As a method of research for my FMP I recently attended a talk by Henry Holland at the V&A on Friday 30th April in preparation for the start of my project. I thought that it would be insightful to hear a designer talk about their influences, career and future moves within the industry as a basis of of my research.

Upon attending the talk I was somewhat hesitant as to how much I would warm to Henry Holland as a person rather than a brand as I had previously heard people pass comment upon his arrogance, yet I was pleasantly surpassed. Although very confident in himself and his brand he came across as a very quick witted and has a clear sense of humour of which his brand envisages. Yet, that has always been evident with the production of his first venture, the slogan t-shirts branded with slogans such as ‘Flick yer bean for Agyness Deyn’ and  ‘Do me daily Christopher Bailey’, which allowed him to originally become established within the fashion industry. Aside from his famous friends who regularly appear in his advertising campaigns (Agyness Deyn, Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof to name a few) the innovative fashion videos were one of the things that particularly stood out for me, and he wishes to expand the brand further in to a world wide brand, using said videos a method to do this. He even passed comment as to how, in the future, whole catwalks at London Fashion Week and the likes, may be based upon full use of purely fashion video and how they could be used as a method of demonstrating deferent showcases and envisaging the style and theme for each collection. This would completely demonstrate a synthesis with the ever evolving use of public and social networks to advertise campaigns through the internet.

It was also interesting to hear how Henry mentioned how he doesn’t believe in writing business plans and to discuss his unconventional entry in to the fashion industry (through studying journalism). Although he did enter in an unconventional fashion, this has not hindered him, yet perhaps worked to his advantage as he now is in constant contact with various journalists, whom are willing to write about his work, which was vital during the development of his brand. 

When asked about his designs and the ideas behind the designs he commented as to how he creates clothes ‘for real life’,  designing for the women around him, and the women that he spends a lot of time with, believing that he takes inspiration from people, friends, family, women, films, music, etc, ‘being an amalgamation of a lot of  things that you are absorbing’.  He believes that he creates his clothes wanting people to wear them and enjoying wearing his designs, making them to feel a certain way when they wear them.

He also mentioned as how we develop over time and our style becomes more refined, so does the idea of way we want to wear, which naturally permeates in to the work he does and the collections that he produces. The brand House of Holland, which is known for it’s ‘fun and frivolity’ is a true reflection of the designer that I met, and when asked ‘will you ever grow up’ he responds with ‘i hope not’ which I believe sums Henry Holland and the HOH brand up perfectly. 

Here I am once again. I have to thank Blog Marconi for these photos as without them I don’t think I would have been able to document my outfit from this day without them.