hannah marshall on fashion156.com

Friday, 25 January 2008

Miss Marshall is rolling on in her quest to be featured in every magazine, e-zine and newspaper in the world, and here is her latest interview, as published on www.fashion156.com.

by Elliott James Sainsbury

One of the hottest names on the British fashion scene, Hannah Marshall's two collections have propelled her to London Fashion Week and beyond. Soon to be exhibiting as part of Topshop's New Generation, she's been voted one of the UK's top young creatives by Channel Four, showed at On|Off and had her luxe, effortlessly wearable work featured in Vogue, Elle, and of course, fashion156.

Then there's the dresses themselves- classic, stylish and sensuous, these are clothes for real women, combining high-end materials like leather and silk and embellished with studs that spell out words in Braille. Both tactile and informative, intelligent and beautiful, this hidden language is both a radical meeting of clothing and communication and an invitation to touch and try on her work- as if you didn't need one already.

We caught up with Hannah as she prepares her latest collection for London Fashion Week.

How do you go about designing a piece – from inspiration, design to production?

The design process is something that takes months – from conception of the idea for a collection and research all the way to working in the studio on first patterns and toiles. Quite often my ideas will evolve through this process. I work closely with my factories in London to ensure the samples are produced correctly, and to understand how the garments in realised in the actual fabrics.

How many people are on your team?

I have an assistant, but apart from that I work solely on my own. However, I have many people around me that are freelance such as pattern cutters, machinists etc. Plus I have a PR company, Iroquois PR, which represents my label and a sales agent, Rainbowwave, that sells my collection in their London and Paris showrooms. So, I never really feel like I am working on my own.

What was the inspiration for the colour in your Spring
Summer 08 collection, and why such a strict colour palette?

The core colour of each collection is black, as it’s sharp, effortless, refined and totally wearable. And I tend to stick to quiet a minimalist colour range such as silvers and nudes.

Where were the dress shapes designed to be worn or used? Some of them seem to really blend the divides between daywear/eveningwear…

Although the silhouette of each piece is absolutely key, it is the fabric that often dictates whether it falls into day or eveningwear. The garments I design have an aesthetic that is about contrasting fabrics such as leather and silk chiffon. I know the typical woman who wears a Hannah Marshall dress requires transitional garments that will take her from her working day to after hours – therefore I try and create pieces that are versatile.

Who is that typical Hannah Marshall woman, what women do you have in mind when designing and producing your dresses?

The ideal wearer is quietly confident and appreciates minimalist luxury, and appreciates the power of clothing to communicate who she is.

Can you give us some clues about what the Braille might say, or is it more a way of getting us to touch the numerous fabrics?

My work has a tactile aesthetic, and the Braille coding is used to create messages within the collections that tells a story. Recently I created a special commission for Stylist Gretchen Owen for a shoot for Harpers Khz. The shoot was a celebration of what would be been Frida Kahlo’s 100th Birthday. Therefore I created an all black dress featuring Braille all over the dress in the form of small leather buttons which translated part of a quote in Kahlo’s diary, saying “Frida was in an especially black mood when she painted this” which perfectly captured the shoot theme. I decided to include this dress in the Spring/Summer 08 collection and titled it the ‘Coded Dress’.

As it’s our typography issue, do you think typography or embellishment has a place in fashion?

Typography plays a huge part in fashion, however, although my label links to this issue it almost goes against it. As a designer, I believe clothing says more than words and it’s for that reason I aim to create beautiful, desirable pieces that aren’t just ‘fashion’ but pieces that the owner would keep for years to come and will never date.

Do you have a favourite fashion slogan (i.e. on a t-shirt, a piece of advice or a famous quote) ?

I recently came across a quote from Alison Mosshart, from The Kills; “Once in a while you gotta burn your lips to keep your feelings alive, once in a while you gotta burn down your house to keep your dreamin’ alive”. Also I love the following quote from Oscar Wild “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”

What’s been your best experience working in the fashion industry so far?

The last 12 months have been hard work but really exciting, and one of the best experiences have been winning awards for my achievements so far; most recently I won an award from Channel 4 for “Best Designer” in their 4Talent awards.

Can you tell us what to expect from your exhibition at London Fashion Week?

You can expect signature black dresses with strong silhouettes in leather, luxury stretch, ribbed wool jersey and organza, this time introducing a few separates to the range. Watch this space!

What are your tips for looking great?

Dress for yourself – and no one else.