My name is Mapalo Simon and I am a London based Fashion designer specialising in Menswear. I am a highly motivated and hardworking individual that has just graduated from London College of Fashion.
My primary interests are in the combining of formalwear with streetwear and utility wear, this is drawn from my fascination in the detachment of objects from their functional use and adaptation into aesthetic context: This is something that also sparks my drive to upcycle garments, a process that I find to not only be sustainable but pushes my designs towards more originate shape and texture.
My brand Studio Mapalo was created to tell the visual narrative of how my childhood in Zambia and living in Yorkshire and London have collided. I wanted this to be at the core of my brand because I wanted to integrate African style into western culture as well as provide an Insight into how cultures could be visually integrated.
Projects
- Black infinity Volume 2: PreludeBLACK INFINITY: VOLUME 2 is the latest audiovisual experiment by studio Mapalo and concludes a two part series that has spanned over the duration of the past year. The collection comprises five looks made up of gender neutral upcycled 1 of 1 garments. The idea behind the collection was to showcase the black experience through progressive narrative, by taking elements of traditional african culture and elevating them using British ultra modern fabrication and avant garde silhouette. The followin
- Black Infinity‘BLACK INFINITY’ is the second collection made by Studio Mapalo. The collection comprises six looks made up of gender neutral upcycled 1 of 1 garments. The idea behind the collection was to showcase the modern black experience by taking elements of traditional african culture and elevating them using British ultra modern fabrication and silhouette . The ultimate goal was to strip back the conventional ideas of what African clothing has always been and show Studio Mapalo’s vision of what it could
- AstridaThe garments in this collection were all handmade using dead-stock materials and up-cycled denim from old jeans, as well as crocheted pieces made by Astrida Ndhlovu, the protagonist of the project. The concept was to illustrate the symbolic Baton that a young man inherits from his family, unable to choose what culture they are from, only ever adapting to this to their environment, the result creates a fashion hybrid that achieves futurism through the visual amalgamation of two cultures
- APEXApex is a two look capsule collection with interchangeable garments that form both contrasting and matching two pieces. Look one features a multi-pocket flight jacket and matching cargo pocket track pants made from deadstock corduroy taken from factory offcuts. Look two features a denim and cheetah jacquard blend flight jacket with mesh vents and zips, with a pair of matching, biker style, jacquard and corduroy blend track pants. The collection was inspired by animals that I had seen whilst in
- SimulationsSimulations is a one look project that consists of a sleeveless, wide leg jumpsuit with a drawstring waist and bucket hat made 4 different nylons taken from deadstock factory offcuts. The silhouette of the jumpsuit is made using patterns that I developed from my project ‘isolation island’ furthermore this is a continuation of my exploration between workwear and African street stile, as this look was inspired by mining suits in southern Africa. photography @will.spoon, model @kelvin5star
- Converse Shoe ExperimentationA converse trainer that I upcycled using parts of old denim jeans. The design features a drawstring bag attachment upper with a front zip and adjustable drawstring cord. the original design of the shoe was intended to be made with a gum, jagged sole and supporting heel tab. The materials used to create the shoe were printed by London based textile artist Abbie Taskis. This design is a further exploration of the relationship between functionality and aesthetic
+ View all
Projects credited in
- adidas x GUAP: meet the 2022 The Originals Creator Network cohortWe’re thrilled to introduce you to 2022’s cohort for The Originals Creator Network – a 12-month educational initiative for emerging young creatives in London. In partnership with adidas and GUAP, these 20 talented young folk will participate in creative workshops led by industry experts and will be provided with access to brand mentors commissions to work on live Originals projects. The Originals Creator Network has been founded in partnership with youth-led digital media platform GUAP, a crea40
Work history
DesignerBillionaire Boys Club EU
London, United Kingdom
Designing and developing Menswear across BBC and Ice-cream EU, Kids and JD exclusives.
Design AssistantFolk
London, United KingdomFull Time
Supporting main designer with garment design development and tech pack construction over seasonal collections whilst also overseeing brand collaborations. Additionally supporting with production requirements such as Zedonk management.
+ Show more
Skills
- Fashion
- Design
- Illustration
- Creative Direction
- Styling
- Adobe
Education
Bachelor of Arts (BA) London College of Fashion, UAL
- London, United Kingdom
A design based course where I was taught the fundamentals of menswear Design. I was taught a number of design skills such as illustration both physically and digitally using Adobe programmes such as Photoshop and Illustrator. I also learnt practical skills such as pattern-cutting, fabric cutting, Toiling and sampling to realise my designs.
Y
Y
DiplomaYork College
- York, United Kingdom
Extended Diploma in arts and design where I explored a number of creative fields such as illustration, photography, graphics and architecture. In my second year I chose to specialise in Fashion design where I learnt skills such as garment construction and pattern cutting that I applied towards making my Final major project.