Honest INTERVIEW with Hector Maclean the BastArd ArisTocrAt - AW25
Interview & Photography Eritor-in-Chief Dmi Vasilenko
INTERVIEW
Where the fuck is that dress?
Yeah, that’s she, She is one of our main pieces.
- Hector
Cute, so it is recording.
- Editor
Just ignore it.
- Hector
I’ll try...
- Editor
Okay, okay. So, my first question would be… Yes, yes. What was the primary inspiration behind your upcoming collection? And how did it influence the overall aesthetic and the theme?
- Hector
Well, the primary inspiration was my middle name. Because I was named after Lady Bellasus. And I was like, who the fuck is she? Then I realised she was royalty, and that’s how we were connected to royalty. But then it was one of those weird things your mum says. And you’re like, “Mum, what are you talking about? This sounds made up, this sounds ridiculous.”
She was saying this while we were in our council house. And I was like, “We’re royal? What the hell are you talking about? You work as a cleaner and double-glazing saleswoman, we can’t be…what are you talking about?” And then she said to me very seriously, “Yes, we are royal, blah, blah, blah.” I couldn’t believe it, so I had to research it.
I was surprised by what I found; apparently, I am named after this woman who had an illegitimate child with King James II. My grandmother was the last debutante at one of the last debutante balls ever before the First World War. It is like this weird situation of being so poor, but yet so posh. And that’s something that I’ve always kind of felt.
I was always the poorest kid in school. But then I had the poshest accent. And then I was like, “What the fuck is my life?”
It is just that weird situation; it’s quite a British thing of high and low. And so that, in a way, influenced this collection of being super fancy but also very stupid. It’s meant to be the high and low, like the kind of cheap, the recycled, but also making it beautiful and elegant and opulent.
We used lots of recycled fabrics. We’ve got the Union Jack dress. Because you haven’t seen it yet. Where the fuck is that dress? So, there she is. Somewhere in here. Yeah, that’s she, which is one of our main pieces: two Union Jack flags and then a duvet… It’s just super British. An idea of pearly kings and queens as well. I use recycled fabrics, and I try to be as environmental as possible. It’s that idea of turning something rags to riches. That being the vibe.
Could you walk us through your creative process from the start of the initial idea to the finished piece?
Generally, I start with mood boards. And then I kind of progress to the initial sketches, followed by the assessment of what fabrics I have. Because we’re super environmental, I kind of have to see what we have and what I’m able to transform. Which is a little confusing, a hard restriction. But it also sparks the creativity, I suppose. So, yeah. After checking what we have, I kind of play around with fabrics. I often drape on the stand.
I think my designs are obviously quite draped, and then I pattern cut. Then comes the progress of building the collection. But generally, the designs change quite a lot from the initial sketches.
How do you get inspired? We talked previously, and you mentioned that you commute a lot to your studio, and it takes a lot of time. Do you work during that time? Is it productive, or would you rather wake up and jump straight into work without distractions?
How I get inspired… let me think, I guess there are loads of ways. The smallest thing can inspire me. But I think it’s just my deep love of the United Kingdom. I like that we’re just silly bastards, and I think that’s such a funny thing.
I love the conversations you have around the corner at a local market. Just hearing these crazy conversations of people around me, and that kind of dichotomy between everyone and how everyone who lives here becomes part of this culture. Because we are super multicultural, which I love, which is part of the collection, and I find that inspiring.
A lot of people, at some point, might just lose that sort of inspiration or the passion, the drive when it is not going your way, when you hit obstacles, a wall. How do you keep on pushing? How do you maintain the flow, that energy to keep on going?
I think it’s similar to what we talked about before, in that as you get older, you just have so much inside of you and you have so much experience. You can just turn into everything that you’ve ever seen and experienced like books.
My last collection was based on Christina Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market.” What has inspired me? Just seeing them and seeing this poem, reading it thoroughly and loving it, as well as going to… what the fuck is that place called? (Charlston) There’s a beautiful cottage in the middle of Sussex which was created by an artist, and she was one of those artists. I think what I mean is seeing places, seeing people, seeing how people dress, seeing paintings, going to galleries, exhibitions, and just walking around and seeing how people live. I find that really motivating. Specifically for this collection, Bastard Aristocrat, just seeing how British people dress in this constant cold outside and the weird things people wear, and especially in East London I find it hugely inspiring.
Dmi, I’m trying to give you sound bites as well, because I know what it’s like when you’re waffling and none of this sounds like it could be used in the interview.
For this AW25 collection, did you experiment with fabrics? Like any new fabrics? I know you mentioned that you’re sustainable and you like to repurpose and eliminate waste. But did you try any new fabrics?
Yeah. Well, the poppy one, you can kind of see. We’re actually making our own fabric from recycled poppies that are super British icons poppies for the Royal British Legion. We are actually raising money for them this season. We’re creating the dress from these poppies to raise awareness with the charity and also just making something beautiful and recycled.
But actually, probably the most embarrassing thing which I’m not sure I should saybut we are struggling to find fabrics, and most of it is affording fabrics. Sadly, I was struggling with my parents, my sister, and my mum; I had to use a bedsheet as part of the dress.
But then they loved it and decided to give me all of our bedsheets and stuff. So, a lot of this collection is made from ancestors’ bedsheets, which kind of goes with the Bastard Aristocrat theme because it’s literally my family’s bedding. It’s from the 1920s; it’s really high-quality and beautiful, and hand-dyed. Yeah, it’s got history to it, which is part of the whole concept. So my “bastard aristocraticness” is actually coming through the fabrics on which my grandparents slept. When fashion designers get desperate, especially when you’re making 27 outfits, you need a lot of fabric, man.
We get fabrics donated and given by friends. This fabric was given to me by my friend Diwa from Thailand. She found it and she was like, “This is so you and this is so this collection.” It all comes from all over, really.
Is this the main difference between the current collection and the previous one, or is there more to the story? Well, except the bedsheets.
I’m trying to go back to my origin. I went a little bit more commercial last season, but I think this season is going to be a lot more grand. I’m feeling and trying to get that huge amount of opulence back and really trying to be luxurious, but having that juxtaposition of these simple, quality recycled fabrics and a beautiful, grand dress.
So I’d say the difference is the ethos, and making it more pversonal, I guess. This collection is more personal to me. The rest were women who inspire me because every season I try and have a woman be the centre of the collection. The first one was Virginia Woolf, second one was Christina Rossetti, and this one is my ancestor, Lady Bellasis. So I always have women at the centre of my brand.
That brings me to the next question. I mean, what is the most challenging aspect, apart from sourcing fabrics in large quantities?
That’s not challenging… well, it’s an interesting challenge. The most challenging thing, I think, is just having the energy. I think I’m starting to realise, like, how the fuck do fashion designers do this every six months? My last show was five months ago, and I’m doing this every six months. It is a lot! And it’s just maintaining your energy and stamina to keep going. I think it’s probably the biggest challenge.
How do you manage that? Where do you get the energy? I mean, I feel the struggle.
I think it’s that burning desire within you. I think you’re probably the same. It’s that deep burning desire that you have to create, and there’s something that you have to say, and maybe I’ve not said it yet, but I’m getting there. I think with each collection I’m getting closer to the thing that I’m trying to express. In each collection, I’m growing and becoming better. But there’s such a burning, a horrible desire to get the stuff out of me, and I have to, or else I go insane.
I mean, a lot of creators would understand you. Not even just creatives, I guess people with ambition, and a feeling that they want to speak and communicate through any medium in the arts, really and that’s the desire that keeps you going. I have no idea where it comes from, but people have it.
It’s just exhausting because you’ve got this vision way off in the future. One day I’ll be there, but for the meantime, I still have to make some shit stuff to get to the good stuff, because you have to learn; you have to learn how to be better.
I don’t think one day you’re going to be that thing. I think you are that thing already. Because it’s you that is that thing, and I don’t think that you’re ever going to “get” somewhere that’s what keeps you going. It’s a never-ending cycle. It’s always going to feel… unless I mean, if you do get to that point, then what will drive you?
That’s true. It’s the main driver. I think, I don’t know, there are so many drivers. There’s the compassion to dressing women and making them feel beautiful; there’s the innovation trying to move things that people have never seen before. I’m so fucking sick of people saying that everything’s been done; I’m so sick of people saying that. There’s so much that’s not been done. We’ve only been dressing for 4,000 years, come on. There’s so much we can still do. There’s so much space for innovation. I really want to one day be able to innovate and change the world through clothing. But we’ll see. We’ll see.
Talking about innovation and new designers, is there anyone whose work you are inspired by or admire?
I think I was in the same year as Richard Quinn at CSM, and I’m really inspired by him well, not inspired, but I would say I really respect him as a designer. Patrick McDowell’s so sweet, he’s such a sweetheart; I’d call him a friend and I’d say he’s an inspiring guy. Mark Fast, one of my mentors, he’s incredible.
Are there any other challenges that designers are faced with today? I mean, obviously you have the funding that’s complicated. How about, like, mentally? What do you think is the main one that usually creatives are faced with, and maybe you in a way as well?
I think creatively, just… yeah, doing that thing that’s new, like changing things up but also being identifiable so people can look at you and be like, “That’s what our brand is for.” But then I think it’s hard to get funding and people to believe in you without a huge business model, and there’s no time for you to develop into someone anymore there’s just no time. If you don’t hit it with your first few collections, people are like, “They’re a flop.” And so there’s no time to get better. Like, Alexander McQueen’s first few collections weren’t that great; they weren’t groundbreaking, but he had to learn and grow, and he had time to. And now there’s no time. People are like, “Where’s your business model? Where is this?” And actually, any kind of artistic challenge you need to learn, you need to grow, and you need time to make mistakes and do things ugly. But now we struggle to have that time to develop and change and grow, and that’s the fucking tricky bit.
Being said that, the main challenge would be time. It must put a lot of pressure on the creative process, just by not having the ability or flexibility to make mistakes. That puts a lot of pressure on creatives, so true.
It’s a lot of fucking pressure. Genuinely, yes your only lifeline. It’s horrible. Was that enough of an answer?
Yes, for sure. An honest point of view.
Is there anything you would do differently since you have more experience and knowledge now?
I think I would have just fucking made shit sorry I’m swearing so much I would have just made more. I think the big mistake is you get so precious about what you’re making; sometimes you just need to fucking make stuff. You just need to create. You just need to get stuff out of your soul onto whatever platform that you want to. The more you create, the more you become and realise what your handwriting is, and also discover more of yourself.
Yeah, that actually connects back to what you mentioned earlier. When you’re still studying or just learning on your own, you have more time to experiment and really refine things. But you do tend to focus on making everything perfect because there’s no rush. But once you’re out in the real world, the pace picks up, and suddenly there’s way less time to obsess over every detail like before.
You only have so much time, you’re only relevant for so long, so you need to capitalise on how relevant you are for that moment you need to do, do, do, do. The only thing that will hold you back is not doing it. You just have to no matter how shit it is, the more you do it, the better you get at everything.
So, this being said, what advice would you give for emerging designers and creators who are just starting out?
I’ve seen so many people imagine it’s something else. This is your fucking life you can do whatever the fuck you want, really. Is this what you want? Like, there are so many courses, and I just worry people are like, “Oh, this seems fun and crazy.” If it’s not your burning desire, maybe see what would really make you happy. Do you want a family? Do you want kids? Do you want to do something else? Really think about it you only have one life, and fashion takes a lot of it. Really invest in doing what you really want to do. But also, for young designers, just fucking make as much as you can. Find out what your USP is within yourself, and just make everything personal to you, because everyone loves a specific point of view that’s from you. They want to see your soul and your heart; that reflects in your work.
I guess you create sort of a world around you, and people tend to relate to you; they’re not just buying clothes. It is a brand you need to know exactly who you are, and how will you know who you are if you’re not making anything? So you have to keep making things and then find yourself. I think it’s a constant search for yourself.
You must be able to say that I love photography as well. I love this camera, I love doing this lighting, I love outdoors, I like indoors, I like shooting film or digital, yeah.
That’s true for me it’s even deeper than that. What you mentioned is very technical, but it’s just getting that sort of vibe through it. And if you do love it and do it well, you develop your unique selling point, your style. That is what your identity is. The more you do it, the deeper it becomes and more refined. But it’s true, it takes time, a lot of time.
But you don’t have time, exactly. The sooner the better just go for it. Just go for what you want as soon as you can. Don’t waste time, and then you will really discover what you want. That’s the sad thing: people start doing fashion and they’re like, “Oh, I actually don’t want to do this,” and you’re like, “Well, you should have just done it sooner and then you would have realised and really found out what you love doing. You’ve only got one fucking life.”
-Editor
Well, shall we end on this exciting note?
- Hector
Yeah, I’m sorry, baby. Like you said, kisses.