Spotlight on... HADES
INTRODUCING THE HANDCRAFTED KNITWEAR BRAND AS PART OF ELLE’S SERIES CHAMPIONING INDEPENDENT DESIGN TALENT
The Greek god from which Hades takes its name might reside in the underworld, but this knitwear brand is anything but hellish, known for its bright knits and small-scale production. Its factory is a bit easier to get to than the realms of the dead, too, although the tiny Scottish mill is still a three-hour train and two-hour bus ride from the Birmingham homes of the sisters who run the brand.
‘We’ve worked with the same manufacturer from the start,’ says Cassie Holland, 34, who founded Hades in 2O15 with no formal fashion training and just £1,2OO in savings from her job at a creative agency. ‘It’s a four-person team, and we know them all: Sheila, Shirley, Sharon and Finlay.’ Chances are, if you order one of Hades’ knits, it was touched by one of the four, or the small team of craftspeople who make its cardigans in Spain.
‘It wasn’t strategic, identifying a gap in the market or anything,’ explains Cassie. Creative frustration led to her making a handful of sweaters for friends, posting the results on Instagram. The eyecatching designs and positive word of mouth gave rise to rapid growth, and led to sister Isabel, 3O, joining the brand two-anda-half years ago. But fashion isn’t in their backgrounds: ‘I’d never even knitted!’ says Cassie, who studied history at university, while Isabel did biochemistry, then worked for a charity. Cassie’s interest in the past was central to the brand’s gestation, with books on punk and its DIY ethos prompting her turn to knitwear. ‘I was inspired by the idea that you don’t need to be technically trained to try something.’
Since their first collection – a knitted take on the band T-shirt – the sisters have won a British Fashion Council DHL Award for International Fashion Potential, while A-listers have flocked to buy their slogan-print styles. Lucy Boynton is the latest star to be seen in the black version, with Greek bust-shaped buttons. ‘Once a customer places an order, it takes two to three weeks to make, as we print the buttons in our studio,’ says Cassie.
Next up is a collection of alphabet scarves launching at Selfridges, and a digitally printed cardigan that will be made in the Midlands. ‘In 2O21, we’re going beyond knitwear,’ Cassie says. ‘We want everything we do to last, so it will have classic silhouettes.’ No doubt those will go viral on Instagram, too.