HELP! IVE FALLEN FOR HENRY HOLLAND

March 6^th saw Henry Holland visit BT2 on Grafton Street, Dublin for the launch of his collection in the store. As avid fans of his work, Fiona and I took the opportunity to visit the store in the morning to meet the designer. After waiting around the store for the press interviews to finish I seized the opportunity and introduced myself to him and after a brief chat and a photo opportunity we were invited back to the store that evening by the man himself. For a party, no less.

        Having stressed enough about what to wear just to meet him in the morning, we were definitely panicking over what to wear to the party that evening. I opted for something of a dressed-down look, black tee with bright lettering, black skinny jeans and black converse. It was only when I realised that it was a fashion show that I felt under-dressed… An oversight on my part really.

        Being back in the store that night gave us more of an opportunity to take a look at the House of Holland collection now on sale there. The two collections available are pre-Spring and Spring/Summer. The former is inspired by all things Americana, cheerleaders, pom-poms etc. and includes varsity knits and stripes. The latter, Buzz Kill, is the House of Holland take on 90’s grunge. Buzz Kill features a considerably darker palette than we’d be used to in Henry’s clothes but to great effect- the collection boasts iconic prints with a vintage feel. Both collections still retain the colourful, irreverent styling that has become synonymous with House of Holland.

        The party could be described as colourful and irreverent itself; soundtracked by cult 90’s cover band Smash Hits, the night was a veritable ‘who’s who’ in the world of Irish fashion journalism. Anyone who’s anyone was (or should have been) there for the unveiling of the line, exclusive to BT2 in Ireland, as models took to the stages in front of the band to show off the range.

        DSLRs, Blackberrys and Nokias alike were aloft trying to get snaps of the clothes. Luckily we got a few ourselves: 

As the night drew to a close and it was time to leave, I decided I was not leaving without saying goodbye to the man of the hour and thanking him for such a great night. Gracious as ever, he thanked Fiona and I for coming to see him twice in the one day and we even managed to get a hug. The goody-bags from the night had House of Holland tights (appreciated a bit more by Jessi and Fiona than they were by me) and the Rave Nana A/W Lookbook which was very exciting.

Free drinks, excellent music, beautiful models and House of Holland clothing, what was not to love? The night was one to remember but it was a bit of a transition to go back to doing assignments the next day...

-80 x

Alan 'my whole life is Who Wore It Best' Toye

20 year old Multimedia student in Dublin City University. I love Harry Potter, radio presenting, video editing and discovering new music. Hobbies include partying and undertaking artistic projects. Tim Burton is a big influence on my artistic style. I also like to read Horoscopes but put very little stock in them. I can always be found at parties, live gigs, socialising or obsessing over celebrities.

My five wardrobe essentials:

Hangover Jumpers

Not exclusive to hangover days, Hangover Jumpers are usually oversized and are even comfortable to look at.

Bowties

Sometimes it’s better to buy ready-tied as they can be difficult to do up yourself. Although generally kept for formal occasions, the casual bowtie can complete any outfit.

Braces

Dress them up or dress them down, braces come in all sorts of styles and colours and are a favourite accessory of mine. Sometimes difficult to pull off though.

Skinny Jeans

Whatever the colour, skinny jeans are the staple of my wardrobe. Make sure you get the right cut/fit though because nothing is worse than ill-fitting jeans.

Converse

Again, a range of colours and styles available, what’s not to love?

One trend I'll never understand:

The checked-shirt/boot cut jeans combo. Maybe that’s just a Donegal thing. . . ?

MUST HAVE:

House of Holland slogan tee. I finally got one: 'Back to mine, Calvin Klein'. I'll never take it off.

One thing I want to try more often:

Headbands!

Five Style Icons:

Nick Grimshaw

My idol in general, Nick always has the best look. As Henry Holland puts it “He can look as good in ripped jeans and a good knit as he does in a three-piece”. My own personal style is very similar to Nick’s and I really admire his clothing choices.

Louis Tomlinson

Louis’ style has really developed since One Direction first formed; he’s gone from stripes, through braces and come out the other end with a great personal style. We both really go for Topman clothing. A lot of the clothes in my wardrobe are very similar to some of Louis’ clothing.

Henry Holland

Known for his tongue-in-cheek designs for his fashion label, Henry’s own personal style is often quirky and bold too. Master of patterns he’s inspired me to go a little wilder recently in terms of colours and pattern clashing.

Jeremy Davis

Paramore bassist Jeremy Davis was my style icon from the age of about fourteen. Once they donned the red skinny jeans for the Misery Business video they became my must have item. Since then he’s made a number of choices such as braces and bowties that have inspired me to go out and try the looks myself.

Chuck Bass

Maybe more so in the earlier seasons, but Chuck’s style is generally quite bold and sometimes outlandish. Although he dropped the trademark scarf, he always maintained the expensive suits and coloured coats.  

Other influences of note:

You can find some more of my style icons and favourite outifits on my tumblr 'style icon' tag here.

-80 x