In today’s age, where resources and information are instantly accessible, with will power you can virtually teach yourself anything.

The young designer Colin Meredith is the epitome of this mindset of just getting on with it, realising and bringing to life idea after idea and not being stuck in contemplation.

Colin is notoriously known for his incredible one-off garments that are inspired by brands that we all look up to, as well as for his dollar store wears collection, where he constructed pieces from simple mundane items we take for granted, genius.

Dollar Wears

A clothing collection made from only products from the dollar store. The thirteen piece collection includes eight tops/ outerwear pieces, two pairs of pants and three Vans shoes made by hand from Dollarama products.

Can’t afford the clothes that you look up too? Fine, let’s try to replicate them.

This is something the Sabukaru team especially admires about Colin, not only did he create the clothing pieces that he wanted but he also used it as an educational tool. You simply can’t beat raw curiosity and strong determination as the best form of learning and discovery. Through this, you learn skills that no course can teach you.

The pieces Colin created along his way are exceptional and each design transmits a very clear and aesthetical understanding. Just try to look through his Archive Looks without wanting to instantly buy one of his creations. Good luck.

Archive Looks

Archive Looks is visual journal documenting the pieces made by Colin over the years. Each piece is one-of-one and made without consideration to the others.

His life long inquisitiveness of garment construction has led him to work with brands such as adidas, Noah NY and the legendary Justin Saunders aka JJJound, and most recently Louis Vuitton.

Sink or Swim

Sink or Swim is a commissioned project by Adidas and Off the Hook done in promotion of the Adidas x Parley For The Oceans initiative and collaboration working to use recycled ocean plastics in todays products. Colin assembled 4 life-vests from found plastics for an installation , as well as designed a 6 piece capsule collection to be featured alongside install.

We visited Colin in Vancouver to talk with him about his early beginnings, his creative process, upcycling and in his eyes what makes the perfect jacket.

Hey Colin, please introduce yourself to the Sabakaru Universe! Who are you and what do you do?

Hey, I’m Colin and I make things! Usually clothing but sometimes other things too.

When did you start making your own clothes? Was there a particular moment or a unique inspiration behind your first steps?

I think I was first interested in making clothing when I was about 12 or 13 or so. My dad is really crafty and was always pushing me to be creative and productive as a kid. I had done art lessons with my grandma (she’s an amazing painter) throughout my childhood too, so when I expressed an opinion for the clothing I wore and for fashion, in general, I think my parents caught on and bought me a screen printing kit for Christmas. I tried to print all sorts of stuff that year (I think the brand name I chose to use was “Tuff” lol!). Then shortly after, my dad showed me how to use a sewing machine. He didn’t know much about it but he showed me the basics so that we could make some aprons for family members for Christmas. Around the time I was 16 I was working at American apparel and was really excited about the brands I saw at Four Horsemen Shop in Victoria, but I couldn’t afford any of it so with my basic sewing knowledge and lots of determination I tried to make things that resembled pieces from brands like Needles and Engineered Garments.

How much of your design process involves creating pieces, elements or features that you could not find for yourself on the market so you just decided to do it for yourself?

I think it kind of evolved from copying or altering products I saw but couldn’t afford into creating pieces that didn’t exist but I thought should. I guess as I got better at sewing I became more confident in my eye for product and design and I formed some solid ideas about what I thought worked in clothing.

What were the first designs you remember nailing exactly the way you wanted them to be?

Hahah! Nothing is exactly as I want it to be, ever! But I guess most notably is the yellow/grey stripe sleeve hoodie that I made in 2016. I thought about it forever and then finally got around to making it and it was exactly how I imagined it.

And when did you realize that you might have found your way with your work and future with your design practice?

I think I kind of stumbled into it. You know, I had those initial experiences with it really young and I knew that I enjoyed it but also I enjoyed so many other things then that I didn’t assign much value to it. It was only until I started going to art school that I was spending all my free time trying to make all these clothing ideas I had and I was like “oh I guess I’m really into this” haha! I guess it’s one of those career routes that look kind of frilly from the outside and I was self-conscious about that so I didn’t take it seriously until I realized that I was passionate about it and that I probably wouldn’t be happy if I wasn’t able to make the things I want to make!

Let’s talk about your designs. Can you please take us a through a typical process - from the idea to sampling, right through to the final product?

Well since I still don’t really have a functioning brand and all the pieces you see are just one-offs, technically I never get past the sampling process. But the initial idea for a piece usually comes from me seeing someone wear something that looks interesting to me, or seeing a strangers jacket with a cool detail on it. Otherwise, it might come from just wandering in fabric stores and trying to imagine what kind of garment would look good in a certain material. From there I’ll draw it out roughly, make a pattern and start sewing it together!

We saw you experimenting with One-Dollar-Store products, also with different clothing pieces, a basketball, and plastic from the ocean - how much do you enjoy these special projects and how do you feel about turning your design work into art?

Haha yeah, I’ve used some crazy things. I love doing these projects, but I only make them when I feel like there’s an interesting idea to present.

I don’t want to just make clothing out of the trash for no reason, anyone can do that. I guess I try to assign materials to their product with purpose, so I only make these things when I think the idea is good enough, or when I know enough people will understand the link I’m making between material and concept. I hope to do lots more of it!

Designs like your down jackets and pants made from a sleeping bag are based on an upcycling design process. Can you please tell us more about the process of re-using, re-modelling pieces and what importance this might have for the future of fashion?

Yeah I know it’s the trend right now but I’m happy that it is. I think every company is starting to realize that if they don’t start making greener choices then they’ll lose their customers to more progressive brands.

I see so much potential in all the materials that I see on an everyday basis. So I figure if we can make new things out of materials that already exist, then we should! Also, it’s always fun making these pieces because your options are a lot more limited than they would be if you were using raw material, so you have to think outside the box.

As an outdoor and functional clothing designer, what are your favourite fabrics, membranes and materials, and how hard is it for you to get your hands on those?

Obviously, I really enjoy 3-ply materials and I’m always hoping that I get to work with them more. Otherwise, I’m always looking for interesting ripstop and wool! Yeah, most of these fabrics are harder to get than other stuff. I just moved to Vancouver so I still don’t know the spots, haha!

What makes a perfect outdoor jacket in your eyes?

Function and comfort! Also comfortable in the sense that you don’t feel like an idiot wearing it.

And ultimately, in a picture-perfect Colin Meredith design world, how does a picture-perfect Colin Meredith jacket look like, and what possible steps you still have to achieve to get there?

Ha! I think whatever I told you today, I’d have a “better” idea tomorrow. For now, a perfect Colin Meredith jacket would be something that I could make a lot of so that everyone that wanted one could buy one!

There are many young designers out there that want to follow your path. What advice would you give them? Did you go the traditional route to learn your skills or did you choose another way?

That’s a funny thing to hear. I’m still a young guy and I haven’t even begun selling my brand for real! I think if you’re referring to fashion school as the “classic way” then probably not. I moved from Victoria to Montreal when I was 17 to start fashion school, but I quit after the first semester.

Afterwards, I worked at a streetwear shop, starting interning with Justin (jjjjound) and eventually did a college program in visual arts. I graduated from that in 2016, then did a couple more internships (Want Les Essentiels and Noah NY). Since then I’ve done another program in technical apparel design and a lot of sewing in my free time/ experimenting with producing small run products. So I’m kind of a mix! Lots of self-taught stuff but also so real technical training in there.

Can you please name (and show us) your three favourite designs so far and tell us a little bit about them?

Yeah sure. I’d start with the yellow stripe hoodie, just since it felt kind of pivotal in my development.

Second would probably be the jacket made from construction site materials. That was really the first deliberate art/ sculpture/ clothing piece I made and defined a lot of the things I did afterwards.

Lastly, I’d include the S vest I made recently. Again I see it more of an art piece than fashion design. It’s basically a joke using this awful high school graffiti motif to make a pattern like a high-end fashion house might do with their logo.

Can you please tell us more about your recent design work for Louis Vuitton? How did this product and story came to life and how was your experience working with this big fashion house?

My friend Justin is a long time friend of Virgil, so on a recent trip to Paris I got the opportunity to contribute some ideas to the conversation at the LV headquarters. They’ve both been really supportive of my creative trajectory so I have them to thank for bringing this piece to life.

Where do you get your inspiration for your pieces from? Are there any brands or designers, you like to look at, or is there any activity that brings you right back to the drawing board?

Yeah, I think I used to do a lot more looking at other brands when I was younger, but I’ll still research things now. I used to really look at how brands interpreted things but now I’m more interested in more obscure references or the history of something. I still love Our Legacy and think they do a wonderful job staying relevant. Also I like Stone Island and Margaret Howell.

Can you please tell us a little bit about your 1of1 designs? What is the idea and excitement behind creating pieces that only exist one time?

Well, mostly it comes from my capacity and current capability! I’ve been a bit reluctant to start producing things until I got some more hands-on experience in some established brands.

“I figure if I can learn as much as I can right now, I’ll be better suited to running my own brand in the future. But, in contrast to that, I have so many ideas that I want to get out.”

I just make these ones-of-ones to show off basically. I can’t wait till I’m actually producing things!

Are there any plans of selling your stuff more commercially, maybe a small collection of jackets or other items? It seems that there are a lot of people that are into the clothes you make. Do you want to keep the production limited or are you just waiting for the right time?

Yes, when I feel the time is right, I will start producing things.

Are there any favourite brands that we should keep an eye out for and that represent your values and needs the most? Any staple brands that you want to share with us?

Yeah totally, some friends to follow are Dertbag, Prix, Butler, and Toqa!

Are you solely working on your own designs or are there any pieces or projects out there that you designed for something else already?

No, I’ve contributed to a handful of brands in the past, and hope to do more of that in the future.

Are there any plans on expanding your design work to footwear or homeware? We can clearly see your interest in sneakers and since your father makes furniture are there any chances of a collaboration?

Yes! I’d love to do both and I often think about both. I purposely named my side brand Hobby Wares with the hopes of someday making homewares and other things!

A classic ending: What's next Colin?

“I have no idea what the future holds but I’m excited to keep moving forward!”

Thanks a lot for your time!

Cheers, thank you!

Text by Stephen Donald, Jon Walner & Adrian Bianco
Photos by Christian Maradiaga

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