Designer Henry Holland on his love for retro
Sam Wylie-Harris chats to the designer about his crossover from fashion to interiors
Fashion designer Henry Holland is known for his bold designs, slogan T-shirts and quintessentially British clothing brand – so perhaps it’s no surprise the founder of House of Holland is equally at home in the world of interiors.
From the catwalk to ceramics, contemporary textiles and soft furnishings, Holland is launching Henry Holland Modern Living, an exciting new homeware collection and collaboration with digital department store, Freemans.
It’s a crafted collection of
100 considered and affordable pieces, which stay true to Holland’s design aesthetic and interiors vision, with a nod to iconic designs from the 1970s.
“It definitely has a slightly retro feel to it because of my love of modern, mid-century shapes, forms and pieces,” says the Ramsbottom-born designer. “And then we introduced my personal touches of texture and colour to the soft furnishings and some of the printed pieces.”
“It’s been really lovely to build something that feels cohesive, but also, it’s got some standout individual pieces along with beautiful, forever pieces people can have in their home for many years,” Holland adds.
The 38-year-old – who lives with his husband, designer David Hodgson and their French bulldog Peggy in East London – closed the door on his House of Holland label in March 2020. On reflection, he thinks the biggest crossover between fashion and interiors is in the texture and manufacture of the product.
“As a designer, every time you work with a different fabrication, it teaches you a completely new set of rules. Working with lace is completely different to working with silk, and vice versa,” notes Holland. “I think it can create completely different emotions and feelings and when you’re working in fabric. With fashion, it’s very much about how it moves and how it drapes, but with homewares its much more about; you know emotions you can create through texture, how it makes you feel and what you get back from a room.”
The majority of the range will be available from October, but Holland says there’ll be other pieces coming a little later. “It’s been really nice to work across all the different categories, soft furnishings, furniture, ceramic and glass, lighting and build something that’s a full collection.”
Henry Holland Modern Living Shaun Ursa Boucle Chair £249; Minty Henry Floor Lamp Tripod Base –
Mint, £99; Hoopla Planters, from £35, Freemans.
Hero pieces include a stunning cream boucle sofa with corresponding accent chair. “He’s called Shaun because I think it looks like Shaun the Sheep [from the kids’ TV series],” Holland continues. “I love the glass-fronted cabinet and some of the larger scale things. Working in 3D with the furniture pieces was amazing for me, I found that really fulfilling and exciting. But then, you know I love the kind of abstract shapes, the mirrors, I mean it’s really hard to cheat.”
A number of framed posters feature within the range and give swift insight into the aesthetic behind the collection. “The artwork and prints are definitely something we want to build on,” says Holland.
“The ‘Reclaim Your Joy’ is actually something that came from one of my acupuncture appointments. He said, ‘You just want to reclaim your joy’, and I said I couldn’t have put it better myself.
“I really like the feeling behind that phrase. It really reflects what people are needing from their home at the moment and with a lot of pieces in the collection, that’s what we’re trying to help people to do.”
Holland has also launched Henry Holland Studio. Recent projects include a series of beautifully designed ceramic dinner chargers for a private dinner held by Moët & Chandon, as well as a striking collection of rugs in bold, psychedelic patterns for FLOOR_STORY as part of the London Design Festival 2021.
“I kind of found it as a creative outlet when I stepped back from fashion,” explains Holland.
“I just really fell in love with the process of making things with my hands, and probably the first time in 15 years when I can’t look at my phone for several hours, because I’m so involved. Working in 3D is a new experience from working in fashion and I’m really enjoying it, and working on more and more of it when I can.”