House of Holland

Henry Holland, famous for his crudely printed slogan T-shirts and associations with top british supermodel Agyness Deyn, has managed to impress critics this year with first his surprising Autumn/Winter and now his spring/summer collections 2009. Scottish heritage and reworked tartan made up the main themes of his a/w catwalk collections, but this season he has taken on a surprisingly light, more subtle emphasis. Conforming to the florals and pornstar heels that have heavily graced the catwalks since London fashion week, House of Holland enthusiasts will not be disappointed to discover that the clothing still radiates a distinctively unique stamp of day-glo and neon colouring.

It's hard to miss Henry Holland. The self-taught designer has been the talk of the fashion world since his first appearance on the scene at the beginning of 2007. His bold-statement, decadent clothing and varied pallet of colours made his work instantly recognisable. Whilst his new collection still reeks of his cutting-edge style, he has taken a much more sophisticated approach this year.  Going beyond what critics thought possible of him, Holland proves that he is not just a flash-in-the-pan designer. The collection features more than just bright clothing; it is a homage to summer, the individuality of the 80s and beachwear. 

Florals have been excessively overused this year, featuring on the catwalks of Paul Smith, Luella, Gucci and even Chanel, to name but a few. For his s/s collection, Holland styled his florals in pastel shades of maroon, coral, white, buttercup yellow, calm orange, lilac, deep red, forget-me-not blue, and pale-pink, printed onto light chiffon, offsetting these subtle prints with quirky polka dot skirts and tops. Turning away from the 80s trash look of designers such as Stephen Sprouse, Holland's collection is both mature  and appealing, as well as being characteristically funky.

Holland has been criticised for his rudimentary T-shirts which earnt him a reputation as 'just a t-shirt designer'. His latest collections, however, contain such a mixture of styling that it is impossible not to give him due credit. Straw summer-hats, floral bathing suits, polka-dot cu-out jeans, flower emblazoned denim, kitch trilbies, graphic print skirt-suit combos, and vibrant cycle shorts all made an appearance on the catwalk. A wealth of colour, textures and tailoring, alongside Holland's outrageous creativity make this a fantastically original collection for the spring/summer period.