Holly Fulton: Pattern Storming

Fresh from her second season at London Fashion Week’s Fashion East showcase, Holly Fulton is the latest in a slew of ‘Hot Scot’ designers. Being a Scottish designer, comparisons are inevitably drawn with her contemporaries, something Fulton is gracious about. "I am very proud to be Scottish, and flattered to be alongside Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders. Their level of success is good to aim for."

Yet, it is Fulton’s unique aesthetic which the industry is taking notice of: a colourful world of simple silhouettes decorated elaborately with Swarovski crystals and art deco graphics. Fulton readily cites influences such as Eduardo Paolozzi’s Wittgenstein in New York, a work she says is "like holding up a mirror to the inside of my head"; her latest collection was also inspired by the black and white outfits of French actress Jeanne Moreau. The use of prints, a new avenue which Fulton hopes to expand on, was also celebrated by the press. "Prints started to interest me; I’d not worked with them before, but I will definitely work with them more; they sold well because people responded to them."

Ultimately, the aspect of her design which Fulton is most famous for is her use of couture techniques in ready to wear clothing. "The materials cost me a fortune! I have to work hard to get it all done, but I don’t see why technique should be compromised; it is possible to do at our price level." This dedication to her craft is something Fulton encourages in her students whilst teaching at the Edinburgh College of Art where she was once a student. Lamenting the fact that Scottish designers are forced to go to London in order to get sponsorship and recognition, Fulton remains hopeful that the success of brands like hers will translate into more support from Holyrood for emerging Scottish talent. Despite the business aspect of her brand growing daily, Fulton explains that she would never want to lose her links to the College. "It’s getting harder as the business side becomes more consuming, but even if I can’t teach in the way I do at the moment, I would still like to come back frequently as a guest lecturer."

When asked about London Fashion Week’s All Walks Beyond the Catwalk campaign in which curvy models graced the catwalk, Fulton endorses the idea of making fashion accessible to a range of sizes. I ask whether she would consider using such models in her shows, to which she responds with honesty: "I like things that are exaggerated; I like androgynous, long, tall models. They look like my sketches, not because I draw skinny models on purpose; it’s the image I get in my head. I don’t think I could have a mixture of models because I like a cohesive, ordered show."

Perfectionism and passion are evidently traits in Fulton’s work. She doesn’t see a reason for either to suffer because of the economic situation, nor for that matter because of her growing business. Having worked for design houses including Lanvin under the formidable Alber Elbaz, Fulton explains that working with constraining briefs or budgets can be very frustrating.

"I said when I started my own line that I would stay as true to my designs as possible. Sometimes Swarovski (with whom I have a partnership) might give me an extra bag of jewels to work with; overall, I never constrain what I do." For her, it makes sense to have an expensive catwalk collection as the starting point, diffusing it afterwards into prints, lower end embroidery and offshoot lines, such as her range for ASOS Hub, available from 9 November.

"I’m very excited about my collaboration with ASOS. The range still has my signature elements; it was important to me that it would have good attention to detail and finishing as well as being affordable." Holly admits to not having felt the effects of the recession too strongly (her line was, after all, launched in a recession), but does note that people seem more willing to invest in accessories as a result. "The latest show was the first show with a full handbag collection. I did have one handbag in my MA collection but this time I pushed that more. When I design, I can’t think of clothes and accessories separately. People say I have to master one or the other, which I find odd as a designer!" Her white dress with black arrows pointing directly at a signature necklace in the latest show was, she admits, a visual way of saying she wants to master both.

"Creative control over my jewellery is something I would never want to delegate or relinquish as the business grows." Though she ultimately foresees a time when she won’t be able to do it all, for now Fulton remains happily busy at a time when her star only continues to rise.