DW24: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

WE SIT DOWN WITH THIS YEAR’S CREATIVE DIRECTOR, HENRY EMPSON, TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HIS CREATIVE VISION AND JOURNEY THROUGH THE YEAR OF DW24

DW: FIRST OFF, WHERE DID THE IDEA ORIGINATE? WAS IT AN INSTANT IDEA OR DID IT DEVELOP SLOWLY?

H: THERE NEVER WAS A MOMENT WHERE I FULLY DECIDED IT, BUT I WAS CONSIDERING ARTISTS, PERIODS AND MOMENTS IN CULTURE THAT HAVE ALWAYS INSPIRED ME. STUDYING ENGLISH AND FILM, I HAVE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION I KEEP COMING BACK TO. THE CREATIVE CONCEPT KIND OF UNDERPINS ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT INSPIRATIONS; IT IS A THEME THROUGHOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT INSPIRE ME, THAT I WANTED TO EXPLORE FURTHER.

SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT IS QUITE PERSONAL TO YOU, THEN?

DEFINITELY, YEAH. IT IS VERY MUCH RELATED TO WHAT I LIKE, WHAT I ABSORB: THE ARTISTS I’VE GROWN UP CONSIDERING AND BEING VERY INSPIRED BY, MUSIC AS WELL. I NEVER HAD A SUDDEN REVELATION OF WHAT MY DONT WALK CREATIVE CONCEPT WOULD BE, BUT EVERYTHING JUST SORT OF CAME TOGETHER ORGANICALLY. REBELLION, IDENTITY, THESE ARE SUCH A BIG PART OF WHAT I ABSORB. 

HOW DO YOU THINK IT FITS IN WITH WHAT DONT WALK HAS PRESENTED IN THE PAST?

WELL, I REALLY LIKED THE THEME IN MY FIRST YEAR ON DONT WALK, “DIVINE DISORDER”. IT WAS SORT OF FLUID, BECAUSE IT WAS THIS IDEA OF NAUGHTINESS, MESS AND CHAOS, BUT PULLED TOGETHER BY ELEGANCE AND THE DIVINE. I THINK THAT’S SORT OF WHAT DONT WALK IS; IT’S THIS SORT OF DECADENT EVENT WHERE PEOPLE GET A BIT NAUGHTY, BUT IT IS ALSO AN UPMARKET AND PROFESSIONAL PROJECT. I ALSO LOVED ELISE’S THEME FOR 2022, REVELATION. IT WAS UNDERPINNED WITH RELIGION, AND I THINK THERE’S SO MUCH YOU CAN DO WITH THAT. I LOVED THAT SHE WAS INSPIRED BY ART, FAMOUS RELIGIOUS PAINTINGS, ALSO TYING IN THEOLOGY. IT REALLY WORKED WITH HER PERSONAL INTERESTS AND DEGREE. I ALSO WANTED TO FIND A THEME THAT WOULD LINK IN WITH WHAT I’M STUDYING THIS YEAR– WE ARE A UNIVERSITY FASHION SHOW AFTER ALL.

DO YOU FEEL A KIND OF COMMUNITY IN DONT WALK?

DEFINITELY, YEAH. THIS IS MY THIRD ROLE ON DON’T WALK, FIRST MODELLING, THEN AFTERPARTY DIRECTOR AND FINALLY CREATIVE DIRECTOR. THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SO DIFFERENT IN EACH ROLE. IN MODELLING, IT WAS ALL FUN AND SUPPORTIVE BETWEEN THE MODELLING AND CHOREO TEAMS. AS AFTERPARTY DIRECTOR, THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY REALLY BECAME STRONGEST IN THE FINAL LEAD-UP TO THE SHOW. THIS YEAR I’VE FELT SO CONNECTED TO THE WHOLE TEAM AND COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. IT’S BEEN SUCH A POSITIVE THING TO SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE JOINING DON’T WALK FOR THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY – ITS SO GREAT SEEING PEOPLE TOGETHER AROUND TOWN EVEN OUTSIDE OF FORMAL MEETINGS. 

DO YOU FEEL THE ROLE OF CREATIVE DIRECTOR HAS SURPRISED YOU AT ALL? HAS IT FULFILLED YOUR EXPECTATIONS OR BEEN DIFFERENT THAN YOU HAD ENVISIONED?

I JUST THINK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I’VE GOT TO KNOW AND ENCOUNTERED HAS BEEN AMAZING. HONESTLY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT’S REALLY SAVED ME THIS YEAR OR I THINK I’D BE A BIT BORED! YOU KNOW, IN FOURTH YEAR YOU HAVE LESS UNIVERSITY CONTACT HOURS, YOU’RE ALSO GOING OUT LESS. THE ROLE HAS BEEN SUCH A NEEDED SENSE OF PURPOSE AND COMMUNITY AND I FEEL I’M CONTINUING TO LEARN EVEN ON MY LAST YEAR ON DONT WALK.

IF YOU COULD SUM UP SOMETHING YOU’VE  PICKED UP IN EACH OF YOUR 4 YEARS

IN MY FIRST YEAR I REALLY LEARNED THE SENSE OF REBELLIOUSNESS BEHIND DON’T WALK. YOU DON’T NEED SOME EXPENSIVE STUDIO. YOU CAN MAKE COOL CONTENT IN SOMEONE’S GARAGE, SOMEONE’S BASEMENT. DOING IT YOURSELF CAN BE SO REWARDING.

SECOND YEAR I LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE SHOW, THE CHOREOGRAPHY AND THE LOGISTICAL SIDE OF HOW A FASHION SHOW WORKS. I THINK I WOULD HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THIS ROLE OF CREATIVE DIRECTOR IF I HADN’T GONE THROUGH THAT.

THIRD YEAR I LEARNED MOST ABOUT THE PLANNING AND ORGANISATIONAL SIDE OF THE SHOW.

HAVE BEEN ANY CHANGES OR SETBACKS SINCE WE LAST SPOKE?

DEALING WITH RAIN WAS A BIG SETBACK – WE HAD TO KEEP PUSHING OUR SEA/DUNE SHOOTS BACK AND BACK, SO UNFORTUNATELY WE DID HAVE TO CUT A SHOOT THAT WE’D HAVE IDEALLY DONE. BUT WE DO JUST GET MORE IDEAS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR – WHEN ONE PLAN FELL THROUGH, I’VE BEEN ABLE TO THINK UP ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTS AND LOCATIONS. 

DO YOU THINK BECAUSE OF THOSE SETBACKS YOUR OVERALL IDEA HAS CHANGED AT ALL?

I THINK BECAUSE MY OVERARCHING CONCEPT OF THREE SECTIONS, IT HAS STAYED PRETTY STRONG AND CONSISTENT. THE SHOOTS FIT NICELY INTO THOSE THREE STAGES. 

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE LAUNCH? IT WAS SUCH A FUN EVENT TO LOOK AROUND AT AND SEE HOW EVERYONE HAD TAKEN THE THEME IN SUCH DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS!

I LOVED THE CAMP DRESS CODE. IT WAS FUN SEEING PEOPLE LET GO, NOT TAKING THEMSELVES SO SERIOUSLY AND JUST HAVING A BIT OF FUN. IT CAN BE STRESSFUL TO FIT TO A THEME, SO THIS JUST LET US ALL HAVE A BIT OF A LAUGH. IT WAS SO GREAT THAT PEOPLE COULD JUST EXPRESS THEMSELVES WITH WHATEVER THEY ALREADY HAVE, WITHOUT NEEDING TO GO OUT AND BUY NEW ITEMS. 

COMING BACK ROUND TO THE CREATIVE CONCEPT. DO YOU THINK THAT SINCE YOU ANNOUNCED THE THEME IN THE SUMMER, IT HAS CHANGED AT ALL?

MASSIVELY, YES. IT’S THIS IDEA OF REBELLION AND IDENTITY. I WAS INSPIRED BY ABSOLUTELY ANYONE WHO’S NEEDED TO ENGAGE IN A REBELLIOUS MOVEMENT. IT’S ABOUT THE THREE STAGES OF THAT: EXPERIENCING REPRESSION, ENGAGING IN REBELLION AND THE FINAL UTOPIAN FEELING AFTER THAT REBELLION. I REALLY WANT TO REPRESENT THAT IN THE SHOW THROUGH THE VISUALS, THE LIGHTING AND CHOREOGRAPHY.

SO WILL WE SEE THAT THROUGHOUT THE SHOOTS AND CONTENT, THEN?

YES! THE LAUNCH REPRESENTS STAGE 1, THEN OUR CONTENT WILL MOVE THROUGH STAGE 2 AND FINALLY THE SHOW WILL CULMINATE IN THAT UTOPIAN IDEAL OF STAGE 3. THE SHOOTS WILL TRY TO REPRESENT THOSE STAGES VISUALLY. HOPEFULLY IN THE SHOW WE’LL ALSO SEE THOSE DEVELOPMENTS AND STAGES COME TO LIFE!