Glad rags

- written by Laura

Ever since we first clapped eyes on Intoart’s collaboration with 234-year-old luxury knitwear brand John Smedley, we’ve been smitten. Three artists from the inclusive South London art/design collective that works to win recognition and equality for artists with learning disabilities have created designs for the soon-to-launch collection, and as the turquoise sweater designed by Andre Williams reads, it’s a big ‘YES’ from us.

The three artists Ntiense Eno Amooquaye, Yoshiko Phillips and Andre Williams have each created three designs for the collab, which is set to hit the stores on 15 November. Ntiense has used her incredible talent in drawing figures to create three pieces inspired by the model and fashion industry itself (including one of the chicest jumper dresses we’ve ever seen), whereas Andre has opted for a typographic approach with his witty slogans. And don’t even get us started on Yoshiko Phillips’s zebra jumper… we’re going to have to start a rota in the Zetteler office so we don’t all wear it on the same day.

Helping Ntiense, Yoshiko and Andre refine their ideas into designs that would work with John Smedley’s knitting capabilities was fashion legend Holly Fulton. Known for her bold, graphic prints, Holly set up her own label in 2009 and has collaborated several times with John Smedley and its Matlock-based mill. Given we’re chomping at the bit to get our hands on the new collection, we wanted to find out more about how the Holly and the team made the magic happen. Here she is in her own words…

How would you describe what you do and how did you get here?

I like to think of myself as a designer rather than solely a fashion designer these days although my original studies were in womenswear. I took a circuitous route to get here via a multitude of unglamorous and unrelated yet character forming roles, my MA at the RCA and a spell working for Lanvin in Paris before being invited to showcase as part of Fashion East in 2009. My business began then and has continued to gather momentum ever since.

You’ve created several collections for John Smedley over the years. What makes the 234-year-old luxury knitwear brand so exciting to collaborate with?

We collaborate carefully and widely as a brand, aligning ourselves with experts in their fields who can not only engage with us to create a prestige product but also share our core values and ideology is key. We are particularly keen to support UK manufacture and the team at John Smedley were very open and receptive to new ideas when we met which sparked mutual trains of thought regards how we could develop together. It is a real privilege to have access to that level of experience and expertise; we have been able to learn a lot whilst also creating a product of the highest quality together. 

Likewise, what appeals to you about the mission of Intoart and why was the work of artists Ntiense Eno Amooquaye, Yoshiko Phillips and Andre Williams such a good fit for John Smedley?

We have been lucky enough to enjoy a long-standing relationship with Intoart; in James instance, he has known the group for many years and we started to engage with them under the Holly Fulton brand around five years ago for a project with the V&A. The thing that drew us to work with the artists was their work; the strength, vitality, humour and individuality of what was being created had us hooked. To see how the artists have evolved their practice since we met and also how they apply their method to different mediums and projects, is always stimulating and we knew, from our own relationship with the product and the team at John Smedley, that knitwear would lend itself brilliantly as a foil for their designs. The use of colour and vibrancy of the palette, alongside the quality and technique achievable, has allowed the expansion of the artists aesthetic into new realms and the products offer an exciting extension to their visual repertoire. 

Tell us a little bit about the process of working with the artist to make their designs commercially viable. What sparks were you looking for to develop into products?

Within our own brand, we are used to tailoring pattern to fit product; we did not want the shape of the garments to dictate how the artists approached the project in any way so continued to explore their individual trains of thought whilst making them aware of the constraints of the medium. Working in limited colour range was a primary point to iron out as a lot of their work is vibrant and includes multiple hues with the exception of Andre who has a very bold and playful approach to type within his aesthetic. Through our discussions with Intoart, we knew they wanted to end up with a product that would be considered within the serious fashion arena and which would stand up as pieces in their own right outside the context of the project. We wanted each artist represented cohesively and tightly in terms of their own style and also in terms of range and it felt right that, considering their unique approaches, that we ended up with a collection that represents the dynamism, creativity and strength of the organisation and these three artists in particular.