There is something fascinating about James Hock‘s career leap from accountant to fashion designer;  there are so many preconceived ideas about that daily grind number crunching mentality that it takes quite a big stretch to imagine that guy in the suit you pass on the escalator everyday, coming up with something as fresh and conceptual as James’ Harbinger collection (pictured, above).

However when the designer explains that a lot of his inspiration comes from “the mundane”, then it all starts to make more sense; how this talented Malaysian-born, Sydney-schooled, London-living boy has turned warped mundanity into conceptual fashion.

A self-confessed club kid, James’ style comes from his gut, rather than any formal training. The scene’s peacocks and preeners inspired his own personal style which then developed into womenswear and accessories collections. Although he honed his technical skills at Kensington and Chelsea College, James’ collections retain a sense of rawness and exploration that might not be there had he been taught in the classroom, rather than on the dancefloor.

For his Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, James has created textural combinations of black leather and sheer fabrics, fur, fringing and feathers to create layered silhouettes that  feel quite shamanistic. It’s not surprising then to hear that the collection was inspired by crows; the look is sombre but somehow soft too, with the minimal feathered headdresses bringing a touch of pageantry to proceedings.

LookBooks caught up with this emerging young designer to find out more about his creative inspirations and that interesting career change….

So, from Accountancy to design – how does that happen? 

I’ve always said Accounting is my second love. For someone with a fairly short attention span, doing accounts (not my own) keeps me calm and focused. But then I wanted something a little bit more challenging, something more subjective. So, I went with fashion- which has always played a big part in my life..

 ….I imagine you were the best-dressed Auditor in the building? 

I actually dressed very conservatively. It was a corporate office after all. But the first time my friends saw me in my office gear, they asked me why I was in drag.

How much of an influence has the London club scene had on your work? 

Massive. The London club scene is the best place to majorly dress up. The words tone-down are not in our vocabulary and OTT is just about the right size. But the best thing is people appreciate your effort and there’s mutual admiration and respect for your looks, styles and all our differences. Having said that, I personally have been on a hiatus from the scene, and perhaps it is time to bring out the disco shoes again.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? 

I don’t wanna sound like a dick but I really do believe people’s brains are all wired differently. Some have a sunny disposition while others are inherently sad. And I cannot elaborate more without sounding like a total dick.

As for inspiration, it’s a case of everything and anything (hence the usually mundane references in my work). The best advice I was given is to be a sponge and absorb everything- and I totally live by that.

Do you have anyone in particular in mind when you create a new collection? 

Very rarely. For me, my muse is always imaginary. She’s more of a mood, an emotion or energy rather than an actual physical being.

Can you tell us about any new projects you’re working on at the moment? 

Just got news of a hush-hush project from Becc (Bloody Gray) and other than that, I’m delving a bit into art, making some window display for a bespoke audio visual company and organising a tiny DIY pop-up event. Very lo-fi, and of course, brewing ideas for the next collection- It’s all in the head.

www.jameshock.co.uk

giving accountants a good name…

repost: http://trendland.com/feathery-creatures-james-hock-harbinger/

It would not be an obvious conclusion to come to when looking at James Hock‘s designs, but the Malayasian born London based designer is an accountant by training. Unless you find that totally believable, in which case you must know something about accountants I don’t.

Self taught as a designer, James Hock comes as a much-needed breath of fresh air in the midst of all those ‘formally trained’ Parsonites and Stmartinsettes, bringing a new sense of creative freedom to the table. Hock’s conceptually driven collections are an elaborate exploration of textures and materials; his passion for arts and crafts is evident from the artisanal finishing of each look. Praised for his love for finding inspiration in the most unusual, often mundane and obscure places, the starting point for his Autumn/Winter 2012 collection ‘Harbinger” was the crow.
Almost entirely black, the collection is a study of material and detail, translating through a juxtaposition of various, at times contradictory and often recycled textiles. In the silhouette, Hock remains raw and organic, whilst his inspiration, the crow, provides the finishing touch in the shape of a sleek feathered headpiece. As a rule, James Hock always remains in full control of his designs – each item is finished in-house for perfection in both completion and concept.

Sweet

James Hock Autumn / Winter 2012

Meeting James Hock. His concepts, his personal style…his aw12/13 look-book

The characteristic I’ve found to be the most prevalent amongst some of the talents I’ve met in my 5 years across the business has been the ability to look outside themselves for their inspiration whilst maintaining a strict personal direction and line of approach. An unwavering discipline to their craft. Living, learning, creating. I don’t believe creativity can be achieved in a vacuous society. Sometimes the self-importance of those living within a competitive environment (such as a large city) can work against the creative process.

Refreshingly, James is both enchanting and noticeably switched onto soaking up the elements around him, much like a sponge. Whether or not you like his aesthetic is beside the point – the boy owns his style. Something you can’t walk past. A style which got him to where he is today with his own drive and distinctive tastes. An individual is about all we can strive to be.

Malaysian born, James arrived in London from Sydney where he quickly gained recognition amongst his peers for his personal style while working in the fringe club scene.

Self-taught, James decided to enrol at the Kensington and Chelsea College to improve his technical ability. His early works attracted much attention and critical praise with his final project ‘Sleeping with Dali’ – a heavily structured collection travelling across the pond, appearing on Nylon TV, was exhibited in Shoreditch House and featured in numerous editorials.

What I liked most about seeing James’ aw collection (aside from James himself standing alongside it and explaining) – were the concepts that have driven the collection. I’m a lover of texture, shape and proportion and James delivers all.

The ‘about’ section on his website states: “His use of recycled material stems from his love of customising clothing and his experimentation with obscure or mundane objects is set to continue. His passion for arts and crafts, also see many artisanal elements incorporated in his work and in order to control the final finish of his pieces, all artisanal finishings are done in-house”.

With his latest collection, ‘harbinger‘, James explores the idea of a young girl hiding behind the many layers of her dress.

James Hock Press Days/Private Order at the Andaz Hotel.

Amazing venue… with a hint of nostalgia and that’s because I used to work here many many years ago when it was still the Great Eastern Hotel and the room that we are in now used to host a nite called Safari.
And guess who’s the super trashy bitch doing the door?
I would post a pic of my look then but then i might have to kill myself. Lets just say we all go through different phases in life and fashion .

One More Day tomorrow… remember private order and bubbly from 6-9pm.
C yah!

x