About Mark

Mark Fast is a 29 year old Canadian born knitwear designer. He grew up outside the city of Winnipeg, in the countryside along a highway next to a forest. This minimal, peaceful lifestyle led him to wonder what life might be like beyond the familiar frontiers of Canada.

Finally finding inspiration in London, Mark studied at Central Saint Martins for five years. He completed his BA there and went on to complete his MA in February 2008. Mark has created knitwear for Bora Aksu, a collaboration that spanned three seasons. He has also collaborated with Stuart Vevers for the Loewe RTW AW09 show and with Christian Louboutin on shoes for his SS10 collection.

Mark designs by hand on a domestic knitting machine. His work is formed onto the body as he knits, and he has devised innovative stitching techniques, blending lycra with viscose, angora or wool. He is inspired by the endless possibilities of lycra yarns, sculpting areas of tension and areas of volume over the body. Mark’s fascination with the cinema drives his creative process as he channels the energy of the characters who inspire him into his knits. Obsessed with texture, Mark’s most recent work explores the relationship of garments to the wearers body.

“Knits have a more intimate relationship with the wearer than tailoring or corsetry. The garment takes on the shape of the person inside it, and the finished look is always a collaboration between the two.” – Claudia Croft on Mark Fast, Sunday Times Style, 11th October 2009