2015 Graduate Focus: Alice Hoyle
02-06-2015
She had spent her placement the previous year in Hong Kong, as an intern for Brilliant Global, a US company and was chuffed to bits to have had this experience. Especially so, since it had given her the basis for her collection design theme and what may prove to be a genius piece of inspiration.
These days brand recognition is all about ‘the story.’ Hard for someone to invent it will come across as superficial and transparent. At GFW, it is also a little unfair to expect a fully-fledged story from a graduate’s show, from collections that may only be about the graduate show, let alone a brand story, for a brand that doesn’t yet exist. Enter Alice, stage left.
What catapults Alice into the realms of a ready-made brand with an exceptional brand story is her floor plan-to-garment, room inspired garment construction and design, including the geometrical replication of the actual floor plan within the designs. The wearer is in essence wearing the room: as geometry, within the colors and the harmony. Good energy transferred to the garment. The possibilities of this are endless and phenomenal. I hardly think Alice is fully aware of the potential her design concept has. If it were me I’d be camped outside Richard Rogers’ architects office, asking him to create a brand new internship to promote the architectural and fashion-specific benefits of such a concept.
Moodboard
Colour board
Hong Kong was a trigger for Alice’s greater appreciation of Fung Shui, which led her to track down Paul Darby, an acknowledged guru, and someone she cites as the greatest influence thus far, helping to promote a greater understanding of harmony and balance in color and perspective she has worked into her designs. Her look book shows how taking the floor plan of her own house, she incorporated colors and fabrics and design shapes leading to a finished collection. It’s remarkably direct, simple and exquisite in execution, as the best ideas tend to be.
Catwalk
Close-up
Even though the range of distilled talent is exceptional at GFW, I don’t think I will find a more profound and professionally adaptable brand in waiting than Alice Hoyle. Go Alice. The fashion world awaits your homecoming.
By Paul Markevicius
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