Fast-forward just 3 years, and Henry Holland is a household name. His appearance on the Jonathan Ross show cemented his celebrity status. But it’s not all champagne cocktails and film premier’s. Let it be known: Henry Holland is a grafter. 

Its fair to say that it all started with a T-Shirt. That infamous moment as Gareth Pugh took his bow after his London Fashion Week show, wearing one of the first HOH tee’s emblazoned with the slogan: ‘GET YER FREAK ON GILES DEACON’. It was a seminal moment in the young designers career. Giles returned the compliment the following day by taking his bow in a ‘UHU GARETH PUGH’ tee. The rest, as they say, is history.

With 3 LFW shows under his belt, Henry Holland is busier than ever. His designs are flying out of stores worldwide (with stockists including Browns and Dover street Market in London, Colette in Paris, Seven New York and Harvey Nichols in Dubai to name just a few) and his monthly Fash Bash parties are the toast of London. A success by anyone's standard… But one question remains unanswered: ‘given that Henry has no formal fashion training, who actually designs the collections?’ I put this to the man himself - and was very pleasantly surprised, “I design the clothes! I come up with the references and shapes and pieces, and the look and feel of the collection, then I work closely with a team who help to realise my vision. There is nothing revolutionary about this way of working. I’d love to see Ralph Lauren sitting at a sewing machine!!!”

Henry is quick to acknowledge his creative collaborations, “I love all the people that I work with, and I feel we have built up a little family – I’d like to keep working with them for as long as I can”. And quite rightly so – Holland has some of the best people in the industry working alongside him, from Stuart Vevers and Katie Hiller designing bags and jewellery, tailoring by Savile Row’s Norton & Sons, glasses by Linda Farrow and shoes by emerging new talent, Atalanta Weller. Next season even sees a Levi’s collaboration!

And it’s not just Holland’s fashion friends getting in on the act.  A chance meeting with New York’s super cool collective, The Mis-Shapes, led to a fruitful ongoing musical relationship. The Mis-Shapes have provided the music for every House Of Holland show, flying in from NY especially! Not content with providing the show music, Mis-Shapes founder member, Leigh Lezark and relative ‘newcomer’ Jackson Polis, recently took to the runway in full House Of Holland attire.

And now to Aggy. I suppose it would be hard, stupid even, to write a feature on Henry without giving a nod to his most faithful devotee and muse, Agyness Deyn. Ever loyal, Deyn has supported the young designer through each of his shows, even donning an eye patch at his last show after contracting a rather nasty eye infection. Critics are quick to suggest that Agyness is vital to the success of the label. It’s an accusation Holland has heard many times, but he sees things differently; “People do often think that of me and Aggy. When I did the first four t-shirts, I shot Aggy in them at a friend’s house, and she had JUST had ‘the crop’ and dyed it blonde. She was only just starting to do exciting work, then I sent the pictures to a few people and Grazia printed them and were like, who’s that girl??? So we kind of kicked off at the same time, only her rise has been meteoric, and mine less so. I’m sure people think that I am clinging to her coat tails, but it just seems natural for us to do stuff together. We are very close. At the same time, I won’t deny that its not handy – I’m not stupid, but it was never a planned thing on either part.”

And stupid he is not. Henry, like Aggy, is living the dream. Nothing is unachievable – a go-getter, the poster boy of a new generation. And why not! So… what does the future hold for Henry and his House of Holland? “Allsorts! I’m going to take over the world!!! I want a ranch, like Oprah!!! But for now, I’ll just be happy making it through to next season!” 


Richard Mortimer.

www.houseofholland.co.uk