At Pitti Uomo 94 in Florence earlier this year, MINI and the Woolmark company presented (in collaboration) their stunning new 16-piece capsule collection. The two companies commisioned four up-and-coming international designers to “translate personal travel memories into fashion pieces using the finest merino wool.” One of them was Liam Hodges, a British, London based designer, whose work builds on inspirations with the modern subcultures like hip-hop, skatewear, UK streetwear and post-punk. His style which he has termed ‘expressive, polysyllabic masculinity’. Plays with and reinvents traditional workwear ideas and has made a big impression since graduating from London’s Royal College of Art in 2013. Liam has since debuted a collection for Fashion East In 2014 before gaining catwalk sponsorship under the prestigious Topman backed ‘MAN’ show for three seasons. His designs have been worn by the likes of Drake, P.Diddy, FKA Twigs, Danny Brown and Big Sean, and his look for this collection does not disappoint.
The collection, titled ‘FIELD NOTES’, is the fourth MINI FASHION Capsule Collection that embraces the urban and positive character of the MINI company. The four designers each come from a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds to create a cohesive collection that represents their forward-thinking practices. “The objective of working with fresh and dynamic designers is to obtain the most surprising and interesting result possible,” explains Sabine Ringel, Creative Lead for MINI FASHION. “We do share a mindset with the designers we choose though, and a specific theme for each project. So there is always a clear leitmotif that unites the designs.” All four of the commissioned designers — Staffonly (China), PH5 (USA) and Rike Feurstein (D) alongside Hodges — are young emerging talents, most of which are alumni of the International Woolmark Prize — one of the world’s most prestigious awards for up-and-coming fashion talents.
In light of the collection, SLEEK caught up with Hodges to talk inspiration, motivation and the spirit of the urban traveller.
How did this collaboration come about? What was it like working with MINI on a capsule collection?
The project came about through an introduction to The Woolmark Company. It was really great to explore clothing and functionality through travel. We approached the project with our usual ideas of narrative and story-telling, but skewed towards an idea of function and purpose.
The theme of this MINI FASHION capsule collection is “Transcending Borders”. What does it mean to you?
For this project, transcending borders linked in with a trip to New York – somewhere I hadn’t visited for a long time. It was about freedom, exploration and discovery. We created a collection based in New York but also with the book The Goldfinch in mind; we were exploring a city through someone else’s eyes – someone we related to.
Your collection for MINI FASHION – FIELD NOTES relates to your experiences in New York City. Can you describe how the city influenced this collection?
As I just mentioned, the city and my trip tied into my research with the novel The Goldfinch, which later saw me travel to Vegas. However, it starts in New York. I went with a bit of a hit-list of places to visit, from the references at the start and end of the book. Seeing the slight differences in the way Wall Street guys dress compared to Canary Wharf and the way people wear denim in America was very important. The narrative from the book informed the prints, but the shapes and fabrics were very much from experience – from seeing the small nods of difference. Everything’s slightly bigger; it feels more American almost (laughs). Like being in a film.
As this collection is about translating personal memories from travel into fashion specifically — can you share a particular travel memory that influenced the design process?
I would have to say the travel pouch we made is significant here. This is just a pure necessity for travelling, like all the important stuff in one place – but not in your rucksack or pockets. Being prepared through airports is essential – LOL.
This collaboration hinges on the use of Merino wool. In what ways did the material inspire the pieces in the collection? What was it like working with wool denim specifically?
We used wool on each piece. The bonded waterproof Prince of Wales check on the overcoat and digitally printing for the sweater were both new processes for us. But the wool denim especially made quite an impact on the garments we made. We draw a lot of influence from workwear and casual wear fabrics. So this really bridged the gap. It had all the same properties but just a softer feel and more comfortable finish, which is definitely better for a long-haul flight.
The collection also features the classic Prince of Wales check. Why did you decide to use this timeless pattern?
It was a no-brainer. Obviously it’s a very British pattern, but in my research it was referenced a lot and also in terms of the idea of New York, American-British style. The same way the Americans wear Ralph Lauren, the Brits might wear a POW check. I thought it was important to bridge the gap between where we started the journey and where we ended up.
Your work frequently includes workwear elements. How is this theme continued in this collection?
With the wool denim jeans, of course, but also the Merino denim jacket. We actually used quite a regular outerwear fabric for this, so we were playing around with the ideas of what wool can be used for. Not just with denim that visually looked the same, but also switching the usual overcoat fabric for denim on the jacket. It was robust but gave the whole garment a much more elevated finish.
The collection is intended to “express the spirit of the urban traveller”. What type of urban traveler do you envision this collection is for?
I feel like it’s for my usual target market. It has the same elements of fun and story-telling within each piece. But I guess it’s slightly more toned down and easier to pull off. Perhaps that was the aspect of function, of sliding through the airport in incognito mode.
Photography: Jan Kapitaen
Styling: Rebecca Martin
