The Bite Magazine Issue 17

bite fashion modern, edgy version of Daphne from Scooby Doo. Now that I think about it there were actually several looks that could work with this image and a House of Holland revamp of the whole gang would be very interesting to see! A bit further on came an outfit I could very easily picture myself wearing; a black crop with I.Y.F. (In Your Face) printed in white, body-con black and white striped short skirt, with black hold-up socks and shoes that had a matching striped wedge with a very elegant shape. My favourite single outfit overall had to be the banana leaf-print green jacket with brown belt and a gorgeous gold pleated skirt with bright green furry pom-pom details. It originally featured in the SS11 collection and is a look of total sophistication turned on its head, embraced and rebelled against at the same time. My favourite selection, however, was the outfits showcased from the ‘Plaster Casters’ SS15 collec- tion: a psychedelic floral appliqué crop top with jeans that had matching embel- lishments, and a green mini-dress with highly stylised pink printed flowers with a long-sleeved green floral shirt under- neath. The retro ‘70s-style collection, named after Cynthia Plaster Caster (possibly the world’s most inventive groupie from back in the day and well worth looking up), was inspired by leg- endary rock groupies of the era and heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix, flower power and the sexual revolution. Both designs featured were absolutely beautiful and had an almost kaleido- scopic effect that was eye-catching and hypnotic. Holland says his style is mostly influ- enced by the city around him which he calls ‘London Girl style’ and believes “London is the most inspiring place in the world. The melting pot of cultures and the diverse sense of identity that you find all around you inspire [him] and [his] work every day.” I can really relate to this opinion because I’ve always felt that what makes London’s style great is that it’s so eclectic, and I think he embodies this perfectly within his col- lections! This retrospective show clearly highlighted the variety of influences that House of Holland has had over the years and its many different styles, prints and colour combinations. I really liked that the two t-shirts that started off the show were the slogans referencing Agyness Deyn and House of Holland; it was a nice nod to their friendship and shows how interlinked the beginnings of their respective careers were. House of Holland has also released special tenth anniversary slogan t-shirts featuring new names and catchphrases which are avail- able to buy from their website. www.vam.ac.uk