Christopher Shannon is a disarmingly honest interviewee. Despite the fact that the casting for his most recent show at London Collections: Men for FW14 was initially conducted via Instagram, the designer describes selfie culture itself to be “totally tedious.” He’s also rather outspoken when it comes to a term that’s so often applied to clothes that are seemingly street influenced. “Ugh! I loathe the word ‘tribe’” he says. “I realised recently that I’d never wanted to be part of a gang, that I’m always much more interested in the individual.” Whilst scrolling through the results of #shannoncasting presents you with a mass of overly eager individuals – the kind that any open call attracts, searching the designers name alone on any form of social media throws up a different kind of populace. A low key kind of fandom – probably too cool for the term, which proves that whilst Shannon may never have felt the need to belong to any kind of group, he’s certainly capable of leading one. Unlike that certain new breed of fashion designer, he obviously does this without the need for endless images of him and his mates as some sort of invitation into his world. In fact, he’s reluctant even to take the expected bow at the end of a show, or pose for a portrait to accompany magazine write-ups. But bounce a few questions back and forth and it’s plain to see this would be a pointless exercise, as so much of Shannon’s self is sent out there in his clothes. If not in his own image then at least in the image of those he grew up around – in some sort of semi-autobiographical way.

Vincent Levy: Growing up, were you all about labels, or more high street?
Christopher Shannon: Liverpool was label obsessed so it was never about high street – it would have only bought you shame. I was dreadful for stealing my brother Matthew’s clothes; he is a few years older and was always getting the good stuff first.  I’m still not really into the high street. I don’t love throwaway culture. I think the first labels I was aware of were Fila and maybe Vision Street Wear or Santa Cruz; it was skate things when I really started to notice a point of difference. Again these are things I would steal from Matthew.

VL: What about second hand clothes? The large floral prints in your FW14 collection must have come from some strong vintage references?
CS: Yeah, I think my first connect with researching clothes was loads of second hand stores. It used to be a bit of a thrill, but now it’s just last seasons Primark-which is massively depressing. The prints for the puffa jackets were based on wallpapers, old rolls I’d found here and there. I was looking a lot at a book called No Such Thing As Society, full of quite miserable Thatcher year’s imagery. Fags and wallpaper.

VL: Is there something specific about Scouse style which you’ve carried through into the way you design?
CS: I’m not sure sometimes if it’s Scouse style, whatever that really is. Is it Jennifer Ellison? If it is then no. Like a lot of people I know I was inspired by the people I grew up around, the ones you aspire to be a bit, when you are finding out what you’re into. I was fortunate to grow up around a lot of different creatives doing different things.  Although there is definitely something about the precision of the appreciation of sportswear that I grew up around, there was nothing worse than being seen outside school aged thirteen in a naff pair of trainers.

VL: Wearing the right logos is always important at that age. At what point did you decide your name logo should become a bold part of your work?
CS: I don’t remember it being a massively big moment whenever it was, I think it was on the second collection when we started working with graphics, at the time no one was using their name and it seemed really gauche and I liked that, it was almost a bit embarrassing. I’ve always liked to put myself in that situation a bit.  I think I was exhausted by everyone being a bit dark and punky and I just wanted to be a bit tacky and irritating. I’m not sure it’s done me any favours.

VL: Do you get a bit of a thrill when you see your name being worn by someone? On the street or on Instagram?
CS: I think it all comes under the heading of work really; I’m always onto the next piece of work. I don’t get that attached to things as they pass. And my name sort of belongs to the label more that it does to me, I’m not sure I register it as my name anymore. It’s nice to see someone with nice style wearing a piece in a nice way. That goes the other way too though, you can’t look too much.

Printed tracksuit by Christopher Shannon, bag from Christopher Shannon for Eastpak archive, trainers by Adidas. Photography Amy Gwatkin, fashion Vincent Levy

VL: Is there a certain kind of guy you’ll typically see in your clothes? Is there a Christopher Shannon tribe?
CS: Ugh, I loathe the word ‘tribe’. I realised recently I’d never wanted to be in a gang, I think that’s why I never focused on Punk etc with my work. I’m always more interested in the individual, and socially I’m better with less people, one and one and such. I see different things, there’s quite a variation in what we do, sometimes pieces are subtle like the shoes or maybe a project with a bag company, I don’t think they are pieces you all wear at once. ‘Tribe’ feels like it’s bound to be a fad and I’m not really interested in that. The idea of loads of people in full looks all hanging out together makes me feel a bit ill. And I mean in any one label not just mine.

VL: Your casting process this season involved Instagram. How did that idea come about?
CS: I think maybe through desperation, thinking there must be some good lads out there, I was wrong, obviously 99% of people who respond to an Instagram casting are going to be really desperate and too eager, its never going to be the people you want is it? I mean being a model is quite embarrassing isn’t it? All the good ones I’ve worked with are the sorts of people that never would have thought about wanting to be a model and it’s just happened by chance. I get some terrible, terrible applications, and it’s not to do with being attractive or whatever, there’s just a desperation and a vanity to a lot of the people who think they really ‘deserve’ it. Like actors really, most of whom I’ve encountered have been massively annoying.

VL: How do you feel about selfie culture in general?
CS: Totally tedious. How is that interesting? Can’t tell anyone apart. Surely people should be busier finding themselves a job?

VL: #TBT’s?
CS: For throwbacks its always the Beastie Boys, I’ve always doted on Ad Rock too. Sinead O’Connor, so many incredible old images of her. Leslie Winer too, I love her new shots with Juergen Teller for [Vivienne] Westwood, really well done, clear, nice to just see someone’s face and not feel like you are being sold some t-shirts. I saw a great image of Sandra Bernhard the other day, I love the way she broke through, she has such a great face, I love when someone owns their own look. Plus she’s funny as fuck. I don’t really get into the way someone looks unless I like what they do or have to say.

VL: You mentioned the Beastie’s and Ad Rock, what’s the studio soundtrack?
CS: ESG I’m way into. We’ve been working with Neneh Cherry a lot and her new album Blank Project is on a fair bit. I still listen to Leslie Winer when I need to concentrate, something about it can focus me.

VL: Would there ever be a Christopher Shannon girl? An extension of what you did with Lulu and Co?
CS: I’d like there to be. I’ve drawn up a collection a few times and I always really like the way it looks. I’d need for my studio and my team to be bigger to achieve what I want to. I’d like to do a few more projects like Lulu’s one; it’s really nice to put a few ideas together without the pressure of a full collection and show etc.

VL: The new collection felt darker, a little more romantic? Does winter just leave you feeling more wistful?
CS: I think maybe wistful is a gentler term than I would use. I’m not sure about romantic, I definitely am in a lower mood and maybe that comes through in the images I want to look at. I love Christmas though, that said I doubt I’ll be doing any reindeer jumpers anytime soon.

All clothing Christopher Shannon FW14
Model: Jake Love at Select
Hair and make-up: Kota Suizu