TO use an English expression (because the man we're talking about is as Brit as can be), Henry Holland's got it all a**e over tea kettle. That is to say, the way his label has been developed is upside down, topsy turvy, topple up tail ... you get the picture.
Says the North Manchester-born designer, who is best known for his naughtily-worded T-shirts that poke fun at other fashion personalities (think 'Cause me pain Hedi Slimane' and 'Uhu Gareth Pugh'): 'The way we've grown the business has been the reverse of a lot of fashion companies. They start off with a very high design concept for their first few shows and develop that. Then they do a commercial take on their original ideals, see how it's more saleable, then maybe start a T-shirt line.
'But we did it backwards.
'We started with T-shirts, the most commercial products.'
It wasn't as simple as it sounds, though. Holland started out as a stylist and later branched out into making T-shirts with slogans on them 'because I thought I could do that with the British people'. But it 'didn't go down very well', he admits - until one day, when his friend Pugh, an enfant terrible of British fashion, 'came round to my house for lunch and took the p**s out of my T-shirts and failed business'.
Holland responded by making 25 of the 'Uhu Gareth Pugh' T-shirts and giving them to all his friends, after which 'Gareth wore one at the end of the show, and then it went all around the world', he says.
Last Saturday, it was Singapore's turn to receive a dose of Holland's style as the designer showcased his latest looks at the Audi Fashion Festival. Inspired by a vintage paisley bandana that the designer found in Tokyo as well as street culture and 'how people start to identify themselves within a gang', the show featured ponytailed models jauntily strutting down the runway in stylised punky, punchy outfits.
One ensemble saw a striking purple paisley-printed shin-length dress with cut-out shoulders paired with a candy-pink bandana, while another was a tight black minidress that had bands of shearling dyed turquoise running across it worn with patterned turquoise tights. Then there were those famous statement T-shirts, only this time printed with letters that said, to list two examples, 'F.F.S.' and 'C.T.F.O.' (the rude definitions can be found at www.houseofholland.co.uk).
Holland's style is nu-rave with an 80s touch - he also showed a black and white bandage dress with the words 'House of Holland' running across the strips that was reminiscent of Calvin Klein underwear - and it's not for the faint-hearted (or, for that matter, the sophisticated). But it's fun and full of energy, which is exactly the vibe that the designer's atypical approach is shooting for.
Says Holland: 'The humour in my work and the element of fun contributes to the inclusive sort of atmosphere we have as a brand. I don't want people thinking, 'oh, this is too cool for me'.'
