Dylan Joel Talks Genderless, Rave-Inspired Collection

The fearless, liberated characters London designer Dylan Joel stumbled upon on heady nights in the East-London rave scene are the muses of his latest collection. “I’ve always been drawn to these spaces because of the interesting characters you would meet there,” Joel explains. “There is a raw energy at these parties. People’s attitude to fashion is so carefree and adventurous and I find it awe-inspiring.”

Interlacing sportswear, tailoring and corsetry, Joel’s signature neon green remains at the heart, however, black pieces emerge as the collection’s base, with vibrant inflexions incorporated into brightly hued PVC details and shimmering rhinestone embellishments – imitating the juxtaposition of the dark rave setting with the resplendency of the attendees and club ambience.

The genderless collection from Joel, who has dressed everyone from Bjork, to Mabel and Mel C, is determined to innovate the approach to fashion outside of the gender binary. “We know that our customers are looking for more than just bland and shapeless looks,” Joel tells us below. “They want genderless fashion without sacrificing their personality and style.”

We talk to Dylan Joel all about his rave-driven collection, how club culture became intertwined in his work, and what it’s like to dress musical icons…

Hey Dylan! How are you doing today? What else are you planning to tick off your to-do list today apart from this interview?
Hello! I’m having quite a busy day but I’m very excited about the new collection launch which is happening this evening. Our team in the studio are working on the final touches right now so there is lots to do.

Your new collection draws inspiration from the house and techno ravers in East London. Tell us about some of the nights that made way for the designs.
I’ve always been drawn to these spaces because of the interesting characters you would meet there. There is a raw energy at these parties, people’s attitude to fashion is so carefree and adventurous and I find it awe-inspiring.

How did club culture become a prominent influence in your work?
When I moved to London to study Fashion Design, I was lucky enough to be introduced to these fascinating characters and the club scene quickly became a part of my lifestyle and soon after, a prominent element in my designs.

Can you tell us where we find you in this collection compared to your last?
Since the last collection, the brand has developed and evolved quite a lot. We have been building a strong team that works beautifully together. This has been helping us to develop smart business practices behind the scenes which feed into the recent and upcoming successes of the brand this year. I have also been working very hard to evolve my designs and this collection. I believe this shows a level of maturity and growth – while staying true to the neon green that Dylan Joel has become known for. This is the most cohesive collection to date and we are constantly pushing ourselves to the next level so I have high expectations for the seasons ahead.

The collection is genderless – what was important to you in the design process when it came to keeping gender out of the equation?
I am always thinking of the typical Dylan Joel customer and the pieces they would want to wear – from our research and the feedback we receive, we know that our customers are looking for more than just bland and shapeless looks. They want genderless fashion without sacrificing their personality and style.

You’ve dressed the likes of Bjork, Mabel, Mel C – how does it feel to have figures like that wearing your pieces?
Sometimes it’s hard to fathom but it motivates me to keep striving to reach new heights. I am constantly thinking about the tasks ahead so I don’t really stop for long enough to let these moments sink in.

If there was anyone you would like to see wearing a Dylan Joel garment – who would it be?
It would be a dream to dress Lady Gaga. She’s always been a huge inspiration to me. Tell us one thing that inspired the collection that no one would expect!
Although my designs are usually very bright and colourful, I typically wear black every day which is why I wanted to incorporate more black into this collection. I wanted to make it more wearable and provide a wider variety of options for my customers.

Lastly, what’s next in the Dylan Joel journey?
We are very excited to be holding our second-ever in-person sample sale event in London this November. Exact details to be confirmed which we will announce very soon on our social media. This will include some exclusive one-off pieces at discounted prices as well as some new lines and will be sure to be a fun and colourful social event.