Benjamin Lewes Rudderham

Contact:
ben.lewes@gmail.com
University/School:
Manchester Fashion Institute
Location:
Manchester
Specialism:
Accessory DesignAward NomineeFashion DesignFashion TechnologyStylingWomenswear
About Me

Hi, I'm Ben, a Fashion Design & Technology graduate from Manchester.

Ben is a designer/artist with specialisms in 3D design, digital garment design, and styling. His work focuses on fading the line between bespoke couture pieces and luxury ready-to-wear, as he believes that through technological breakthroughs people will become more daring and extravagant in their personal style.

As I finish my time at university, I believe that the future of fashion belongs in a slower paced, made-to-wear space. I also think advancements in 3D printing and garment design will lead to a future with more exciting silhouettes, concepts and variety in a highly competitive industry: and I am basing my personal design direction on these ideas.

INSPIRATION

You don't need interplanetary travel to discover something alien to you.

Other-worldly things can be found all around us, whether it is a distant culture, creatures yet to be discovered, or even something more personal, like the person you are becoming. I took a lot of broad inspiration from East Asian photoshoots because the production value and execution is always so beautiful. For my garment designs I took a lot of direction from silhouettes that aren't necessarily couture but have the potential when placed in a more refined and artistic collection.

The accessories came from the 'Chrometype' digital art trend that emerged alongside the 00s resurgence, except I wanted to make these objects a reality and test the combinations of extravagant couture jewellery pieces against softer, more wearable silhouettes. In turn came this peculiar blend of bespoke art and fashion, looks that only a couple of decades ago would have taken industry experts to craft, but 3D printing brings an entirely new realm of possibilities to the ready-to-wear space.

MY WORK

PORTFOLIOS

DETAIL

I designed, 3D Printed, and hand painted a collection of pieces I refer to as 'Chrome'

The Mantis Mask shown here was one of the chrome items that I created to lift my collection into obscurity. The idea came from a blend of all my research, I used a multitude of softwares to develop and perfect them before sending them to print. The mask took around 30 hours, I then coated it in multiple layers of paint over the course of a week to get the chrome effect perfect. I personally think that it's important to show artistic potential in the form of couture alongside wearable garments, because it demonstrates that the range I can achieve goes beyond ready-to-wear.

"An experience that changes nothing is hardly worth having" - MM
Accessory DesignAward NomineeFashion DesignFashion TechnologyStylingWomenswear
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