British, Born 15th September 1990
ITS Award winner
Tomorrow Award winner
CNMI Award winner
BALANCE AND PROPORTION
Eleanor got inspired by documentary photography that captured how garments, thrown on without any thought, can hang and drape interestingly. She reverse-engineered these distortions and each garment looks subtly off-balance, but actually fits well. Everything is intentionally cut and fitted on men with the intent that it can be worn by anyone. This shifts the proportion and silhouette again, mirroring the starting point of her clothes, which can be read as traditional with an underlying sensuality. A sensuality which comes from the tactile nature of her design process and the importance she places on how each garment feels to wear.
ITS Award offered by Allianz
Originality and creativity have always been main criteria in judging the collections at ITS. Over the years, we have privileged a bold, at times dramatic, very crafty language. Being original, however, means mainly to be yourself no matter what, going against the grain. For too long fashion has been about styling, or image making. It’s time to go back to design, garment making, silhouettes that makes a statement. This is why the ITS award goes to Eleonor McDonald: her technical prowess and design focus are remarkable. Indeed, original, in a subtle way. In the years of the restart of ITS, reboot is the message.
Tomorrow Award
For her bold use of patterns and silhouettes and for her clean aesthetics. For the perfect fit, the sense of balance and proportion which, we feel, is the new direction of menswear.
(Special Award Sneaker Atelier)
For the very functional, interchangeable soles design which fuses style, performance and health. We woould love to offer her the chance to work with our designers and to access our footwear ateliers, both in Italy and China.
CNMI Award
I find Eleanor’s message very important for menswear and fashion: focus back on design. This is what we need today.