LPA: I was surprised to discover that you actually studied BA Journalism, not Fashion Design. Did you originally want to work in that aspect of the industry?
HH: Well I always wanted to work in fashion and I thought journalism might be the way to go as I really enjoyed creative writing. I didn’t want to do too specific a degree so I decided to study journalism in then do lots of work experience to give me a fashion edge. Then after graduating I worked at Teen Magazine for a while which was the best job ever.
LPA: Ready-to-wear, eyewear, underwear, tights, and now Supergas too. HOH is turning into a mini fashion empire. Was this something you aimed or at least hoped to achieve when you first decided to launch your label?
HH: When I first launched House of Holland I didn’t have any expectations because it was a just a happy accident with the t-shirts and something I did for a bit of fun. Very quickly I realized that what I wanted to build was a brand, which was an all-encompassing brand that offered all these different things, not just ready-to-wear. From very early on we had a recognizable visual style which was very translatable into a variety of different products. I like to challenge myself to work in different product areas.
LPA: It was just 6 years ago that your infamous slogan t-shirts first grabbed the fashion world’s attention. Now HOH is one of the most coveted London brands around and stocked everywhere from Switzerland to Japan. Obviously there’s no secret to launching a successful brand but what would you say are the most important factors?
HH: Courage, bravery, stupidity, I think there’s a very fine line between them. I think not having formal fashion training actually helped me in a sense as I had never been told how it should be done. I’m very creative and I love that process of concept and idea through to production. I get a huge kick out of seeing people wearing my designs in the street.
LPA: What’s next for House Of Holland? Aside from world domination of course…
HH: We’re launching our own eyewear label in September and the first ever House of Holland bath & beauty products range. It’ll be sold at Boots from October… Everyone I know will be getting it for Christmas! We’ve also got 2 new collections of underwear coming out this year that are quite different to what we’ve done before. And I’ve got a TV show coming out in August which is really exciting.
LPA: What advice would you give to someone trying to establish a career in the fashion industry?
Be persistent. Be creative and try to offer something different to what’s out there. Have confidence in your own ideas and just work your arse of. The fashion industry is a very hard working one, it’s tough but it’s worth it.
Love Ella. X