Top designer — and national treasure — Alfred Sung will unveil his limited edition outdoor collection, Blackwatch, at this weekend’s Interior Design Show in Toronto.
What can fans look forward to in this special collection?
The collection is very much the same concept as my clothing: It’s very sophisticated, it’s sleek, it’s simple, it’s modern. We basically try to use ideas from the fabrics and textiles, so that’s how we came up with the Blackwatch concept.
You’re best known for your clothing lines, so what satisfies you from an artistic standpoint when you produce an outdoor collection?
I have always been very interested in interior design. It’s always been my dream to come out with a furniture collection, home design, home accessories. This is very exciting for me.
Is there an area of design you haven’t tackled yet that you’d be interested in taking on?
We’re doing menswear. It’s going to be for Fall 2011, so we’ve already put the first season’s design to bed. But other than that, I think the only thing that’s missing would be women’s lingerie (laughs) and children’s wear. That would be fun because I love kids.
You’ve made a mark internationally, and could easily have moved to New York or Milan ages ago. What has kept you in Canada?
I feel comfortable in Toronto. I love Canada as a country and I’m proud to be Canadian. I’m thankful for what the country has offered me and actually, every time I go away, whether it’s on holiday for two, three weeks, I get homesick. I think we Canadians, a lot of time, take our country for granted. Compared to other places, we are up there, and yet we live so much better.
Do you feel you’ve been creatively inspired and fulfilled here?
In terms of fashion, I have to be honest, I need to get out for inspiration. I travel to other cities for ideas. You have to. New York, for sure. We go to Hong Kong quite a bit these days. And then Paris, of course. London. Yes, our city’s getting more sophisticated, but in terms of searching for fashion ideas, we don’t have as many designer stores compared to the cities I mentioned.
You’ve been partners with the Mimrans for over 30 years. Most marriages don’t even last half that long. What’s the trick to keeping a solid relationship in such a volatile, high-pressure industry?
(Laughs) They’re not even like partners any more because it’s been so long together. Saul and Joe [Mimran] are like my brothers. We have disagreements, but at the same time in a business relationship you have to have trust, you have to have respect and compromise.
