Atelier E.B Bring 'Big Tobacco' Collection To Cromwell Place

The conversation surrounding the question 'Is fashion art?' is as old as time. You have Elsa Schiaparelli, who declared in her autobiography that she regarded dress design not as 'a profession, but an art' then you have Muiccia Prada, who, despite being lauded as an artist (and known for her exemplary cultural and artistic knowledge) views fashion separately. However and whenever the conversation rises and falls it's key to remember that despite the crossovers, fashion has long taken place on the catwalk while art sticks to, well, art institutions, right? Wrong. Atelier E.B is changing all of that.

Although first established as an interior design company in 2007, over time, Atelier E.B has morphed into what is now an internationally acclaimed design collective, known not only for their ethically produced fashion collections but also their numerous collaborations - some with manufactures, the rest with galleries. Unlike other brands, Atelier E.B do not sell in shops. Rather, each collection is toured in a series of showrooms and custom-made exhibitions from which items can be bought and ordered from the collectives designers Beca Lipscombe and Lucy McKenzie in person.

Building on their artistic approach towards creating innovative fashion collections, their most recent line 'Big Tobacco' will occupy the Lavery Studio at Cromwell Place until 25 February through the uncoventional set up of a 'Faux Sports Shop' installation. The installation is an homage to one of the collection's references being women's tennis, which matches a new work on paper by Atelier E.B also outlining a potential capsule sportswear collection.

Staying true to their ethos of partnering with local manufactures to merge the best design sensibilities, all items from ‘Big Tobacco’ have not been made individually but instead, with the help of other specialist companies. From Scottish-based Alex Begg who has contributed to cashmere scarves and blankets to Tweedvale Knitwear, who's also lent their expertise to two-piece knitted skirt suits and intarsia loose knits, no design from this collction is without the help of countless other talents.

The installation, which forms part of the new programme being developed for Cromwell Place by Helen Nisbet, chief executive officer & artistic director, will be on view at Cromwell Place from 14 - 25 February 2024. It will travel to the Z33 Museum in Hasselt, Belgium in September 2024.