamer, ssshhhh, there is something about escaping into the fantasy of video games that, for me, is not too dissimilar to that of fashion shows.
KALTBLUT: What advice would you give to people who want to experiment more with the clothes they wear?
Be authentically yourself and don’t look to others for inspiration or approval. It’s 2023, people are getting a lot more experimental with what they’re wearing, so now’s the time to live your authentic self. Buy from charity shops, alter clothes yourself, dye, bead and stitch until you create a wardrobe that makes you comfortable.
KALTBLUT: What are your favourite pieces from your collection?
I used to be obsessed with Burberry growing up and I think that’s definitely where my infatuation with black and beige outfits comes from. Therefore, the black and beige cropped jacket and boxer shorts combo makes me feel fulfilled. Also, that cropped jacket took an age to pattern cut to get the sleeves and collar just right so to see it in its complete form is ecstasy.
KALTBLUT: How would you describe the local fashion scene/industry in your home town/country?
I have disassociated myself from Wellington. I was bullied for the entire duration of my being there. Every time I visit, everyone dresses as if they’ve given up, it’s sad.
KALTBLUT: What does being an independent designer mean to you?
It’s very nice to have creative freedom but I’m not part of the fashion community yet so it does have its times of loneliness.
KALTBLUT: If your brand was ice cream, what flavours would it be?
I feel like salted caramel would be apt, some people absolutely live for it but I know a lot of people who avoid it like the plague.
KALTBLUT: What was the last music track you listened to?
Melody by Sigala. It doesn’t matter how low I feel, it only takes 1-3 melodic EDM tracks to get me feeling alive again. Some of my favourite memories have been in clubs, EDM and Techno are infectious.
KALTBLUT: Finally, what can we expect to see from you in the near future?
I’ve already begun collecting fabrics and trims from bins so hopefully this winter I’ll be presenting another collection, most likely a sequel to the post-apocalyptic series.
Clothing and Accessories by – Buiseid / www.buiseid.com / Instagram: @Buiseid
Photography by Darren Black / www.darrenblackphotography.com / Instagram: @darren_black
Footwear by Hernan Guardamagna / Instagram: @hernanguardamagna
Models: Roberto Duse / Instagram: @roberto.duse
Eddy / Instagram: @edftmxx
Mark Francis / Instagram: @markfrancis1982
Tom Pitiris / Instagram : @tomppitiris
Interview by @marcel_schlutt
