I thought I knew what to expect from House of Holland. The name ‘Henry Holland’ instantly conjures up neon t-shirts, logo print tights, and an endless array of fun but ultimately not especially sophisticated clothing. Easy to wear, enjoyable to look at, with perhaps not a great deal of artistry behind it, or any ‘concept’. Surrounded by a crew of models, DJs and general ‘faces of the moment’, the clothes got a little lost behind House of Holland as a brand.

House of Holland A/W 2012 at London Fashion Week

However, the Autumn/Winter 2012 incarnation of House of Holland was a world away from 80s style slogan tees, and Eiffel Tower printed tights. To a swirling, soaring wave of Queen’s ‘Bicycle Race’, the first models stepped onto the catwalk, and it became apparent that Holland has moved decisively on from the t shirt days. Garments were streamlined across the body, with finely striped skirts and trousers flaring out at the hems.

Clothes were carefully colour-blocked, with postbox red vying for attention alongside cerulean.  Despite the infinitely more ‘grown-up’ silhouettes, the bold colours had an almost Pop Art-y feel, a touch of Lichtenstein. While many writers have hailed Holland’s shift into more of a 70s aesthetic (boiler suits, flares etc), the electric blue houndstooth print still hinted at a heavy 80s influence.

The initial stripes gave way to oversized houndstooth, and true to form for the designer, models stepped out in matching tights. Zig zag striped knits evoked a touch of Missoni, and when perched on shoulders over a button front navy dress, created a supremely chic effect. The House of Holland girl has grown up. Dropped waist dresses with Isadora Duncan scarves invoked a 1920s seaside feel. Violet hues mixed with shocking pinks, leather sat alongside velvet.

Accessories were charmingly mixed: Sado-scarlet leather gloves perched above 90s style platform brogues, often paired with stripy pop socks. A succession of peaked caps also featured, highlighting the ‘sports luxe’ feel. Interesting to see a London show heading towards the sports feel, which tends to traditionally be the territory of New York Fashion Week.  Still, this was a refined, adult sports chic, which soon transmuted to Cruella de Vil in aggressive red and black furs.

Make-up was elegant too, with pale up-brushed brows, dewy pale skin, nude lids, and matte strawberry lip colour. As is the current trend, lip colour faded into skin at the sides, instead of being carefully lined and defined. Hair was kept natural and pulled off the face, in low ponytails. It all worked together to form a clean, cohesive look with a dose of Gallic charm.

This was a much more sophisticated outing for the brand. Holland himself described the show as ‘Mork and Mindy do the Tour De France’, and the Gallic influence was very apparent in stripes and colours somewhat reminiscent of Sonia Rykiel.  Still remaining bright, striking and energetic, House of Holland is continuing to develop into a truly exciting brand. This collection showcased perfectly Holland’s move into a more streamlined style, still liberally peppered with zany humour.

Pictures courtesy of House of Holland.