One of the hottest brands out right now. Designed in London, crafted worldwide. It's easy to see why everyone is talking about HOS. I had a chat with the man behind the designs, Sunny.
I absolutely love this brand, I was so pleased when HoS (House of Sunny) came on board for this chat with myself for Disorder Magazine. I popped down to the studio in Dalston with a lot of excitement, especially to try some gear on.
Sunny tells me they are currently working on several collections, including a bag and shoe collaboration, and of course the current collection, Volume 6, which was released at the end of August, as well as that there is an exclusive range and a premium range.
I imagine it must be hard to keep up with all the work seeing as there is such a big team involved, Sunny admits, “at the beginning it was hard just doing one collection.” He assures me the team is actually small, with a head count of 12 which he says has grown organically with originally only 2 members.
So prior to this collection, the previous five have all had remained true to the message for the customer, creating consistency.
“We are already working on Volume 7, but I think this is the one, Volume 6 is the one, it’s our traditional black and white but we have added in army and salmon; dirty army and dirty pink look so good with black and white. That palette just compliments each other so well.
There are signature pieces, a canteen dress is a House of Sunny thing.
Also the cigarette pant, we do it every season. We have an oversize silhouette which is one of our trademarks. There’s just a certain type of customer who likes clean cuts and oversized garments.”
The history of HoS stems from “Portsmouth down by the seaside”. Sunny wasn’t just into fashion, he wanted to expand his capacity more than a generic fashion designer he drew his inspiration from everything “fashion marketing and fashion business” and decided to study the course he believed to be “just an all-rounder”, one which encapsulated his vision and artistic ideals. “It was like an enterprise University course, once I did that, I kind of hit all the areas, then I did work experience and a few placements. I went away and got a sponsor, did a show, did a collection and it was crap (laughs). I’ve been building this since I was a kid, it’s a journey.”
I see the HoS customer as someone who pays attention to detail and wants comfort. Sunny agrees and expands.
“I like that, that’s on point, that’s well and truly what is it, we’re quite niche, we are an independent brand, we ship to 50 countries around the world, we have a massive clientele, who all like HoS for certain reasons, it’s minimal, oversize and chic, with a USP that’s on trend, versatile, with key objectives thrown in. If it lacks practicality then we change it, or if it’s not fun enough, so we’re always elevating each piece. Each garment is a stable.”
HoS garments are just clean-cut and sophisticated, really reminding me of Scandinavian fashion. It’s no surprise when Sunny tells me about his inspirations. “I am from Surrey originally, I just visited Stockholm and saw the Acne Archive, but also Japanese style, I really like the style, we love sandals and oversized pants, wrap dresses, you know it’s so oriental but so chic.”
HoS have a big social media presence, ‘“Instagram is a very good tool for us, a lot of people find us on there and become customers. We regram our customers, which is really nice for us and our followers, it’s just connecting with everyone.”
So any plans for LFW? “We have London Fashion Weekend pop-up shop, which is now at the Saatchi Gallery, which is on 24th-27th September, that’s a really good chance to see us, it’s a huge pop-up, it’s the first time anyone will be able to shop A/W with all the styles. We are also doing a little drinks evening for our customers, our community."
“We’ve really pushed winter coats, our coats are actually cheaper than on the high street, they are £150, they are good, warm pieces. I think this collection’s really good, there’s a lot to choose from.”
I chose some pieces to shoot. It was a sunny day (I just did that) when I was shooting this look with the help of Deborah, who was the photographer. I had to add an oversized jacket to this outfit, yes it was boiling, but I just wanted to show that you can incorporate this into an Autumn look without giving off a winter vibe. I think I have found my next A/W coat.
If you're looking for some timeless pieces to add to your wardrobe, or a staple coat (which I highly recommend), House of Sunny is the brand you need, with a range of garments which you can easily mix and match into your current wardrobe.