Designer A-Z

House Of Holland

Spring/Summer 2010

By Emma Sells

Going to a House of Holland show has always been like going to a chaotic and not-to-be-missed party, complete with stomping soundtrack and cool Hoxton club kids on the front row.

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But today’s show had a surprisingly refined and polished atmosphere, getting underway in London’s elegant Guildhall with surprisingly little drama and fuss. London’s bright young things were there of course – Alexa Chung, Pixie and Peaches Geldof, Nick Grimshaw, Remi Nicole and even Lorraine Kelly were sat front and centre, as well as a raven-haired Agyness Deyn who this time didn’t walk for Henry’s show. The 1980s is the decade most plundered by young London designers like Holland, and big hair, oversized safety pin earrings, shoulder pads, jumpsuits, lots of sheer lace risqué dresses and body stockings and pale denim cropped jackets were all seen on his catwalk. The most-spotted pieces will probably be the two tone jackets with printed squares, but the simple shifts with lace panels at the back and the chic knitted cropped jumper and knee length skirt were worth noting too. Holland had said he was also inspired by, of all things, marriage – and the show finished with a bride and her bridesmaids all decked out in candy coloured lace dresses worn over fifties-style pants and signature Holland slogan T-shirts emblazoned with ‘old’, ‘new’, ‘borrowed’ and ‘blue’. The show was bold, colourful and fun but much more grown-up – perhaps Henry Holland is putting his party days behind him?