Interview: Hannah Marshall on Powerful Women, Icons, Muses & Friends
Naomi Campbell wearing Hannah Marshall in Vogue Korea, August 2009AW: Your collections convey a sense of female empowerment, how do you achieve this?
HM: I am constantly inspired by strong women such as Grace Jones, Siousxie Sioux, Tilda Swinton and Bjork; women that are unique, powerful, have conviction, integrity, a sense of strength and inner confidence.
Clothing is one of the strongest tools of communication, and I design clothes that empower women through sharp minimalist silhouettes, constructed from sleek but tactile fabrications, in any colour that fits into the monochromatic rainbow.
AW: In past collections youʼve explored the visual collaborations between Grace Jones and Jean Paul Goude, as well as body modification, can you tell us a little more about this?
HM: Pre-digital era, the legendary art director Jean-Paul Goude was a pioneer. My collection entitled “Army of Me” examines methods of attenuating and empowering the female form through designs that evoke the superhuman inuendo of his body of work. The sleek, androgynous persona of his former muse Grace Jones epitomises the very essence of the Hannah Marshall woman.
Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine wears Hannah Marshall AW: Youʼve expressed your love for the shade of black, whatʼs so powerful about this colour?
HM: Black has its own code.
Black can hide well.
Black demands attention.
Black is the most powerful colour that exists.
Black says everything but gives nothing away.
Black is the strongest colour that defines the silhouette.
AW: How do women tend to respond to when wearing your garments?
HM: My designs almost have a transformative quality to them, rendering the female body to create a sharper silhouette that makes the wearer feel confident and on the sensual side of sexy, without being vulnerable.
Beth Ditto of the band The Gossip wears Hannah MarshallAW: Youʼve earned a host of influential fans including Florence Welch, Beth Ditto, Naomi Campbell and Tori Amos; are you excited that such a diverse group of women have all responded to your designs?
HM: The women that wear my designs are incredibly diverse and their only common quality is their difference.
The most exciting moment has to be seeing the iconic cover of Wonderland magazine with the incredible Janet Jackson wearing the Spine Sleeve Dress that was custom made especially for her. I am a huge fan of all music ending with the surname Jackson, so I am very proud of this and thankful to the amazing Anthony Unwin for asking me to create a piece.
Janet Jackson wearing Hannah Marshall for the cover of Wonderland MagazineI have dressed Florence and the Machine for performances, photo shoots and videos but I think the most exciting time for me was creating a custom designed leather, crystal and chiffon bodysuit that she wore in the Drumming video directed by the legendary Dawn Shadforth and styled by Aldene Johnson. I love creating special pieces for artists such as Florence, since not only do they come to life and give the piece a heartbeat, but, my work is digitally immortalised.
Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine wears Hannah Marshall in the video for Drumming The piece I produced for the pilot season of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk has a similar feel to it in the way it moved on the body. I purposely wanted an older woman to wear my design to prove that style is about much more than age, but a certain attitude and confidence in your own skin. The ever-beautiful Valerie Pain was the perfect woman to collaborate with, tall, elegant, beautiful – and 70.
Valerie Pain wearing Hannah Marshall for All Walks Beyond the Catwalk AW: Youʼve previously cited All Walks co-founder, Erin OʼConnor as your muse, how does she inspire you?
HM: Erin modeled exclusively in my very first catwalk show at London Fashion Week and she fitted the role perfectly – she strikes the fine balance between strength and elegance. Erin has actually become a really good friend to me over the past few years, so to me, I no longer only look at her as this incredible British supermodel, because getting to know Erin I can say she is incredibly intelligent, talented, generous, inspiring, trustworthy, loyal and warm person.
Stylist magazine put Erin and I on the front cover of their Fashion Issue, photographed by John-Paul Pietrus which featured an interview about our dual relationship as both designer and muse but also as great friends. I love the way that Erin is unapologetic and the way she reminds me to be unapologetic.
AW: Whatʼs next for Hannah Marshall?
HM: I recently decided not to show seasonal collections on the catwalk, but instead, explore territory around and outside of the fashion sphere. I am currently working on some exciting and innovative projects and crossover collaborations, I can't reveal too much at the moment but - watch this space! The main thing for me is that I want to continue to express my creativity in and outside of the fashion sphere, as it goes beyond the catwalk.
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Interview by Charmaine Ayden
Images courtesy of Hannah Marshall
Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
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Charmaine Ayden is a Fashion Communication graduate from Northumbria University. An avid admirer of all things ‘glossy’, she set her heart on a career in Fashion Journalism from a young age. Undertaking work placements with Vogue, WSGN, Asos, Drapers and Glamour Magazine, Charmaine is currently working as Copy and Features Writer for Brownsfashion.com. Check out Charmaine’s blog The Good is the Beautiful and find her on Twitter @CharmaineAyden |
All Walks model Valerie Pain walks for Fashion Fringe winner Fyodor Golan
For their S/S collection – that was showcased as part of their winning Fashion Fringe entry, design duo Fyodor Podogrny and Golan Frydman (together forming FYODOR GOLAN) decided to break fashionable conventions by selecting All Walk’s very own mature model Valerie Pain to showcase their collection.
“This s/s we were looking for the essence of a woman. We wanted to show her journey through our story and how with her struggles she accepts herself for what she is. We wanted to show her sexuality, strength, melancholia and beauty. We admire women of all ages and believed it was crucial for our story and to portray our thoughts to have a mature woman that will encompass the qualities we admire so much.
When we met Valerie she gave us so much drive and energy. She is a very unique woman and she told our whole story with one look. The layers and depth of her life and character swept us into her world and we knew from the start that she was who we were looking for”
Their collection, ‘Flowers of Evil’ was inspired by artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, resulting in a dark and dream like presence being felt from the runway. Embroidered flowers, rigid tailored dresses and detailed laser cutting all featured in a wash of greens and yellows to gothic blacks.
We admire Fyodor Golan for their open minded attitude as new designers and very much look forward to seeing more of their work in the near future.
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Words by Hanna Fillingham
Hanna Fillingham is a second year Journalism student at Cardiff University. During the summer of 2011, Hanna worked as an intern for Caryn Franklin. Hanna has a blog here, and is on Twitter @hannafillingham
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
Our London Fashion Week Highlights
This season, for the first time since our launch in September 2009, we decided not to produce a high-profile industry campaign during fashion week. The reason for this is that we have been focusing all of our attention on the educational side of our work, helping to shape the mindset of future industry players - designers, writers, image makers - towards emotionally considerate practice. To this end, All Walk's founders Caryn and Debra will continue to tour the country, speaking to students at university level about the All Walks way.However, the spirit of All Walks has continued to have a presence on the catwalks during fashion month, and I would like to share these highlights with you. At All Walks, we love to see the people we work with doing really well, and this London Fashion Week has certainly made us proud.
You may have read in a prevous post, written by our Editor Charlotte Gush, about one of the original All Walks pairings, of designer Alexandra Groover and model Lucy Freeman, reuniting this season to make a film together for London Fashion Week.
I was also pleasantly surprised when I received an email containing the images below, of William Tempest's All Walks model Laura Catterall walking in the Elena Miro show in Milan, where she is channelling the perfect Mad Men silhouette with her femme fatal curves:
Coming back to the UK from Milan, spreading the spirit of our campaign at London Fashion Week was All Walks model Valerie Pain, who walked for Fyodor Golan, this year's winner of Fashion Fringe. Pain, the amazingly stunning 70-year-old model, told me that when she attended the casting, she walked in and, on sight of the samples, announced to the casting agent, "I'm not going to waste your time, they won't fit me."
However, the designers were so impressed by her that they redesigned an outfit and fitted it to Valerie's own body shape so that they could have her walk in their show. And just look how confidently she walks and how beautiful she looks in her show-stopping outfit in the short film, below:
To watch more, visit the Fashion Fringe section of the LFW website.
Until next time, I would like to leave you with this thought:
Whatever shape you are, whatever age you are, the women in this post show that being unique is the most beautiful trend to have emerged from fashion week, and I hope you can use this inspiration to embrace your individuality with pride.
Images courtesy of 12+ UK Model Management
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Post by Michael Williamson
Michael is a designer, stylist, blogger and an integral member of the All Walks team, having been with us from the very beginning. Check out his blog, Safety-Pin Charm, to keep your finger on the pulse of all things fashion - especially london based. Follow Michael on You Tube and on Twitter @mwfrost
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Editor Charlotte Gush, on Twitter @CavaCharlotte
William Tempest Brush With Fashion…
All Walks Designer William Tempest,
Has had a brush with fashion with All Walks Supporters LCF and All Walks Model Valerie Pain who is on the campaign with
The Body Shop.
There is a Range of Diversity from skin tone to age on this new collection and Here at All Walks we where happy to see the All Walks Designer and Model reunited again on this project.
Post By M.W