I
t 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.
Article by Guest Blogger Katlin Siil
More Information at www.jameshock.co.uk
