Q+A MEET FASHION DESIGNER HOPE MACAULAY AND HER POWERFUL PRINTS

Macaulays garments personify the creative force of this incredibly talented young designer. Her Fashion collections offer Print, Knit and Embroidery in a seamless blend of Catwalk Couture.

Mixing different textiles, textures and techniques is my favourite thing to do! I always love to add more, experiment, try new things and develop my techniques.

I love how you have a ball of wool and create it into a whole new garment by just using your hands.

Various silks and satins are my favourite fabrics for my prints. I love how they are soft, luxurious and really bring out the vibrant colours in my artwork.

I was very happy to see my collection 'A Surreal Rome' on the catwalk again after it was showcased at Graduate Fashion Week in June.

A New Year and New Brand for the talented graduate fashion designer Hope Macaulay.

Macaulays garments personify the creative force of this incredibly talented young designer. Her Fashion collections offer Print, Knit and Embroidery in a seamless blend of Catwalk Couture. Picked out as one to watch at Graduate Fashion Week, who wouldn’t be impressed by her powerful style…

Why did you choose a creative career?

I have always been a very creative person and loved all of my creative subjects in school. I naturally progressed in these subjects, continued to grow artistically and created a path for myself to achieve a creative career. 

Which University did you attend?

I attended the University for the Creative Arts, Epsom, were I achieved an Art & Design Foundation and then progressed onto a BA (Hons) degree in Fashion Textiles: Print at the University for the Arts, Rochester.

Your work is a fusion of Art, Print and Fashion what inspired your unique style?

I have just noticed recently, from my doodles in my notebooks when I was 8 years old, to early artwork at school to now, that I have had the same style to my art. Like I said, I didn't realise this until recently and I thought it was so cool! Comparing my work from then to now was quite inspiring and made me feel pretty proud of myself. Looking back I have realised that I have always loved colour, painting, collaging, ceramics and textiles. The materials inspired me and made me want to experiment with various different textiles. My mother also inspired me to love fashion at a young age, as she is a very fashionable and loves styling and clothes. Artists such as Pablo Picasso, high end fashion designers and the world around me also inspires me a lot.

Where is your studio?

My studio is on the beautiful North Coast of Ireland.

Your work mixes so many textures and techniques tell us more?

Mixing different textiles, textures and techniques is my favourite thing to do! I always love to add more, experiment, try new things and develop my techniques. I feel like there is a never ending number of creative techniques that you can apply when creating textiles and prints. I am the type of designer who loves to experiment, get stuck in and learn by doing. 

What are you favourite fabrics and why?

Various silks and satins are my favourite fabrics for my prints. I love how they are soft, luxurious and really bring out the vibrant colours in my artwork. I also love jumbo merino wool to make hand knitted chunky knits. My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was young, so I carried on and developed different knitting techniques in my projects at school and university. I love how you have a ball of wool and create it into a whole new garment by just using your hands. This is the same for my love of ceramic making – a slab of clay can be made into something beautiful and unique. 

Digital printing offers the designer incredible flexibility to create bespoke pieces…Do you print your own fabrics or use a local print bureau?

I use an online fabric printer company. I chose my fabric, upload my artwork and it gets posted to me quite quickly so it is a great service.

London Fashion Week, that must have been exciting? Tell us more?

I showcased at London Fashion Week with Fashions Finest in September 2018. It was a great experience and I was very happy to see my collection 'A Surreal Rome' on the catwalk again after it was showcased at Graduate Fashion Week in June. It was very exciting and the support I received was amazing.

What’s been the biggest challenge so far as a graduate designer?

I would say the biggest challenges as a graduate designer who is starting up their own business is trying to juggle lots of different things! For example, I created the collection but also my brand e.g. business cards, logo, website, instagram, facebook etc. Even though there is a lot to keep on top of, I really love doing it and having my own business. Also it is very important but also difficult to get noticed. There is a lot of competition in the fashion industry but you have to keep pushing forward, believe in yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help.

What a year! 2018 was an incredible year for you what was the highlight?

I have a lot of highlights in 2018! I created my catwalk collection 'A Surreal Rome', graduated university with a first, showcased at Graduate Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, New Designers and Salon International and created my ready-to-wear collection and my online shop! One of my surreal memories is from London Fashion Week, when after the show, I gained a lot of attention and was doing interviews and everyone was asking me for pictures! That was a really crazy moment but I loved it.

If you had one wish for 2019 what would that be?

One of my goals for 2019 is to gain my first stockists and to have my ready-to-wear collection in shops! That would be incredible. 

Finally…Where can our readers buy your brand?

My ready-to-wear collection is available to purchase on my online shop and prices for my catwalk collection are available on request.

For any questions, custom or private orders, please contact us at: hopemacaulay@hopemacaulay.com