Peeking Behind the Curtain of Two Lovers

Originally from Derbyshire, Raynor’s familiarity with fashion started at an early age, being as young as seven years old when he first started making garments. After moving to London at 18 and being denied twice by Central Saint Martins, the third time was indeed the charm as he enrolled into Fashion Design and Marketing. 

 

Being 23 with in-field experiences ranging from interning at JW Anderson to dressing award-winning singer Ella Goulding under his belt, Raynor uses his affinity for Theatre as the foundation for his graduate collection. Inspired by Renaissance Theatre, tragedy and romanticism is heavily explored through the theme of forbidden love. Following the story of two lovers that live in an oppressed, dystopian society, Raynor frames the journey of the two protagonists’ inevitable downfall in three parts: Infatuation, Elopement and Till Death Us Do Part - “The Ballad of Two Lovers: In Three Parts.”

 

Choosing to restrain himself to shine the light on his meticulous patterns and tastefully flamboyant shapes, he chooses only four colours that depict his character’s emotions as their love progresses throughout the story. “Like with a meal, you have to create a balance of flavours in how you design, like if it's all salt or all sweet or it's all this, then it doesn't work - you've got to create those moments of rest or pause.” 

 

His symbolic use of materials such as his organza material that is heavily featured, especially in Part II: Elopement, symbolises a delicate protection that forebodes the lover’s inevitable heartbreak. His rural upbringing has also come to serve as inspiration today, creating his very own mesh material that he produced using fencing that was used to section off livestock, a heavily-featured textile that creates beautiful pseudo pleats that hold a sturdy structure.  

 

“The ultimate culmination of theatre and costuming and immersive performance and dance - you're interacting with the art, you're literally in it. That's my approach to design fashion shows because I'm kind of sick of these boring runways where everyone walks in a line” says Raynor, as he dreams of being able to fuse theatre and fashion into one, both inside and outside of the clothing.