Linda Schmidt on Park Avenue
Linda Schmidt has added a wonderful, wholly complementary splash of colour to the Park Avenue store. Colour, of course, is an important element of what we do, and the British fashion writer and academic Colin McDowell once described our eponymous co-founder Mr Richard James as being ‘the best colourist working in menswear in London today’.
Linda composes colourful textiles in single, double, and triple layers of opaque and translucent panes. “I use colour intuitively,” she says. “I have piles of fabric in my studio and, by chance, will notice a combination of colours that look interesting together. They either inspire me to start a piece or sometimes just provide a solution to a piece I have in progress. The textures and amount of transparency are always important things to consider before I decide if the fabrics are going to work well together.”
Indeed, Linda’s thinking, rather mirrors that of our Design & Brand Director Toby Lamb, who is not averse to bright, under-the-radar linings and vividly lifting accents and accessories. “I often like to put bright or florescent colours underneath the outer layers so the work glows from the inside and it has a boost of energy,” she continues. “I like to use colours that clash or that don’t match exactly, yet somehow work together.”
Linda Schmidt’s work is on show at the Park Avenue store until December. Please contact the Garvey|Simon gallery with enquiries. The exhibition is a part of the Richard James art programme, which is curated by Milan-based art advisor Helen Varola.
