Henry Holland on Reinvention, Resilience and a Home in Two Halves
4/9/20261 hr 13 min
For fashion designer turned ceramicist Henry Holland, reinvention isn't about starting over – it's about evolving on your own terms.
Henry first made his name with the cult fashion label House of Holland, famous for cheeky slogans like 'Do Me Daily Christopher Bailey' and 'Let's Breed Bella Hadid'. But in recent years, he has pivoted to making homewares and contemporary ceramics, using the Japanese technique of nerikomi.
With his East London house currently being refurbished from top to bottom, Henry is living in a home of two halves. It’s the perfect metaphor for this transitional stag...
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Showing 10 of 12Transcript preview
First 90 secondsHenry Holland· Guest0:00
[gentle music] When I started House of Holland, I was 22, and all I wanted to do was go out every night of the week. When I did start a ceramics company when I was 38, it was the perfect alignment to who I was at 38.
Matt Gibberd· Host0:14
Staying in.
Henry Holland· Guest0:15
[laughs] It's staying in and looking at the mantelpiece, right? Looking at nice vases- Yeah ... and turning on a nice lamp. You know, if people were critical of my work, it literally lights a fire in my stomach to go out and work harder, do things bigger, better, and I think that's something that isn't always healthy. My ability to, like, concentrate and focus is so motivated by fun. I remember my mom having an argument with the maths teacher because he was like, "He just doesn't concentrate and he just doesn't focus." And she instantly replied with, "Well, are you making it fun?" [laughs] And he was like, "Maths isn't fun." And she went, "Well, there's your problem." [laughs] Home for me is really who's there. Home for me right now is with my husband and my dog, and that can be anywhere.
Matt Gibberd· Host1:04
Hi, folks. Welcome back to Homing with me, Matt Gibberd. Today, my guest is the lovely Henry Holland. Henry, of course, made his name with his fashion brand, House of Holland, uh, which became known for its clothes bearing cheeky slogans, saying things like, "Do me daily, Christopher Bailey," and, "Let's breed Bella Hadid." More recently, he's pivoted