October 21, 2025 |
Bianca Saunders, always one for turning the familiar on its head, is stepping into a new arena this month. Teaming up with Tate for an exclusive capsule collection, the British menswear designer reimagines the visionary worlds of William Blake – part poet, part painter, all mystic – as a series of quietly powerful everyday pieces.
Looking to The Good and Evil Angels (c.1795-1805) and The Simoniac Pope (1824-7) for inspiration, Saunders serves up a four-piece edit that blends art and wearability: the Judging Adam jumper, hat and scarf, alongside the Fire long-sleeve top. Each piece is crafted with longevity and the environment in mind, staying true to Saunders’ focus on considered design and fluid silhouettes. The genderless capsule moves with ease – thoughtful, versatile and made to live in.
Available exclusively at Tate, the collaboration marks the first in a new wave of fashion-led projects from the boundary-pushing arts institution.
Here, we chat with Saunders to uncover how Blake’s wild imagination fed into her own, why it was important to conceive the collection as genderless and how she balanced wearability with conceptual artistry.
This collection marks the beginning of a new series of fashion-led initiatives at Tate. How does it feel to be the first designer to kick off this project?
It’s an incredible honour to be the first designer to launch this new initiative with Tate. I’ve always admired how Tate engages with art and culture in a way that feels relevant to our time, and to be part of that conversation through fashion feels very special. It’s a moment that connects my work to a much wider creative dialogue. I have always wanted to work with them,
You’ve reinterpreted William Blake’s The Good and Evil Angels and The Simoniac Pope. What drew you to these particular works, and how did they inform your design process?
I’ve always been drawn to dualities of strength and softness, movement and stillness and Blake’s works capture that tension beautifully. The Good and Evil Angels explores human conflict and moral balance, which feels aligned with the contrasts I explore in my collections. The Simoniac Pope has this raw, distorted energy that translated into texture and form. I wanted to bring those emotional layers into something wearable, so I hope the four pieces represent that.
Your practice often blends cultural heritage and contemporary menswear. How did Blake’s visionary symbolism intersect with your own design language?
Blake’s symbolism speaks to transformation and spirituality, which resonates with how I think about clothing as a reflection of identity and inner movement. His work is deeply British yet universal, much like my approach to design. I wanted to merge that historical vision with a modern sensibility.
This capsule is conceived as non-gendered. Why was it important for you to emphasise inclusivity and fluidity in this collaboration?
Fluidity has always been central to my work. I’m interested in how clothing can express freedom rather than restriction, and how people can define style for themselves. With this collaboration, it felt important that the pieces could be worn and interpreted by anyone just as Blake’s art invites individual reflection and meaning.
The collection is described as both deeply considered and designed to be lived in. How do you balance wearability with conceptual artistry?
I think I have always created clothing that’s wearable. For me, clothing should always function beyond the runway. I start with a strong concept, but I refine it until it feels effortless. Something that moves with the body and fits naturally into daily life. The artistry is in textiles and fabric texture.
Material durability and longevity were central to this project. Can you tell us more about the sustainable decisions behind the capsule?
We focused on responsible materials and quality construction, ensuring that each piece lasts both physically and aesthetically. It’s about slowing down the cycle of consumption creating garments people want to keep, not replace. Sustainability is also emotional: when you connect to a piece, you value it more deeply. All fabrics are cotton-based and removing use of polyester was a big factor for me to make sure we have pieces that feel and wash well to last long.
Fashion collaborations with major cultural institutions are still relatively rare. What excites you most about bringing fashion into dialogue with Tate’s art collection?
I love the idea of breaking down barriers between disciplines. Fashion is an art form, and presenting it within a space like Tate allows people to see it through a new lens. It also opens up possibilities for storytelling how a garment can hold cultural, artistic and social meaning all at once.
As one of the few Black British women leading a globally recognised menswear brand, how do you hope projects like this influence representation in both fashion and the arts?
Representation matters deeply to me. I hope this collaboration shows that there are many ways to define Britishness and creativity. Seeing someone who looks like you in these spaces can inspire a new generation to imagine themselves in them too not as outsiders, but as part of the story.
What do you hope audiences and wearers take away from this capsule – not just in terms of style, but in how it connects everyday life with Blake’s enduring legacy?
I hope they feel a sense of connection between art and life, between the past and the present. Blake’s work encourages us to see the world with imagination and empathy, and I wanted the collection to evoke that same feeling. It’s about finding beauty and meaning in the everyday.
What’s next for you?
I’m continuing to explore new ways to tell stories through clothing, both within and beyond fashion. This year I have been doing a lot to build my community by doing pop ups and cultural events to connect with my audience. There are upcoming collaborations and projects that build on this idea of merging art, culture and community and I’m excited to see how that evolves in the next chapter of my work.
Photography courtesy of Tate.
from left: Bianca Saunders; ‘The Simoniac Pope’ 1824-7
‘The Good and Evil Angels’ 1795c.1805
