Born in Buffalo and Trained in London, Edwin Mohney Sources the Fabric for His Radical Ball Gowns at Kmart
Born in Buffalo and Trained in London, Edwin Mohney Sources the Fabric for His Radical Ball Gowns at Kmart
Last night, students of London’s Central Saint Martins showed their graduate collection on the university runway, which has played host to some of the industry’s most creative minds. (The list of alumnae reads like a Who’s Who of British fashion: John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Phoebe Philo, to name a few.) Last year, American designer Edwin Mohney was among those who presented at CSM. His highly imaginative designs ended up being something of a viral sensation—made from shrunken rubber Donald Trump masks, the shoes in particular were a runaway hit. Though his blowup paddling-pool headpieces were easily a close second.
This season, the 27-year-old designer brought his wildly theatric designs to New York instead, disrupting the Fashion Week schedule with a guerrilla exhibition that was set up in an empty storefront on Canal Street earlier this week. “I just wanted to put something out there!” says Mohney, who planned the happening less than two weeks prior.
Mohney has been living at home in Buffalo, a seven-hour drive from Manhattan, for almost a year now, a place that is not exactly known for its thriving textile industry. As a result, the designer has become more resourceful than ever, often sourcing fabric at his local Goodwill. “I am canvassing them for material,” he says. “In my basement, I have about eight racks of different fabrics, curtains, and weird garden flags.” Most of the supplies for his latest fashion project were purchased at a closing sale at his local Kmart. “I bought about 20 mannequins for about $200,” said Mohney. On display among the creations was a sculpture made out of 40 pairs of khaki pants—also sourced from Kmart—that were balled up, stuffed with paper, and expertly draped on a mannequin. Also in the mix was a full skirt made of medical fabric from a local factory. It was paired with a Japanese waist trainer that the designer found at a nearby American Veterans charity store.
Mohney’s reasons for returning to Buffalo were largely logistical. “My British visa ran out,” he says flatly. And yet there has been a silver lining to his experience. “What I love about Buffalo is the space that I get from the industry and pleasing myself and doing things that make me happy,” he says. “I am in a dreamy headspace in the woods, burning the candles, and listening to John Denver. I just do things that feel authentic to me.” Judging by his latest collection, the fresh air and open spaces are doing him good.
