Rewrite
Even out on the fashion circuit, amid the eccentric carnival of style savants in their eye-popping ensembles, fashion designer and knitwear specialist Edward L. Buchanan, 54, cuts quite a figure. Not that he is sumptuous in attire. Wearing his heather grey T-shirt, khaki trousers or button-fly Levi’s and sport trainers, Buchanan is unpretentious and comfortable – the uniform, he says, of a “creature of habit”. There’s a sense that he belongs equally in the bustling streets of Milan as in a studio, sketching or working through fabric samples. And it’s in his work, too, whether that’s weaving the stories of Italian BIPOC creatives at his consultancy We Are Made in Italy or designing a philosophy of quiet rebellion at knitwear brand Sansovino 6, where this comes into focus.
It began with Bottega Veneta.
Appointed the luxury leather house’s first design director in 1996, Buchanan brought ready-to-wear into its luxury repertoire, delivering collections influenced by the brand’s heritage of quiet craftsmanship and a particularly prodigious knitwear specialty. He was 26, having graduated from Parsons School of Design in NYC only weeks prior. “I met the owner, Laura Moltedo, and we connected on many levels,” he says. After presenting her with his portfolio, Buchanan was hired. “I was very young; there was no fear in what I, somehow, was creating,” he recalls, every word deeply considered. “I didn’t know at the time the magnitude and importance of the opportunity that was given to me.”
from left: top by MAISON MARGIELA from MORPHINE.ONLINE, trousers by MAISON MARGIELA, glasses by BOTTEGA VENETA, hat by ESENSHEL, shoes by ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD and top and trousers by ISSEY MIYAKE
Stepping out on to the company’s polished marble floors, surrounded by the soft hum of artisans at work, Buchanan was catapulted into a world where luxury wasn’t loud – it was whispered in the gentle curve of leather and the subtle sway of finely tailored silk. Immersing himself in the heritage of Bottega’s signature intrecciato weaving, his touch was light yet deliberate, much like the brand itself. “It was my school in luxury goods,” he says.
There, he blended the rigour of Italian tailoring with the fluidity of his own creative vision, one that was strikingly minimalistic yet imbued with a deep sense of identity. In his debut collection, which took place in 1998 at Palazzo Serbelloni, he focused on essentials, breathing new life into Bottega’s legacy.
When he stepped down in 2001, Buchanan partnered with Manuela Morin, whom he had worked with at Bottega for four years, to create LeFlesh, a line where knitwear met ready-to-wear garments. It garnered worldwide success and he then became the head womenswear consultant at Iceberg before moving back to New York and, eventually, Milan again.
from left: jumper and shoes by MCQUEEN BY SEAN MCGIRR, bag by PRADA, guitar case by MORPHINE.ONLINE and hat by WOOYOUNGMI, jacket by ISSEY MIYAKE, jumper by LOUIS VUITTON
The self-described “classical designer” grew up just outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and was, from the beginning, “a creative. There was no other path for me.” Creativity ran through his early life. His mother was a church pianist, while he sang, and played the trumpet and French horn. The home he shared with his two older brothers persistently thrummed with the sounds of James Brown, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones. “There was rock, there was soul, there was jazz, and so we grew up as musicians,” he says. “It was a mélange and, culturally speaking, it informed everything for me.”
Buchanan taught arts and crafts in the Boy Scouts while his grandmother, a seamstress, worked from her basement, constructing church garb for the “neighbourhood ladies”. Though too young to sew, he felt inspired by the colourful fruits of her labour. “I became interested in how I dress myself and how others dress themselves, how that relates to culture, art and music scenes.”
from left: hat by WOOYOUNGMI, jumper by DIOR MEN, scarf by MORPHINE.ONLINE and T-shirt, shorts and coat by EMPORIO ARMANI, shoes by JIL SANDER by RAF SIMONS
By the late ’80s, he was dressing for rebellion. “I was a young, Black kid from Ohio wearing black leather with spiked hair,” he says. “It came from me realising what it meant to be homosexual at that time… not having to fight, really, because my family was always accepting, but it was more about society. All that turned into style based on function; it became very Bauhaus in that way. Fashion and style for me are about the individual and what works for them. I am from the school [of thought] that you should wear the clothing, it shouldn’t wear you.”
Twenty-eight years after joining Bottega, Buchanan is a knitwear consultant for a cohort of high fashion houses, a knitwear master’s tutor at the Milan fashion school Accademia Costume & Moda and the Milan fashion director of Katie Grand’s Perfect magazine. He’s also the co-founder of We Are Made in Italy (launched in 2020 with Stella Jean and Michelle Francine Ngonmo) and heads his own conceptual knitwear label, Sansovino 6. “I didn’t try to become a knitwear specialist,” he says. “But when I started at Bottega, the first factory I met with was a knitwear manufacturer.” As he delved into the technical realms of knitting – exploring gauges, weights, techniques like intarsia and jacquard, and the transformative potential of yarn – his fascination blossomed. “It became second nature to me, designing knits,” he says. “I learned about alpaca, I learned about cashmere and I was sold. It just took over.”
By the time Buchanan returned to Italy, the mass migration of manufacturers to Asia was in full swing, threatening the existence of local factories. “They started losing business,” he says, reflecting on the challenges faced by the “incredible” factory that had once put him “on the map” (and for which Sansovino 6 is named). Determined to counteract this trend, he devised a plan to showcase the factory’s capabilities. “Let’s create something that’s going to give you a window of display so people can see what you can do,” he proposed, though he never intended to launch a whole new brand with it.
from left: jacket and jumper by DIOR MEN, trousers by ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, hat by WOOYOUNGMI and hoodie by RAF SIMONS, jacket by PRADA, trousers by LEMAIRE, glasses by BOTTEGA VENETA
To establish a foundation, Buchanan reached out to a diverse array of contacts – architects, artists, lawyers and designers, asking them, “What is it that you have in your wardrobe that you covet, that you can’t live without? And what is it that you don’t have in your wardrobe that you feel like you miss or that you want to have?” The various responses fuelled his creativity, leading to the conceptual development of six innovative pieces.
Sansovino 6 made its debut in 2016 with a collection that blended the familiar aesthetics of traditional garments with the unique, meticulous qualities of knitwear, one of the most technical sectors of fashion design. “How do you create the perfect white shirt so it looks like crisp poplin, but it’s actually knitted? And then how do you create jeans that look like jeans, that feel like jeans, but it’s actually a knit?” Over the course of three years, Buchanan meticulously crafted designs that mimicked the look of jeans and parkas, all while remaining true to the knitwear medium. The collection’s debut sparked unexpected demand, catching the eye of early online retailers like Net-a-Porter. “I had no intention of selling, but people were like, ‘Oh my God, where can we get this?’” he says, and from there it “grew and grew and grew”.
Another reason he started his own brand was because “within the space I worked in, there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me”. During his time at Bottega, and still now, he is one of few Black men working, not only at the precipice of Italian fashion, but in the industry at all.
from left: jacket by FENDI, cardigan and top by SANSOVINO 6 and jacket and trousers by MAGLIANO, hoodie by ISABELLA 1985, shoes throughout by BIRKENSTOCK, glasses by BOTTEGA VENETA
As a Black designer, Buchanan is keenly aware of the gaps in representation. “It’s been a 30-year battle and I’ve been very lucky to be able to align and to work at a high level continuously, losing, gaining and learning all the way along, but I know what it has been like for me,” he says. “And I can imagine, even for younger creatives who are coming up and entering into the industry, what that’s going to be like [for them].”
Fashion, in Milan especially, can sometimes feel like an exclusive club, where diversity is more of a whispered afterthought than a driving force. His presence there is itself an act of expansion – an invitation for Milan and the fashion world at large to embrace a more inclusive future. But it was never easy. “What happened was that my career has been a roller coaster, and it still is a roller coaster. People weren’t exactly chasing me down,” he says, “and I wasn’t getting any of the same opportunities that a lot of my colleagues or contemporaries were getting.” His solution was to carve out a niche as the knitwear specialist we revere today. “I was skilled, I was talented, but I had to create this character to be noticed,” he says, “and I thought that if I honed in on one idea or one thing, it might be easier to get into companies… and that worked. I became the Italian knitwear buff, the go-to for a lot of brands.”
from left: top by RAF SIMONS from MORPHINE.ONLINE, trousers by LEMAIRE, glasses by BOTTEGA VENETA and jacket and shorts by RANDOM IDENTITIES, gloves by SANSOVINO 6, shoes by JIL SANDER by RAF SIMONS
Buchanan’s next endeavour will, he hopes, be a true beacon of change: a dynamic, creative hub in Milan designed to uplift voices that are often overlooked. Reflecting on his own journey, he says, “Creatives that look like me are still, in 2024, not being offered opportunities.” His vision for the space goes beyond a studio or gallery: it’ll be a haven where disadvantaged artists, designers, musicians and makers can gather, create, align with sponsors and showcase their work without the weight of financial barriers. The multi-use space, likely to be named KSAT, which stands for Knitted Situations and Things, will also house his office and personal archives, offering emerging designers a rare chance to connect with his wealth of experience.
from left: jacket by ISSEY MIYAKE, cardigan by LOUIS VUITTON, trousers by RANDOM IDENTITIES, 69 bag and hat by WOOYOUNGMI, shoes by FENDI X STEFANO PILATI and hat and jumper by MOSCHINO, earring by PUCCI
More than just a space, it’s a cultural tapestry, one that’s waiting to unfold. He envisions pop-up weekends for chefs, galleries for artists, show spaces for designers, unplugged sessions for musicians and much more. “I want it to be filled with culture,” he says. For Buchanan, it’ll be more than a project, but a legacy. “I’m the designer’s designer, but I’ve been in it for a long time. The trade-off for me is to pass on my experience and share opportunities where I can, ushering in invisible creatives who don’t have the opportunity to be seen or heard,” he says. “This is what I want to invest into the future.”
Taken from 10+ Issue 7 – DECADENCE, MORE, PLEASURE – on newsstands Dec 6. Pre-order your copy here.
EDWARD L. BUCHANAN: THE DESIGNER’S DESIGNER
Photographer STEFANO GALUZZI
Fashion Editor and Talent EDWARD L. BUCHANAN
Text EMILY PHILLIPS
Grooming ALESSIA BONOTTO at Blend Management
Digital operator SHEHAN HEWA MALLIKAGE at Officinaotto
Photographer’s assistant FEDERICO LINDNER
Fashion assistants LEONIE VAN BALEN, GIOVANNI PIGLIAPOCHI, GEORGIA EDWARDS and SONYA MAZURYK
Production ELEONORA DENEGRI at Walter Schupfer Management
Sunglasses throughout by PERSOL
in HTML format, including tags, to make it appealing and easy to read for Japanese-speaking readers aged 20 to 40 interested in fashion. Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), translating all text, including headings, into Japanese. Retain any existing
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Even out on the fashion circuit, amid the eccentric carnival of style savants in their eye-popping ensembles, fashion designer and knitwear specialist Edward L. Buchanan, 54, cuts quite a figure. Not that he is sumptuous in attire. Wearing his heather grey T-shirt, khaki trousers or button-fly Levi’s and sport trainers, Buchanan is unpretentious and comfortable – the uniform, he says, of a “creature of habit”. There’s a sense that he belongs equally in the bustling streets of Milan as in a studio, sketching or working through fabric samples. And it’s in his work, too, whether that’s weaving the stories of Italian BIPOC creatives at his consultancy We Are Made in Italy or designing a philosophy of quiet rebellion at knitwear brand Sansovino 6, where this comes into focus.
It began with Bottega Veneta.
Appointed the luxury leather house’s first design director in 1996, Buchanan brought ready-to-wear into its luxury repertoire, delivering collections influenced by the brand’s heritage of quiet craftsmanship and a particularly prodigious knitwear specialty. He was 26, having graduated from Parsons School of Design in NYC only weeks prior. “I met the owner, Laura Moltedo, and we connected on many levels,” he says. After presenting her with his portfolio, Buchanan was hired. “I was very young; there was no fear in what I, somehow, was creating,” he recalls, every word deeply considered. “I didn’t know at the time the magnitude and importance of the opportunity that was given to me.”
from left: top by MAISON MARGIELA from MORPHINE.ONLINE, trousers by MAISON MARGIELA, glasses by BOTTEGA VENETA, hat by ESENSHEL, shoes by ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD and top and trousers by ISSEY MIYAKE
Stepping out on to the company’s polished marble floors, surrounded by the soft hum of artisans at work, Buchanan was catapulted into a world where luxury wasn’t loud – it was whispered in the gentle curve of leather and the subtle sway of finely tailored silk. Immersing himself in the heritage of Bottega’s signature intrecciato weaving, his touch was light yet deliberate, much like the brand itself. “It was my school in luxury goods,” he says.
There, he blended the rigour of Italian tailoring with the fluidity of his own creative vision, one that was strikingly minimalistic yet imbued with a deep sense of identity. In his debut collection, which took place in 1998 at Palazzo Serbelloni, he focused on essentials, breathing new life into Bottega’s legacy.
When he stepped down in 2001, Buchanan partnered with Manuela Morin, whom he had worked with at Bottega for four years, to create LeFlesh, a line where knitwear met ready-to-wear garments. It garnered worldwide success and he then became the head womenswear consultant at Iceberg before moving back to New York and, eventually, Milan again.
from left: jumper and shoes by MCQUEEN BY SEAN MCGIRR, bag by PRADA, guitar case by MORPHINE.ONLINE and hat by WOOYOUNGMI, jacket by ISSEY MIYAKE, jumper by LOUIS VUITTON
The self-described “classical designer” grew up just outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and was, from the beginning, “a creative. There was no other path for me.” Creativity ran through his early life. His mother was a church pianist, while he sang, and played the trumpet and French horn. The home he shared with his two older brothers persistently thrummed with the sounds of James Brown, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones. “There was rock, there was soul, there was jazz, and so we grew up as musicians,” he says. “It was a mélange and, culturally speaking, it informed everything for me.”
Buchanan taught arts and crafts in the Boy Scouts while his grandmother, a seamstress, worked from her basement, constructing church garb for the “neighbourhood ladies”. Though too young to sew, he felt inspired by the colourful fruits of her labour. “I became interested in how I dress myself and how others dress themselves, how that relates to culture, art and music scenes.”
from left: hat by WOOYOUNGMI, jumper by DIOR MEN, scarf by MORPHINE.ONLINE and T-shirt, shorts and coat by EMPORIO ARMANI, shoes by JIL SANDER by RAF SIMONS
By the late ’80s, he was dressing for rebellion. “I was a young, Black kid from Ohio wearing black leather with spiked hair,” he says. “It came from me realising what it meant to be homosexual at that time… not having to fight, really, because my family was always accepting, but it was more about society. All that turned into style based on function; it became very Bauhaus in that way. Fashion and style for me are about the individual and what works for them. I am from the school [of thought] that you should wear the clothing, it shouldn’t wear you.”
Twenty-eight years after joining Bottega, Buchanan is a knitwear consultant for a cohort of high fashion houses, a knitwear master’s tutor at the Milan fashion school Accademia Costume & Moda and the Milan fashion director of Katie Grand’s Perfect magazine. He’s also the co-founder of We Are Made in Italy (launched in 2020 with Stella Jean and Michelle Francine Ngonmo) and heads his own conceptual knitwear label, Sansovino 6. “I didn’t try to become a knitwear specialist,” he says. “But when I started at Bottega, the first factory I met with was a knitwear manufacturer.” As he delved into the technical realms of knitting – exploring gauges, weights, techniques like intarsia and jacquard, and the transformative potential of yarn – his fascination blossomed. “It became second nature to me, designing knits,” he says. “I learned about alpaca, I learned about cashmere and I was sold. It just took over.”
By the time Buchanan returned to Italy, the mass migration of manufacturers to Asia was in full swing, threatening the existence of local factories. “They started losing business,” he says, reflecting on the challenges faced by the “incredible” factory that had once put him “on the map” (and for which Sansovino 6 is named). Determined to counteract this trend, he devised a plan to showcase the factory’s capabilities. “Let’s create something that’s going to give you a window of display so people can see what you can do,” he proposed, though he never intended to launch a whole new brand with it.
from left: jacket and jumper by DIOR MEN, trousers by ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, hat by WOOYOUNGMI and hoodie by RAF SIMONS, jacket by PRADA, trousers by LEMAIRE, glasses by BOTTEGA VENETA
To establish a foundation, Buchanan reached out to a diverse array of contacts – architects, artists, lawyers and designers, asking them, “What is it that you have in your wardrobe that you covet, that you can’t live without? And what is it that you don’t have in your wardrobe that you feel like you miss or that you want to have?” The various responses fuelled his creativity, leading to the conceptual development of six innovative pieces.
Sansovino 6 made its debut in 2016 with a collection that blended the familiar aesthetics of traditional garments with the unique, meticulous qualities of knitwear, one of the most technical sectors of fashion design. “How do you create the perfect white shirt so it looks like crisp poplin, but it’s actually knitted? And then how do you create jeans that look like jeans, that feel like jeans, but it’s actually a knit?” Over the course of three years, Buchanan meticulously crafted designs that mimicked the look of jeans and parkas, all while remaining true to the knitwear medium. The collection’s debut sparked unexpected demand, catching the eye of early online retailers like Net-a-Porter. “I had no intention of selling, but people were like, ‘Oh my God, where can we get this?’” he says, and from there it “grew and grew and grew”.
Another reason he started his own brand was because “within the space I worked in, there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me”. During his time at Bottega, and still now, he is one of few Black men working, not only at the precipice of Italian fashion, but in the industry at all.
from left: jacket by FENDI, cardigan and top by SANSOVINO 6 and jacket and trousers by MAGLIANO, hoodie by ISABELLA 1985, shoes throughout by BIRKENSTOCK, glasses by BOTTEGA VENETA
As a Black designer, Buchanan is keenly aware of the gaps in representation. “It’s been a 30-year battle and I’ve been very lucky to be able to align and to work at a high level continuously, losing, gaining and learning all the way along, but I know what it has been like for me,” he says. “And I can imagine, even for younger creatives who are coming up and entering into the industry, what that’s going to be like [for them].”
Fashion, in Milan especially, can sometimes feel like an exclusive club, where diversity is more of a whispered afterthought than a driving force. His presence there is itself an act of expansion – an invitation for Milan and the fashion world at large to embrace a more inclusive future. But it was never easy. “What happened was that my career has been a roller coaster, and it still is a roller coaster. People weren’t exactly chasing me down,” he says, “and I wasn’t getting any of the same opportunities that a lot of my colleagues or contemporaries were getting.” His solution was to carve out a niche as the knitwear specialist we revere today. “I was skilled, I was talented, but I had to create this character to be noticed,” he says, “and I thought that if I honed in on one idea or one thing, it might be easier to get into companies… and that worked. I became the Italian knitwear buff, the go-to for a lot of brands.”
from left: top by RAF SIMONS from MORPHINE.ONLINE, trousers by LEMAIRE, glasses by BOTTEGA VENETA and jacket and shorts by RANDOM IDENTITIES, gloves by SANSOVINO 6, shoes by JIL SANDER by RAF SIMONS
Buchanan’s next endeavour will, he hopes, be a true beacon of change: a dynamic, creative hub in Milan designed to uplift voices that are often overlooked. Reflecting on his own journey, he says, “Creatives that look like me are still, in 2024, not being offered opportunities.” His vision for the space goes beyond a studio or gallery: it’ll be a haven where disadvantaged artists, designers, musicians and makers can gather, create, align with sponsors and showcase their work without the weight of financial barriers. The multi-use space, likely to be named KSAT, which stands for Knitted Situations and Things, will also house his office and personal archives, offering emerging designers a rare chance to connect with his wealth of experience.
from left: jacket by ISSEY MIYAKE, cardigan by LOUIS VUITTON, trousers by RANDOM IDENTITIES, 69 bag and hat by WOOYOUNGMI, shoes by FENDI X STEFANO PILATI and hat and jumper by MOSCHINO, earring by PUCCI
More than just a space, it’s a cultural tapestry, one that’s waiting to unfold. He envisions pop-up weekends for chefs, galleries for artists, show spaces for designers, unplugged sessions for musicians and much more. “I want it to be filled with culture,” he says. For Buchanan, it’ll be more than a project, but a legacy. “I’m the designer’s designer, but I’ve been in it for a long time. The trade-off for me is to pass on my experience and share opportunities where I can, ushering in invisible creatives who don’t have the opportunity to be seen or heard,” he says. “This is what I want to invest into the future.”
Taken from 10+ Issue 7 – DECADENCE, MORE, PLEASURE – on newsstands Dec 6. Pre-order your copy here.
EDWARD L. BUCHANAN: THE DESIGNER’S DESIGNER
Photographer STEFANO GALUZZI
Fashion Editor and Talent EDWARD L. BUCHANAN
Text EMILY PHILLIPS
Grooming ALESSIA BONOTTO at Blend Management
Digital operator SHEHAN HEWA MALLIKAGE at Officinaotto
Photographer’s assistant FEDERICO LINDNER
Fashion assistants LEONIE VAN BALEN, GIOVANNI PIGLIAPOCHI, GEORGIA EDWARDS and SONYA MAZURYK
Production ELEONORA DENEGRI at Walter Schupfer Management
Sunglasses throughout by PERSOL
and integrate them seamlessly into the new content without adding new tags. Ensure the new content is fashion-related, written entirely in Japanese, and approximately 1500 words. Conclude with a “結論” section and a well-formatted “よくある質問” section. Avoid including an introduction or a note explaining the process.
