Late last year, Christopher Kane’s name was on everyone’s lips: First, he was rumored to be taking the helm at Balenciaga (the label tapped Alexander Wang for its top post, as it turned out), and then it was revealed that he was parting ways with Versus, Versace’s spin-off label, which he had helped reinvent with Donatella Versace.
In January, the luxury group PPR announced it would be making a significant investment in Kane’s namesake line, giving the brand a major jolt of industry confidence and re-focusing the spotlight on the talented young designer.
Now, the designer is front and center in Style.com/Print’s latest issue, in which Kane goes back to his high school roots in Scotland to style models in his Fall 2013 collection—including fur-trimmed coats, slinky dresses with skin-baring crochet elements, and upscale camouflage separates.
A few photos from the magazine spread are above—you can view the full editorial on Style.com—but here are five interesting facts about Kane from the magazine’s profile:
1. Christopher Kane is only 30 years old!
2. His work partner for his label is actually his sister, Tammy Kane.
3. The designer is friends with Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith in “Downton Abbey.” (The actress arranged to get him a signed DVD from Maggie Smith!)
4. He once took his entire staff to see the stage version of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and thinks Andrew Lloyd Webber is a “genius.”
5. Despite breaking with Versus, Kane and Donatella Versace remain close, and the Versace designer was a visible fixture on Kane’s front row at his Fall 2013 show in February.