Rebecca Louise Haddaway, 20, is a FdA Fashion Design and Marketing graduate, who studied at the internationally renowned London College of Fashion.
Upon graduation, Rebecca has been nothing but productive and driven. She was granted many awards such as the Student of the Year 2011-12, as as well being awarded the Craftsmanship Award for her incredible attention to detail. And she has recently launched her own luxury menswear label, Ataraxi. The brand aims to bring equality to menswear; womenswear is more readily available in contrast to menswear, therefore Rebecca finding her unique selling point and gap in the market. Branded Ataraxi, this name sparked from the Epicureans philosophy for happiness Ataraxia. This brand aims to encourage a “hedonistic lifestyle, designed for the man that lives his life to the full”.
The product associated with the brand was inspired by Rebecca’s keen interest in material science. She developed her knowledge in ionic crystal structures – when she studied Chemistry during her A-Levels – where she was able to create a striking geometric digital print that reflects the structure and tonal colour of crystals. By combining this print with other structed embossed leathers, Rebecca was able to create a sport-luxe tailoring product, which is highly featured within her collection. Ataraxi offers a bespoke service enabling perfect fits and customisation for a unique, personal piece.
Attracting the attention of some of fashions most influential celebrities, Rebecca’s unique style of combining sports-luxe with minimalistic tailoring, has created a balance between high fashion and wearability.
Rebecca is not afraid to push the boundaries. She is hoping to establish her brand further and is contemplating studying a Masters in Menswear in the future.
“My dream would be to dress the likes of Pharrel Williams and Kanye West. When designing my collection I wanted to create something that was for an extrovert male, someone that isn’t afraid to stand out from the crowd. This quality is consistently present in womenswear but rarely available in menswear. My passion for menswear came from my ‘Tom Boy’ attitude and my love of men, who doesn’t want a well dressed man on their arm?”
To add to the success of Rebecca’s brand launch and prestigious awards, she also debuted her menswear collection at Latitude 2013 Graduate Fashion Show. Hosted by Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing and influential fashion blogger Bip Ling, Jamie Laing announced to the masses about his love for her brand and that he personally will be purchasing from the collection. That day he wore one of Rebecca’s jacket’s and was reluctant to take it off all day! He was also so excited by the brand that Rebecca is currently working on some exclusive pieces for the MIC star.
Supported by Storm Models agency, Rebecca was chosen to debut her collection at the Graduate Fashion Show @ Latitude which was set in the beautiful Suffolk countryside. Rebecca described the show as “positively angelic” as the models owned the runway on a catwalk on water!
See the show here:
To see the collection and read more about Ataraxi and Rebecca check out: www.ataraxi.co.uk / www.facebook.com/ataraximenswear
Sky is the limit for this fashion graduate, and with her passion and ambition, the future can only bring further prosperity.
For orders and enquiries email r.haddway1@arts.ac.uk