Designers Exhibiting at Profile: Charlie Cohen

Seeking to bridge the gap is fashion student Charli Cohen, who acquired her personal training certificate whilst completing the first year of her fashion degree. Her graduate collection has provided an opportunity to combine her passion for both fitness and fashion and to produce sportswear that is chic, clever and contemporary.

The notion that fashion bestows power upon its wearer makes literal sense when applied to sportswear and this has inspired Charli to use technical fabrics and high function silhouettes to enhance performance, whilst exploring the psychology behind how certain garments inspire the wearer to train harder, faster and heavier.

The collection’s aesthetic is defined by a ‘feminine androgyny’, inspired by female weights training and powerlifting. This sport is personally very relevant to the designer, who hopes to break the stereotype of musclebound masculinity. “These women are cool, understated and extremely dedicated. And I love the fact that once they’re outside the training environment, you’d never guess they could bench press their own bodyweight – there’s something very ‘undercover’ about it.” 

 

Sleek, body-conscious base layers sit beneath offbeat, high-concept outerwear garments, stand-out pieces including the ‘Deadlift Parka’ with its muscle anatomy inspired cut-outs and built-in lifting hooks, and the ‘Tyre Pull Jacket’, comprising three layers with an integrated harness, anatomically curved sleeves and wrist support wraps. 

Environmental concerns led Charli to take into account the carbon footprint and sustainability of the fabrics used, with a preference for natural fibres that also enhance the comfort and practicality of the garments.

So if you need some extra motivation to hit the gym, this innovative and sophisticated workoutwear may well provide the boost you need. 

Charli Cohen has been nominated for the Graduate Fashion Week Innovation Award and the Who’s Next Prêt-à-Porter show in Paris, and hopes to be showing on the Graduate Fashion Week catwalk on June 12th.