Harry and Polly met on the first day of their lives in a West London Hospital in 1985. The start of a friendship that’s spanned their lives so far and has forged a remarkable creative bond.
Together from their East London studio they are the thinkers and makers behind Draw In Light, a fashion label that takes inspiration from nature to create free-spirited, understated and highly covetable garments.
Twin spoke to the duo about their S/S 13 collection…
What are the inspirations behind the new collection?
P > The inspiration for the new collection may sound cliché but it was all taken from the V&A along with your very own Celestine Cooney. We photographed the marble walls of the museum and spent a long time looking at the wrought iron work.
H > The inspiration behind Draw In Light collections normally comes from a combination of natural elements, scientific concepts, spiritual philosophies and the process of free-hand silk-screen printing to blend everything together.
Why the name Draw In Light?
P&H > Draw In Light – We work with light as an element to expose our drawings onto screen. The word Draw is meant in both senses. We believe in the divine and we channel it through our work.
How do you work together? What’s the process?
P > The process is quite natural; time is spent together doing some research. We collect a mixture of photographs and drawings of things we’ve seen – Harry makes our artworks from the imagery. I tend to source the fabrics we use for each collection. The prints are then experimented with, colour and technique. The phrase “there are many ways to skin a cat” comes to mind. There are so many ways of putting things together, design is about refining ideas. We slim things down at the end and add a few last minute whims. This is again where Celestine’s magic comes in.
What do you listen to while you work?
P&H> Our taste in music is very eclectic. All time favorites – David Bowie, Kate Bush, The Smiths, and Radiohead. New kids we love – Houses, Grimes, Beach House, Le Loop podcasts and Nicholas Jarr.
Each of your pieces is unique – how important is that to Draw In Light’s DNA?
P&H > It’s as important as your DNA differing to anyone else’s. You’re not the same as anybody else and neither should you want to be.
What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
P > My little sister singing at my family home – Landslide by Stevie Nicks for my cousins wedding.
H > Temples in Guatamala, at the top of the tallest Mayan temple the jungle stretched out beneath me with smoke rising up from the trees and turrets stone temples.
What’s been the most exciting moment for Draw In Light so far?
P > The most exciting moments have been working with people you respect. Our Life Drawing presentation with Relative|Mo was brilliant.
H > The first order from Liberty, turning our idea of Draw In Light into realistic business. Also moving into our studio and creating a place to work from where we can design, print and produce our collections.
If you weren’t fashion designers, what would you be?
P&H > We would run a bar. It would be called “Pam’Orama Bar” It would have a raised Perspex tank in the center with topless mermaids dancing. Harry and myself would be on the door and it would have a very strict policy. All of our musician friends would play at the bar and it would become quite cult.
What are you both wearing right now?
P > I’m wearing a pair of high wasted Capri pants, a little cropped white t, tough sandals and a little red lippy.
H > A white Draw In Light Logo T with denim dungaree shorts, white socks and pale pink DM’s
What’s next for the label?
P > Building on our foundation. The good thing about this business is the path ahead being clear. You naturally want to use your own aesthetic to design other things… I think eventually we would like to be a concept brand. We would love to do some collaboration’s in the future. Little Duffy is going to be making some Draw In Light pendants that will be beautiful, tiny molecular stars – like our logo!
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