The British designer and choreographer talks movement, inspiration, music, and more.
Equinox is partnering with British menswear designer, movement director, and choreographer Saul Nash. His designs bridge the gap between luxury apparel and sportswear—unique, technical garments designed and cut for the liberation of movement.
Hailing from East London, Saul has been named an LVMH Prize semi-finalist and received the International Woolmark Prize and the Queen Elizabeth II award for British Design.
The partnership will feature a capsule collection available online and at certain Shop locations, and an exclusive Group Fitness class, Saul Nash: Creativity in Motion, at select Equinox Clubs.
We spoke to Saul about movement, music, inspiration, and more:
Can you talk about yourself, your brand, and the experience of collaborating on this collection?
My brand itself is cut for the liberation of movement. When Equinox approached me to work together, it was extremely exciting because I think there are a lot of parallels in terms of movement, lifestyle, [and] fitness.
What’s really exciting in this collection is to kind of embody the contrast between the static man versus the man in motion, which is written in my manifesto for my brand.
How do you marry your work in movement with your work in fashion?
I've danced ever since I can remember, but it was through my journey and…discovering what I'm about as a creative, where I kind of moved into choreography. It was never the initial intention, but I realized that I'm really obsessed with the way that things move…and that informed the way that I design clothing and the way that I think about materials and the body, how they stretch…
How can we liberate the wear of the garments? How can we make them feel more comfortable, but then at the same time uplift and transform their identities? So that's always at the core of myself and my brand…I'm really on a journey to see where movement can take me.
Can you discuss the relationship between autobiography and inspiration?
A lot of my own identity is shaped by the men and the people that I grew up around. So my work's not only about creating active wear, but it's also about discussing or creating conversations around some of the stereotypes around the people who wear sportswear and almost challenging the preconceived notions around people who wear sportswear.
I always tell a story of when I went to the theater and I didn't really feel comfortable because I was wearing a tracksuit…So I thought for myself, it would be amazing to create something in which you'd feel comfortable in any context, [that also] embodies your lifestyle as a dancer.
What’s your design practice like?
It varies from season to season or from collection to collection. I have a lot of intentions around what I want a garment to do, and sometimes it's quite vigorous in the process. Maybe the material is wrong, so we have to work through iterations of just keep perfecting it until it's exactly as you want it…But then on the other side you have this kind of poetic side. For example, last season, my AW 22 Collection, looked at spirituality within the Guyanese culture. So that's my heritage.
There's always this balance in the design process through trialing and testing how things move, but then also adding a layer through color and design to tell a story or present a new narrative for the people wearing the clothes.
Can you say more about inspiration?
It's often from a lot of memories as well. So like SS 23, I found a photo of me and my older brother, and it made me remember that a lot of my clothing was handed down from him. So that shaped a lot of my own identity and how I see sportswear or how people wear the clothing that I've designed.
So I then pulled up all of those images and a lot of references to that particular time because I'm often quite drawn to looking at the old to see how I can then propose something new from it. [But then] I always want my clothes to function for movement... How do you keep it aesthetically true to where it comes from, but then adapt it in a way that kind of fits within the world that I'm creating for the brand?
What music do you listen to?
I’m open-minded when it comes to music. I love classical music, but I think that that's because of the way I move versus how the music sounds. I'm quite into the juxtaposition of putting together things that might not necessarily belong together. My friend CKTRL’s music motivates and moves me, and then being Caribbean I have a lot of dance and Soca. I listen to hip-hop. I like Aphex Twin. I think it's important to be open because then you discover things that you don't really know about yourself through listening and just being open.
What does collaboration mean to you?
I think more generally as a designer, it's impossible to exist without collaborating because every day you're collaborating at different levels or different scales.
Can you talk about the new class with Equinox?
I guess it's the first time where I've tried… to sum up what I am as a choreographer, but then left it open to interpretation. It’s going to be exciting to see how these instructors interpret the material they're given.
How does dance affect your life?
The environment I grew up in, men weren't really encouraged to dance or express themselves in that way or do contemporary dance...Dance enabled me to just really have a focus and keep my mind on something.
It enabled me to travel from a young age and to go over to other countries and see other people's culture. It also provided me a space to tell my story and explore my own identity. And I think within my work it’s so important that nobody feels put in a box, but they're able to express who they truly are.
This interview has been edited and condensed for publication.