What materials have been your favourites for the Spring/Summer collection?
MH: Its been exciting working with more fluid fabrics like silk and power mesh, it provides a whole new opportunity to develop our brand language.
I was surprised to see a peony red shirtdress in your lookbook. I know you are committed to the neutrals. Is that because you want your design to be as long lasting as possible or is it just personal taste?
MH: We like to play with colour in small amounts, but it can become a distraction if used too much. For us the exciting elements of our design focuses around form and pattern cutting and these elements are highlighted best in neutral colours. It also makes the pieces season-less and timeless.
I picture you living in a minimalist apartment painted in all shades of beige and designing in a black and white studio. Am I correct? Do you allow yourself some more maximalist elements at times?
LP: Haha, I sometimes wish for pure aesthetic reasons, but our studio is an old brick converted warehouse and creatively we flourish in chaos with loads of ideas and samples hanging on rails for us to reference and play with. At home we are tidy, but I also have a plant addiction and the entire apartment is covered in potted plants, I have over 50 unique species that I mist and tend to daily.
What did you improve/change this season?
LP: we really embraced playfulness this season, with lots of tassels and fringing. Its a new element to our brand which has previously had a more serious approach but we wanted to show this more joyful side of our personality in the clothes movement this season.
MH: we also continued to develop our foray into event dressing with a few statement pieces in power mesh and silks opening the collection.
With such a light and soft style, do you take more pleasure creating Spring/Summer collections?
MH: They both have their pro’s and cons, but in general the Spring Summer seasons provide more liberty for volume and silhouette and movement in our shirting, where as in the winter collections you have to worry about layering a bit more.
A favorite look from Spring/Summer 2023?
MH: Second to last look in navy, I just love the way movement has been captured
LP: Probably either the first look for its cleanliness and new direction for the brand, or the cotton shirt and shorts look with the deconstructed shoulder seams because it references our decade of design history.
Can you share with our readers your views on a more ethical work environment?
LP: It is about treating people with respect and kindness. If we are unable to treat people this way how do we expect for those same people to put the effort into caring about other important aspects like the environment and social change. It a small effort, and it really shouldn’t be an exception, but since the beginning of our brand we have always only worked a 10-6 weekday and never weekends, with the exception of some photoshoots. We don’t do the late night fashion cliche as we have always felt that time, perspective and rest gives you the mental space to be creative. We also give back socially, for the last 3 years we have been donating £1 per every garment to a cause close to us. This season its been Young Minds a charity focused on the mental health of young people. In general we have donated around £10k per year to a social cause, its another small way in which we can help to make the world a better place.