“Schiaparelli viewed clothing as a type of architecture and
believed it should be closely connected to the frame of the body, just
as a building’s form is drawn from its structural skeleton. Schiaperelli’s
silhouettes were frequently described as having a strict neatness, with
angles disguising feminine curves, a ‘hard chic’ aesthetic, a huge
influence of mine and in my opinion, genius,” explained Henrietta.
Following her Autumn/Winter 09 show at Glasgow Fashion
week, Henrietta was awarded the Ethical Fashion Forum’s ‘Fashion
Innovation Award’, for London Fashion Week Spring Summer 2010.
The award, judged by leading industry experts including, designer
Roland Mouret, Dolly Jones from Vogue, Dilys Wiliams from London
College of Fashion, Yasmin Sewell from leading British department
store Liberty and Anna Orsini from the British Fashion Council, was
completely unexpected for the designer, particularly as it was her first
season.
“I think it would be a massive boost for anyone, but to receive such an honour in my very first season was amazing. The opportunity to show at London Fashion Week is one that any designer dreams of and to be afforded that privilege at such an early stage in my career was a fantastic vote of confidence and enabled me to go forward and design the Spring/Summer ’09 collection with the knowledge that Henrietta Ludgate had struck a chord with people whose opinions are invaluable.”
Manic is how Henrietta describes her life since winning the award. With growing interest from around the world, Henrietta has been working around the clock to maintain the level of success and recognition from those around her. “Whilst I was obviously delighted to be recognised with the award it also reinforced the fact that I had now set out upon a path where anything less than perfection was going to be a backward step.”
Henrietta’s A/W 2010 collection had London’s Somerset
House transformed into two highland forests. The forests, sponsored
by leading British wallpaper manufacturer Cole & Son, were made
of hand carved wood and reflected the darker side of the Scottish
landscape. The Autumn Winter collection drew on the memories of
Henrietta’s childhood, interpreted in her signature minimalist and
flattering cuts.
“I grew up in the most idyllic environment for a child, letting my imagination run wild in the woods as I collected frogs from the bog and skated on the dark loch in winter. I wanted to capture those vivid memories forever,” explained Henrietta. “The setting sun, northern lights, the witching hour – the time when supernatural creatures are thought to be at their most powerful and black magic at its most effective. The Brahan Seer, a fairy tale figure from the 17th century - who was, and still is, renowned for his many prophecies - which for generations following his execution has continued to come true. Combining these influences, I’ve used the smoky, moonlit palette of mid-winter with the occasional flash of approaching change in burning pinks to represent the mixture of the natural world and ancient folklore, ever prominent in my childhood memories.”
Her catwalk was an interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood stumbling upon the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland and emerging into a strange new world, where not only has everything around her changed, but even the simple red cape that clothes her now reflects the landscape with hand printed images of skeletal trees. “One passage of Lewis Carroll’s iconic story in particular really stuck out for me – If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrariwise, what it is, it wouldn’t be, and what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” The success from London Fashion Week seen Henrietta show at the International Fashion Weeks of Athens, Paris and Milan, and has now resulted in her design being stocked in sixty stores throughout Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, Moscow, Taiwan, the United States and the UK.
interview by GeorginaLennon
Rising Scottish talent, Henrietta Mackay Ludgate has already caught the eye of Jimmy Choo, Vogue editor, Dolly Jones, British Fashion Councils, Anna Orsini and Vogue. com blogger, Laura Bailey with her breathtaking, uniquely handcrafted designs.
Following in the footsteps of fellow Central St Martins College graduates Alexander McQueen, John Gallino, Matthew Williamson and Christopher Kane – Henrietta’s flair for structural design, the minimalistic form and her uncanny ability to design with a real sense of her Scottish heritage, make her one of the most unique and inspirational designers of her time.
Henrietta began her fashion career working as a stylist and costume designer before moving on to work for acclaimed British talent Osman Yousefzada, running his London studio. Embarking on her own label, Henrietta wanted to keep a real sense of her Highland heritage in her designs, whether that be through the fabrics, cuts or colours - the designer has an immense passion for where she comes from and this is reflected throughout her designs.
An ethos of supporting Scottish craftsmanship is central to her work, with the designer ensuring all fabrics are sourced from within the British Isles and all pieces are produced locally. While Henrietta has a studio in London where stylists and press can view her designs, she has chosen to remain working in her design studio in the Scottish highlands, as that’s where she says she draws her inspiration.
“When deciding to stay in Scotland two overriding reasons spring to mind,” explained Henrietta “Central to this decision was the desire to support the local economy and businesses that had aided me in the design setup. I would have felt unfair if having found some initial success, I suddenly moved my operations overseas. Secondly I felt that having drawn my inspiration from my surroundings the best way of translating these ideas into reality was to use materials found in that landscape. To have done anything else would have compromised both the design and the ethos of the whole collection.”
A champion of slow fashion, Henrietta’s minimalist silhouette remains hauntingly elegant and distinctive while retaining an undeniable modernity. She draws inspiration from Elsa Schiaparelli, most importantly her vision of fashion as a type of architecture, and her beliefs that clothing should be closely connected to the frame of the body. “Jean Muir, Elsa Schiaparelli and of course the late Alexander McQueen, have all inspired me as a designer, however if I had to chose just one it would be Elsa Schiaparelli - I love the way she regarded her work as art and herself as an artist,” said Henrietta. “Her collaborations with the avant-garde artists of the 1930’s Paris from Man Ray, Picasso, to Salvador Dali and Alberto Giacometti, with her ultra modern outlook and constant innovation with design and fabric are a real inspiration.
