North East Archives - Page 10 of 12

Hard Hat Builders Lunch at the Crowne Plaza Newcastle

I was recently invited to take a VIP hard hat tour of the brand new, as yet unfinished, Crowne Plaza Hotel on Forth Street Newcastle. The upmarket hotel is set to open its doors to the public later this year and is completely different to anything else currently available in the City. A product of years of market research, the Crowne Plaza Newcastle is geared up for corporate clients, city breakers, day spa members and casual diners and has incorporated the needs of each type of client into its intensive planning and two year build project.

“We’re pushing all the time, trying to move the standards in the city forwards and matching the strengths in terms of location and brand.”

In the last few months the development has really started to take shape, no longer just a shell, the glass fronted hotel is a real showstopper and the planned landscaping for the front area will really highlight the trendy Stephenson Quarter as a destination. I donned my work boots, hard hat and hi-vis jacket for a behind the scenes tour of the huge project.

The people behind the Crowne Plaza were adamant that during the design phase, they weren’t going to use a hotel designer for the interior planning. They’re remained resolute and together with Simon Spiteri (Carluccio’s) onboard as interior designer, they’ve created a real boutique hotel feel, despite the enormity of the towering Crowne Plaza – something very different for the corporate client. Sourcing sustainable materials, and using modern finishing techniques, they’ve come up with a cool colour palette of steel blues and greys for the hotels 260+ bedrooms and suites using glass and exposed polished concrete pillars to up the fashion ante. Room furniture will be walnut coloured with chrome accents bringing a modern vibe to the hotel.

The hotel will feature a huge glass atrium with an enormous crystal chandelier taking centre stage and each communal floor area will have a glass balcony overlooking this area adding a dimension of light and space. Walking into the space as it is now, and seeing the projected images of the finished area, there’s no doubt that the Crowne Plaza will have the Wow Factor, and it’s less hotel-like than you might imagine, which is exactly what they’ve gone for.

The hotel is treating its main functional areas almost as separate businesses, meaning that they aren’t bound to keeping the same decor and theme in each zone of the hotel. Breaking the mould, The Crowne Plaza Newcastle will have its very own Gin Bar at street level where residents and customers alike can choose from an initial selection of over 30 varieties of gin. The Gin Bar will strip back cocktail drinking to its very core and focus on the Martini, a traditional cocktail of pure alcohol which requires great skill to get right, Food and Beverage Manager Paul Walker told me that a huge amount of research and planning has gone into getting The Gin Bar on point; from the distilling of their very own craft gin, right through to the New York paperboy style uniforms. Even the furniture has been changed at the last-minute because it was felt the vibe wasn’t quite right. The mood boards for The Gin Bar show a darker, slinkier, more relaxed lounge environment and just looking at the sumptuous colour schemes is getting me excited…..

Hawthorns, the in-house restaurant, will serve “good, wholesome, healthy food” to residents and diners alike. The dining area has been well thought out and aims to integrate large corporate groups, single diners, couples and mobile office workers with a variety of different height seating areas, booths and benches maximising space and light. It’s a more responsive environment which shuns the traditions of other restaurants allowing customers to select their own table and seats based on their needs.

The corporate and conferencing facilities in the Crowne Plaza are second to none, with a huge central conference room acting as a hub, it’s been planned with serious attention to detail. from the acoustic ceiling and targeted lighting, to the coloured wash lighting which can be altered to fit a specific company’s requirements, every little detail has been considered at the planning stage. The Crowne Plaza is banking on corporate business and it shows, in a big way. With a number of function rooms, conference suites and break-out areas available, it’s clear that they’ve set their sights on being the best in their field.

Hotel car parking will be designated in the multi-storey carpark currently in development just behind the hotel, although the carpark operator is as yet unknown, the Crowne Plaza have reserved bays for the use of hotel and spa guests only. The hotel will also benefit from super fast free WiFi Boost meaning that no matter where you are in the hotel there will be no black spots, in addition, each bedroom will also have infinity charging points which charge your gadgets fast and continue to do so after your key card is removed from its dock. neat, huh?! Rooms have been kitted out with the best quality bedding and there will designated Quiet Zones throughout the hotel for light sleepers, the Crowne Plaza have really gone all out to make sure your stay is a comfortable one.

The Crowne Plaza suites, although currently just bare shells, look set to be a real draw for the hotel. Situated on a corner of the structure looking out over Newcastle Central Station and beyond, the rooms are fully soundproof and feature floor to ceiling glass windows allowing undisturbed views of the city. Our tour guide told us that since taking over the operation of the station, Network Rail have announced plans to landscape the area of the train station overlooked by the hotel and there are plans underway to build either a bridge or a tunnel to link hotel residents to the train station directly, fancy right?!

Down in the basement area, like many hotels, The Crowne Plaza Newcastle will house a spa area, named The Mineral Room in homage to the site’s heritage, equipped with a 10 metre pool, whirlpool, steamroom and sauna, as well as three large treatment rooms equipped to provide the latest state of the art beauty treatments. There will also be a gym with the usual standard machines and free weights, but with the added benefit of 1:1 personal training for guests giving a far more bespoke service.

The pool area feels very upmarket; it’s dark and decadent and benefits from super high windows at street level which act as a source of natural light without giving pedestrians a view into the spa. The spa is a welcome addition to the hotel, and something the City has been clamouring for as it’s been starved of an upmarket hotel with really great spa facilities for so long. For non hotel residents, there will be a membership programme for the hotel gym and pool with an as yet unknown monthly rate, which will also give members access to exclusive discounts across the hotel, Hawthorns and The Gin Bar.

There are some real nice touches in the Crowne Plaza Newcastle, the green credentials for example, there are two seed grass roof areas which provide a pretty view to guests on the Northern side of the hotel with South facing windows. Also, the hotel have tried to stay true to North East heritage when planning the development, the menu will be Northern with food sourced in the North and the house gin will also be distilled in the North.

As the prospective opening date of September 2015 draws closer, it’s easy to see, even at this early stage, that the hotel is going to be a crowd pleaser. With the Stephenson Quarter development gathering pace and new phases unveiled it could be that this becomes the new area to see and be seen, there’s talk of a micro-brewery popping up in the old JT Dove building and with the Royal Mail building now up for development who knows what could crop up next on this über trendy site. A new residential development of executive apartments is in the pipeline further down Forth Banks which will bring a whole new clientele into the mix for the brand new Stephenson Quarter.

I don’t know about you but I’m excited about this, it brings jobs to our glorious city and adds another pillar to our amazing skyline as well as opening up a whole new zone of the city which was relatively unexplored……….until now. So if you’re around the Forth Street area on the Quayside approach, stop, take a look at the new Crowne Plaza building, it’s well on the way to looking like it does in the plans and you might just be looking at the next big thing in Newcastle when The Gin Bar opens its doors in August.

There’s just one thing I’m a little disappointed about….. I didn’t get to keep the hard hat.

Pixie x

Categories: The Archives

Tipples & Tunes at The Botanist Newcastle

When I was invited to try out the latest additions to the Cocktail and Food menus at one of newcastle’s newest bar offerings; The Botanist, I just couldn’t refuse. After all this bar has had one of the most successful launches the City has seen in recent years and recently launched a Roof Garden off the back of that success, just in time for Summer.

If you’re not familiar with The Botanist, first of all, where have you been?! And secondly, it’s pretty hard to miss given the presence the chain commands on social media. The bar / restaurant occupies the very top section of the old Monument Mall space at the Monument area of Newcastle and is visible from Dean Street. Access is via a pretty understated entrance next door to Jamie’s Italian and begin your ascent up the darkened staircase. Once at the top, the huge space opens out into what feels like a gigantic botanical garden. The centrepiece for the bar is a gorgeous twisted old tree decorated with lights and hanging jars, the bar itself is actually built around the tree trunk. It’s a real destination bar and well worth a visit for anyone who is visiting, or currently living in the glorious North East, even if just for the amazing photo opp.

With the weather looking awful I abandoned my plan to wear a suede frock and threw on a Zara shirt and pants with a pair of classic Manolos and off I went.

I was invited as part of an intimate Bloggers event, the Food, Cocktail and Ale menus have recently been overhauled and there are some new additions that required testing – all in the name of work of course! A small but mighty four of us descended on The Botanist last night and were very well looked after by a hip young bar tender. We were taken through the new menus and then the onslaught of fine food and drink began.

We were served light bites, perfect for sharing, including: Salt and Pepper Pork Crackling, Baked Camembert with Onion and Rosemary, Goats Cheese and Tomato Quiche, Onion Petals, Shrimp Cocktail and Sardines, served in a retro sardine tin, all of which were divine. The Onion Petals – a more petite version of the original Ruby Tuesdays Blooming Onion, are to die for and you’ll be pleased to know that they’re cooked to perfection so there’s no unpleasant onion breath afterwards, perfect for date night! The Quiche was amazing, I’m not usually a lover of quiche but this was perfection, and incredibly light too.

The Cocktail menu boasts four new cocktails; Pornstar Martini with champagne chaser, Watermelon and Sage Sling, Passion Fruit and Basil Crush and an Apricot and Ginger Sling. Now you may think a cocktail is a cocktail and after a few they all taste the same but with The Botanist, things area little different. The Team have added these based on the change in season and each is light and fresh, think Summer in a glass. The Passion Fruit and Basil Crush is a taste sensation, packed to the rafters with flavour, it’s a Summer dream and an absolute must try. Same goes for the Apricot and Ginger Sling, aesthetically gorgeous and packed with flavour, it’s a real Summer drink and is very moreish. The Watermelon and Sage Sling is a long and dangerous drink, it’s so thirst quenching and it tastes alcohol free (it’s not) – beware! The Pornstar Martini is a short drink served in a traditional martini glass, thick and creamy exactly as it should be and delicious.

Whilst we dined and chatted, we were treated to the soulful sounds of Hattie Murdoch, a singer / songwriter from the North East who played an acoustic cover set with some awesome and unexpected tracks thrown in. I’d highly recommend you check her out at one of her many performances across Newcastle, she’s completely aces.

If you’re looking for a bar where you can settle in for the night, you’ve found it in The Botanist. Take in a few light bites from the new menu, swig a few cocktails and absorb the sounds of the live music, what’s not to love?

So, huge thanks to The Botanist Newcastle for looking after us all night and to the amazing gals who also attended for making it such great fun, I’m game for Round Two if you are….?

Pixie x

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Categories: The Archives

Fashion Futures Hosts Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue

NE1’s hotly anticipated Fashion Futures event began with an amazing celebration of local design talent in the form of a Graduate Fashion Show. Northumbria University Fashion Department, now in its 60th year, as seen its alumni go on to achieve great things in the world of fashion. This time we got to see some of the amazing work undertaken by the current cohort and it was mind-blowing.

With the two day event well underway, the eyes of the North East’s Fash Pack were on the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art as Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue, took to the podium to deliver her segment of Fashion Futures Presents: Fashion Talks. Shulman cuts a fine figure; smart and business like, with a distinct fashion edge, she gives off an air of authority. Wearing nothing outlandish; a simple Erdem appliquéd pencil skirt and heels, she looks like she means business.

As she takes to the stage, Shulman recounts a time when she was on a plane from NYC to London which was diverted to Newcastle during Fashion Month but didn’t manage to spend any time at all in the City and I nod fondly as I too was on this plane on my way to London Fashion Week.

She begins by telling the audience about her childhood, born into a typical London media family, her love for print media began early as she discovered comics and magazines. Despite this, she was absolutely certain that she didn’t want to progress into a journalism career. She tells us that she had no desire to go to university as she wanted to get out into the world and make her own money, but was made to enrol by her parents. Rather surprisingly, she tells us that she had a poor academic career and was glad to be out of it at the end, she went on to complete a shorthand and typing course and immediately started temping which she says she loved.

Shulman is engaging and funny, she’s a great story-teller and let’s remember, she’s up there on her own with a lectern and a projector facing a room full of people who want to know all about her time at Vogue and the steps she took to cement herself at the top of her trade. She proceeds to tell us that she was fired from her first two jobs, one after six weeks and the other after four months so for any of you budding magazine editors out there, take note, there’s not just one route to the top!

Shulman talks only about her time at now defunct Over 21 magazine where she was the Editors Secretary, she puts up a picture of a front cover on which she is the featured model. She tells us that this was one of the most pivotal times of her life, she learned everything she could about running a magazine in this role, from running errands to running photoshoots and it was here that she decided that this was her world.

From here, one of her pitches was picked up by Tina Brown, the Editor of Tatler magazine at the time. The piece was about girls who look like they are from other periods in time and as part of the feature which ran, Shulman discovered a young Helena Bonham-Carter.

She recounts with passion that she hated her time at Tatler and that she spent a lot of time crying in the restrooms. It’s hard to imagine this strong woman being reduced to tears but as she tells us, by then she hadn’t become the woman she is today. She was given the seemingly impossible assignment of tracking down the infamous Bounder and succeeded where others thought she would fail, following this assignment, her life changed. She moved to The Telegraph aged 27 to take up post as Features Editor and worked there for eighteen months before she was offered a job at Vogue as Features Editor under Liz Tilberis’ Editorship.

Shulman laughs as she tells us that she was given carte blanche on everything that wasn’t fashion in the magazine and how she ran some crazy pieces, pieces which she would never allow in Vogue today. She tells us of a very different Vogue at that time, a very divided Vogue where the Fashion Department was very closed off to everything else in the magazine both in print and physically in the office space.

She tells us about her short stint at GQ Magazine shortly after its unsuccessful UK launch and how she was drafted in to pick the magazine back up. Then how in 1992, when Liz Tilberis announced she would be leaving Vogue to move to Harpers Bazaar, she applied for the Editorship. Shulman is very clear in stating that she had no hope of landing the job, and that it was offered to three people who turned it down before being offered to her. She paints a bleak picture of the time, “It was 1992 and the country was in an unpleasant recession, luxury brand advertising was going to new monthly and weekly magazines as well as newspapers. Vogue had to change.”

She tells the audience that at that time, fashion began to change and move more towards what it is today. At that time designer brands weren’t present in London and it was then that the movement to the city began, and London began shifting and morphing into the fashion epicentre that it is now. Shulman remembers how this was an exciting time for fashion, homegrown talent was emerging in the form of Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Kate Moss, and the beginning of the grunge movement shifted things up a gear.

Having been at the helm of Vogue for twenty three years, Shulman knows her stuff, she knows that with a product like Vogue there is a need to remain creative, she discusses the quandary of enticing a new readership whilst also remaining faithful to the needs of the existing readers. She tells the audience “it’s not just fashion, it’s the whole business of clothes and everything else.” She’s keen to express that she feels it’s important to feature beautiful clothes, but to also feature merchandise that people can afford. Something that vogue wouldn’t have done in the 1980’s.

I’m particularly interested when she takes a question from the audience about Bloggers and the digital age. She accepts that there is a place in the industry for Bloggers and agrees that it’s a good outlet because it’s “real and immediate”, when she broaches the subject of payment and sponsored posts she’s diplomatic “Blogs are meant to be independent and real and most of them aren’t now, it’s becoming more like a job in the industry and the guidelines on it should be much clearer.” From a personal point of view I think she’s right.

Shulman goes on to say that ‘Fashion is a touchstone” she refers back to 1993 when Vogue ran a picture of Kate Moss in underwear draped with a string of fairy lights and recounts how it was compared to paedophilia. There are countless stories about the ethics of fashion, Shulman references the fur trade, body image, slave labour and child eroticism and how it’s very easy to blame fashion for all of this. She talks about things that she doesn’t necessarily agree with, but can’t influence in the world of fashion, for instance she’s irritated that designers produce samples in the smallest possible sizes forcing the magazine to shoot the smallest possible models.

On the issue of body image, Shulman produced a short film called “It’s A Look” detailing how an image can be deconstructed and to highlight that what we see in the magazine isn’t reality. The intention was that the film would be distributed to schools to be shown to thirteen year old girls.

She’s true to her early roots in journalism and outside of fashion she tells us that she uses the magazine to showcase extraordinary people doing wonderful things, she loves being able to “take these seemingly ordinary, very inspiring women and be able to dress them” and present them in the pages of Vogue.

When asked about access to the fashion industry for young people, Shulman says “There is no magic bullet”. Her advice is simple: “Be prepared to start at the bottom, attitude is incredibly important. Be interested in the world around you, read; books, papers, magazines and read really good people”. She’s clear to point out that you have to approach it willing to put the work in and to make yourself indispensable. “Make the letter count” she says “Never have spelling mistakes!”

It’s interesting to hear that despite having 2.3 million unique users in traffic to Vogue online and a monthly print circulation of 200,000, the business is still primarily in print through revenue, cover price and of course advertising. “It’s difficult to convert online traffic into sales” she tells us, “reading a (physical) magazine is a treat, it’s precious time in print” and that’s one statement that I can get on board with, it looks like everyone in the room agrees as there’s a Mexican wave of nods around the room when she says this.

Outside of Vogue, Schulman has a book launch in June for her first literary project and with that final shameless plug, she thanks the audience, smiles and leaves.

Shulman is interesting; she recounts every story from her past with detail and fondness and it’s clear to see that from her early childhood, each of these experiences have been important to her and have helped to carve her into the successful, influential woman she is today. She talks about the future resolutely: “Vogue isn’t Me, although it’s been a part of me. I will leave and have a different life and Vogue will undoubtedly continue.” I particularly love the photo she shows us of her in her younger years wearing an embroidered skirt (her own handiwork) and standing under a Vogue poster. “Ironic isn’t it?” she says.

With the magazine celebrating its Centenary next year it will be interesting to see what Schulman and the team at Vogue have in store for us…

Pixie x

Categories: The Archives

NE1’s Fashion Futures presents: FASHION

Northumbria University is one of the leading educational establishments for Fashion Design outside of London and 2015 marks the Fashion departments 60th anniversary. That’s right, they’ve been churning out successful Fashion Designers and Promoters for 60 years. Because of this, in place of the usual Newcastle Fashion Week fixture, NE1 have planned an event dubbed Fashion Futures to showcase the work of the current crop of graduates from the university.

Northumbria University’s BA (Hons) fashion programme is renowned for the calibre of its business-ready and media-savvy graduates, with 97% of students in full time employment within six months of graduating, some of whom are now big names in the world of fashion.

I was invited along to FASHION, a Textile Collections Exhibition and runway show at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art; The runway show marks the beginning of the 2015 graduate presentation, the collections included have been in development for months prior. Each student is showing a small collection of either three of five looks in either Menswear or Womenswear, and other textile work is on static display for the duration of the Fashion Futures event. I wanted to make an impression so I threw on some Topshop Unique leather culottes with a black & Other Stories tank and a fringed suede jacket.

A colossal 57 students / Designers from Northumbria University’s past and present showcased their collections at FASHION, each using professional models and their own chosen soundtrack. From conceptual and minimalistic to wacky and fun, FASHION has it all. One thing that shines through during the runway show is the individuality of each student, there’s nothing generic about this fashion presentation, each designer has brought their own personality to their collection, it’s all very diverse and very exciting.

The show opens with Sophie Dring, who shows a clean cut, Victoria Beckham inspired collection of five pieces. It’s contemporary but very wearable and I’m instantly scribbling her name in my pad as someone to watch. We’re off to a good start….

The whole show is a slick and well put together affair, far superior to what we’ve seen in previous years from Newcastle Fashion Week, (kudos to NE1) and the auditorium set up gives the entire audience the chance to get a great view of each collection.

It’s quickly apparent that we have a huge spectrum of talent in the North East, considering that some of these collections have gone from conception to completion by undergraduate students, it’s amazing to see how much these students have achieved in that short time, and how each Designer has managed to portray a running theme through each piece comprising their mini collection. There is some real standout design talent amongst the running order, for example Charlotte Byrne, showing a collection which wouldn’t look out of place in an alexander Wang runway show, models were sent down the runway in a hybrid of ski goggles and welder masks.

Fei Fei Chen showed a collection with more than a nod to the military trend and with a touch of hunter chic thrown in for good measure, the craftsmanship in this collection is exquisite.

It’s clear that each student has paid attention to fashion trends and manufacturing techniques past and present, and it’s easy to see where they pick up their influence. During their time at University, they’re deciding what kind of Designer they want to be and by the time they’ve created their final collections, whether they’ve decided or not, it’s evident that each falls into a distinct category. Hannah Chant for example shows a collection not dissimilar to the Missoni collections of the early 00’s, 70’s inspired and bohemian but with a modern twist. Jessica Bretherton shows real talent, showing a collection similar in style to Ralph Lauren, easy relaxed tailoring with an American casual vibe. Yee Ting Chan sent models down the runway wearing surgeons masks in a collection reminiscent of early Alexander McQueen, there was something raw and exciting about this collection.

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Eleanor Rowlands told a story through her post apocalyptic collection, she’s surely one to watch as there were whisperings around the runway when her models glided on to the runway.

Jessica Bailey showed a fun Under the Sea themed collection with underwater scenes, pearls and pompoms, very Henry Holland or Jeremy Scott. She’s someone I could imagine dressing stars such as Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus in a few years. Olivia Pink’s collection had a hint of 60’s styling with round pocket detailing, think Raoul, but with added body armour. Both Billie Toole and Emma Cummings’ showed retro Amish style collections, Cummings showcased skirts with coloured patterns giving the effect of a deep box pleat.

In stark contrast, Rosie Hargreaves showed soft tailoring in pastel colours whilst Lucy Doyle presented an uber chic monochrome collection. By far the most wearable and commercial collection to be presented at the event came from Julia Barstow who exhibited a high street ready five piece collection of clean lines and a simple yet effective colour pallete of blue, white and orange.

With 57 Designers showing at FASHION, it would be too difficult to go through each one individually, suffice to say that there’s a diverse mix of incredible talent at Northumbria University, with each designer bringing something different to the market. From urban sportswear to vintage inspired tailoring, there’s something here for every Fashion Voyeur. Undoubtedly there are some students here who will go on to achieve great things in the fashion world, and judging by some of the work on display this evening, there are a definite select few who have the talent and individuality to go on to create and run their own successful labels.

From this runway show, twenty-five students will be selected to show their collections as part of the industry runway show at Graduate Fashion Week in London on may 31st. The design portfolios of these students will be available for viewing on the Graduate Fashion Week stand from May 30th – June 2nd before returning to Newcastle to be shown as part of the Degree Show REVEAL at Northumbria University’s City Campus from June 16th – 27th.

If you love fashion, I’d strongly recommend you visit the University Campus to view the collections, after all, the next big thing could be amongst that crop of students, right here in Newcastle….

Pixie x

For more information on the Fashion programme at Northumbria University, please click here.

The collections shown at FASHION can be viewed below:

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Categories: The Archives

Fashion Futures Hosts Henry Holland & Laura Weir in Conversation

This week saw the launch of Fashion Futures in Newcastle, an event set up in place of Newcastle Fashion Week this year to celebrate the emerging design talent from Northumbria University, who have been delivering outstanding Fashion Design courses for sixty years.

The two day programme had a jam-packed schedule full of great events for both industry insiders and the public with the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art playing host to the whole event providing a hub and backdrop to this awesome celebration of homegrown talent. Think of it as the North East’s Somerset House / Brewer Street carpark.

über cool designer Henry Holland visited the region to participate in Fashion Talks with Laura Weir, Fashion Features Editor for British Vogue. The auditorium was packed out for this event with Editors, Bloggers, Fashion students and people with a genuine passion for fashion and it didn’t disappoint. The pair took to the all white stage, Laura Weir looking slick in a House of Holland midi dress and biker jacket and Henry Holland looking every inch the off-duty designer in black skinnies, Dr Marten boots and a denim jacket from his own collection with neon highlights.

I threw on a pair of Zara pants, an off Duty tee and some Prada shoes to take my seat on the front row and bring you the skinny.

This particular segment of Fashion Talks was billed as Henry Holland and Laura Weir in Conversation and that’s exactly what it was. The Pair have been firm friends for a long time and it showed, the conversation was fun and upbeat with Weir asking probing and considered questions giving thought to what the audience would want to learn about Holland. We learned how he began his career – he was actually rejected from a Fashion Design course and studied Journalism at University but hated it! We got to hear that his mum told him when he was younger that “We get eight careers” in our lifetime and he proceeds to talk about his early careers at now defunct Smash Hits and Bliss magazines. It raises a giggle from the audience when Holland talks about his iconic breakout tee collection and how they were borne out of a drunken conversation one night with friends. Hearing this makes the designer seem more real, more accessible and more human.

The pair laugh as they reminisce about those now infamous slogan tees, (FYI I’m the proud owner of Do Me Daily Christopher Bailey and Flick Your Bean for Agyness Deyn) and how a whole career was started on four rhyming couplets.

Holland talks passionately about that time in his life, saying that those tees were just the start of things, they “were like a football shirt or band T-shirt for the fashion industry” and gave people who “maybe couldn’t afford a Christopher Kane dress a way of supporting the industry” by wearing a playful Cum Again Christopher Kane tee, almost like making a statement that you belonged. Holland went on to talk about how these tees allowed him to create a “strong visual DNA” for the brand.

He tells the audience about his first time showing at London Fashion Week as part of Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East in 2006 and how he only realised it was an Autumn / Winter show moments before go time and his House of Holland collection was all short-sleeved T-shirts. He goes on to say that following this, he took constructive criticism wherever he could and went on to build a small team of staff and completed a full collection including eyewear, accessories and footwear.

It’s easy to feel like you’ve known the pair for years, watching them talk and joke with each other on stage is comforting, there’s no snobbery and when asked by an audience member if he feels that a University education is essential in order to break into the fashion industry Holland says absolutely not. He admits that it takes willpower and that he still encounters snobbery because he had no formal design training, but says that he wouldn’t change anything throughout his career so far and that he’s “happy to share his mistakes” if it helps others in their quest to enter the famously guarded fashion industry.

Holland has wise words for budding designers too, he advises ” Stay true to your brand, its DNA and what you are trying to say through your clothes.” the designer muses that he loves that people can personify with his brand and its message. He goes on to say that he admires what Paul Smith has created, “a quintessentially British brand that has absolutely retained its Paul Smith vibe”.

When asked whether he finds his role glamorous, Holland is quick to say “no”, he elaborates by saying that the celebrities he’s so often photographed with are his original group of friends since childhood and that celebrity is just a “side effect of their jobs”.

So what’s next for Henry Holland? Well the designer has recently moved into menswear and would love to open his own physical store in London in order to create a “curated environment” for the customer. He’s asked a great question by the editor of Darkus magazine: If he could give this part of his life a chapter name, what would it be? After a short pause, Holland smiles and says ” I think it would have to be, What the Fuck Just Happened?!” He goes on to tell us that there is actually a book on the horizon charting his life so far, if this talk is an introduction then this book is sure to make for an interesting read and is certainly something I’d read.

His last question is from a young designer in the audience who asks whether it’s important to base yourself in London as a designer. Both Holland and Weir are resolute in saying “no”. Although both admit that it makes things easier, Weir claims that being outside of London could actually work to a designers advantage “you already know your audience and market and don’t have the competition” that there is in London. Both firmly agree that the most important thing for young designers to have is passion and drive and a will to succeed.

The pair thank the audience for their involvement and with that they’re off all smiles and waves. Hats off to the organisers NE1, this was funny, interesting and engaging and the time flew by. The format absolutely worked and the duo left the audience wanting more, in fact some of the younger Fashion students were discussing those sage words of advice afterwards.

If Henry Holland hasn’t been on your radar, firstly, where have you been?! And secondly, check him out. At the end of the day as we discovered, he’s just a normal, down to earth guy with an insane amount of talent and some cool friends who happen to be celebrities. He’s got a really awesome story to tell and pretty soon it could be on a bookshelf near you.

Pixie x