In Conversation With: Seeing Red

We’re excited to launch the very first blog in our new series, where we meet the brands and creatives bringing BioPuff to life through their designs. Each conversation will uncover their inspirations, processes, and the conscious choices shaping their work.

Our first feature shines a light on Seeing Red, the brainchild of London-based designer Fred Redman. Known for transforming dead-stock materials into durable, one-of-a-kind pieces, Fred’s work is all about texture, function and a punk-inspired edge. With layered fabrics, his designs are setting the tone for a new wave of conscious creativity.

On a sunny afternoon in Walthamstow, we stepped into his studio to see BioPuff in action, explore his bold design process, and understand what fuels his vision. After trying on nearly every piece in sight, we left as Seeing Red’s biggest fans. We also followed Fred to the Walthamstow Wetlands- a place he often cycles to for inspiration and reconnection with nature.

How would you describe Seeing Red’s signature style and aesthetic?

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Inspiration has always come in many forms for me with my creative practice. Seeing Red has been a very important outlet for my ideas. Often I’m inspired by what I come into contact with on a daily basis - be it through podcasts, music, exhibitions or the toys I grew up with, all of these factors have shaped the clothes I create. There’s a playfulness I wanted to involve in my designs, through the cut and silhouette or textile applications, I want the garments to reflect how much joy these experiences have provided me.

In what ways does nature inspire your creative process?

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Well the brand has always had an emphasis on outerwear and heavy duty garments that can be worn in any environment, until recently I’ve imagined them in more of an urban setting, as it’s where I spend most of my time, living here in London. But with my most recent collection, Adapt, I’ve taken a real interest in reimagining the clothes in a more rural environment. I grew up in the British countryside and in recent years have found myself searching for these greener spaces again whilst living in London. Through collaborating with other artists who also value greener pastures, I’ve been evolving my designs to respond to their environments. By doing so, I feel like I’m pushing the brand to grow and avoiding creative stagnation. A big part of my design process focuses on the importance of the materials. We’re seeing a lot of change in design, designers are becoming more considerate about what fabrics they use and customers want more transparency over what they’re buying. It makes me proud to say that I use BioPuff, a regenerative product, which is sourced and produced here in the UK. It’s also a great pairing alongside the surplus and deadstock fabrics I use to bring my designs to life.

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges of working with dead-stock fabrics?

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The obvious drawback is that there’s a finite amount of each fabric in each colour. Often means I can only produce a pretty small amount of each garment, but in a lot ways that’s worked really well for me over the years. Customers are aware of how the production / commission process works and are happy to receive something unique each time.

If you could see anyone in the world wearing one of your designs, who would it be – and why?

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Always a struggle answering this question. If I’m being honest, there’s not really any single person I fawn over enough to give an answer! Bit boring I know, but ultimately if you can style the clothes I make well & look great whilst doing it, that’s who I want to have wearing what I make.  I love to see my stuff out in the wild. Brings me a lot of joy :)

What is your favourite piece you’ve made with a Ponda product?

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Oooh that’s either got to be the fly-wing vest or the Skyreacher jacket. It makes both of them feel so premium. Real loftiness to the pieces that previously I couldn’t achieve with the synthetic wadding I’d used in the past.

What advice would you give to emerging designers who want to create more sustainable garments?

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I’d say : don't do what I did and think you know all there is to know about fabric. You’re constantly learning and discovering new things. A mate of mine (Kassim) introduced me to BioPuff after he visited the future fabrics convention and it was a real wake up call! I’m still yet to visit the convention, but I’m really looking forward to the next one so I can learn more and bring more experimental fabrics into the brand.

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Follow Fred’s journey on Instagram: @_seeing_red__

Discover more at seeing-red.co.uk

Commissions are now open — reach out via Instagram to discuss a piece of your own.