Meet the Collett sisters, Hannah and Melissa, co-founders of Worme, your new favourite brand creating silk staples made for - and by - women.
Inspired by their mother’s wardrobe growing up, the Colletts recall watching in awe as she re-wore pieces from her teen years with the insouciance of other cultural pin-ups (think Elvira Hancock in Scarface, and Cher in that Bob Mackie jumpsuit).
The sisters recently took a trip to the other side of the world, to Saint James in Barbados, and came back inspired by the soft powder hues of the Bajan coastline. Naturally, it’s where they also shot Worme’s Spring/Summer 2019 lookbook. If your wanderlust is piqued, don’t worry about forking out for a plane ticket; head to Selfridges instead, where Worme's pieces are now exclusively available.
ELLE spoke to Hannah and Melissa about their fixation with Hollywood’s bad girls, the holiday fun that feeds their creative process, and what it’s like working with family.
You took the name from the silkworm. Whose idea was that, and how long did it take you to come up with it (who added the ‘e’!)?
We were thinking of names obsessively for two months and it was actually while we were in Japan for New Year’s, surrounded by lots of beautiful silk kimonos and silk fabrics, that we decided to dedicate the name to the silk. It just made sense to call it Worme after the silkworm, as those little guys are the reason for the beautiful material we use and love so much. We added the ‘E’ for excitement, because that's how we felt when we finally decided!
Tell us about why you started producing the pieces and launched the label.
For years we’ve spent summers in Cadaques, a little town in Catalonia. We’d always pack our mother’s silk two-pieces from the 1980s, and we could never find anything similar on the high street; everything available was made in synthetic fabrics, embellished with jewels and fringe. We were so frustrated by that, so we found a silk supplier and a tailor, then we started to design our own. We made timeless, easy pieces that we could wear from day to night. They started to get a lot of attention in the village and then, later on, other trips around the world. We decided to take our passion seriously and so we started the brand.
You both have backgrounds in fashion and beauty. Tell us about your background. What were you both doing before starting Worme?
We grew up in a very creative household-surrounded by art, fashion and photography. Our first jobs were at Dover Street Market London, which had a big impact on our love for quality design and style. We've always invested in statement pieces rather than fast fashion, so we didn’t want to create a brand with an expiration date.
Hannah went on to study at the London College of Fashion, training to be a makeup artist in film and TV, leading to a career of ten years, and I moved to Paris and then New York City, working as a photography agent and producer . All of our experience combined has been crucial to building Worme and running a luxury fashion brand.
What’s been the most surprising thing about running your own label?
I think the most surprising thing has been how naturally it has come to us, and everything we’ve learnt in the past has been so beneficial to us running our own business. Everything has been very organic and felt natural for us.
Who are your muses? And who do you see wearing the pieces, channelling the 1970s glamour in the look book?
Our muses are definitely 1970s film heroines and style icons. Penelope Cruz in Blow, Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface, and Bianca Jagger in almost anything. Seeing glamorous, strong women of all ages wearing Worme, and feeling empowered is what we are so excited about.
The brand seems so much about a certain ‘vibe,’ and you both have great creative backgrounds. Are there any photographers and designers that have influenced Worme’s style?
Definitely! The look books are all shot and styled by the two of us, and we aim to continue to do that. Melissa shoots everything on film. [Hannah] does the hair, makeup and styling. It gives us such freedom to create the right vibe. We’re hugely influenced by Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Slim Aarons.
You both travel a lot (most recently to LA, Japan, Miami and Spain), and that seems central to Worme’s style. How has travelling impacted on what you do, and the pieces you produce?
Every time we go somewhere we think, ‘Oh I wish I had a top that just flowed like this or that, to chuck on and glam-up in a certain way.’ The weather and places always get our minds racing with ideas about what would work well, and what we want to wear. Hannah always gets her notebook out straight away and writes down all her thoughts for the next season’s pieces. Travelling definitely helps the design process.
Where are you heading next? (Will it be a teaser as to which city we’ll see reference in Worme from SS19 onwards?)
We have a lot of exotic exciting locations coming up the rest of this year. We head back to the continent this summer, and this autumn you will see us back in Miami, Los Angeles, the Indian Ocean and Scandinavia. We are actually shooting our AW19 lookbook somewhere a little bit different to our usual tropical locations.
What’s the best thing to do on holiday while wearing Worme? Give us the Worme guide to enjoying a holiday.
The best thing to do in Worme is to have fun! Be free, smile and feel ultimately glamorous — comfortable and in love with life, have a cocktail and laugh with your loved ones. Laughing is our top tip to enjoying a holiday for sure.
How are you finding working together as sisters? Have you learnt things about each other that you didn’t know before?
It’s like working with a best friend, but having no boundaries. So, as you can imagine, it can get a little intense; it can lead to some explosions in the office. Although there are fiery times there’s trust and respect for each other, that’s invaluable. We can just look at one another and know what the other is thinking and that really helps when making decisions. We have defined our roles instinctively, and really celebrate each other’s strengths. Hannah is in charge of design and production, while Melissa does creative direction and marketing, although we both finalise everything together.
And finally, what are you both most excited about doing with Worme in future?
I think we are most excited to see where it will lead, we have so many exciting ideas and projects that we can't wait to turn them into reality. We have a lot of collaborations coming up, more silks, stockist and many more travel adventures.
Worme is now available at Selfridges.
