CREATOR DIARIES
RICHARD HAINES
FASHION ILLUSTRATOR
DATE: OCT 2019
CATEGORY: CREATOR DIARIES
HOTSOX partnered with legendary illustrator, Richard Haines, to create a capsule collection featuring his iconic designs. We sat down with Haines to get a glimpse into his creative world.
Richard Haines self portrait.
HOW DID YOU MAKE THE SHIFT FROM ILLUSTRATOR, TO FASHION DESIGNER, AND THEN BACK TO ILLUSTRATOR?
I moved to NYC in the 70s thinking I would be a hot shot illustrator. I never formally studied fashion illustration, and I quickly realized I didn’t have the training and confidence of a professional. My love of fashion led me to design, where I was fortunate enough to work with incredible people like Perry Ellis, Bill Blass and Calvin Klein. It wasn’t until the economic meltdown of 2008 that I was unemployed and aged out of the design field that I discovered my first love - fashion illustration. I started a blog called ‘What I Saw Today’ and that was an incredible platform that allowed me to showcase my work and develop my career as an illustrator.
Vogue Paris 70s
WHY DO YOU THINK THE FASHION WORLD PREFERRED ILLUSTRATION OVER PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SO LONG?
When I was a kid every big department store advertised in newspapers, and each store had a signature style that was illustration. Not only was it a kind of branding, but illustration was easier to reproduce. It wasn’t until the 70s that stores like Bloomingdales and Lord & Taylor switched from illustration to photos, and that pretty much killed off illustration. It was almost extinct by the late 70s.
HOW DOES CONTEMPORARY FASHION EMBRACE THE ART OF ILLUSTRATION TODAY?
As there are more brands, and each brand is trying to stand out, illustration has become relevant again. Instagram has played a huge part - there is more of everything, photo and illustration!
A LOT OF YOUR WORK DEALS IN PORTRAITURE — WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO CAPTURE?
I look for the essence of a person. People are complex, fascinating beings. I’m looking to find that and get it on paper.
WHAT ABOUT ILLUSTRATION IS SO ALLURING TO PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY TO DESIGNERS IN THE FASHION COMMUNITY?
I believe illustration presents another point of view to the designer. Illustration can exaggerate in ways that photography can’t — the sleeve can become enormous, the skirt sweeps off the page. It becomes a kind of drama that captures what the designer was thinking.
WHICH ARTISTS ARE YOU INSPIRED BY?
So many! Off the top of my head, the illustrators from the 30s and 40s: Bemelman, Christian Bérard, Beaton, Eric, all incredible artists. And I love the illustrator Antonio Lopez. He made illustration relevant again in the 60s. Painters like Hockney, Matisse, and Toulouse Lautrec are always inspiring and so many more.
Richard Haines' Studio.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ALBUM COVER?
The Andy Warhol designed cover for the Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers. The jeans with the working zipper, now that’s iconic!
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INCLUDED ON THE SOCKS FROM YOUR COLLECTION? DO THEY REPRESENT ANYONE IN PARTICULAR?
The group scenes are inspired by people hanging out here in Bushwick, and I love the image of the guy putting on the sock. The person is no one in particular, but I think putting an image of a guy getting dressed on a sock is kind of meta! There is a fashion drawing from the 60s in repeat that I love. It’s super exciting to see my work translate from paper to knits, and I’m so impressed with the great job HOTSOX did with the execution.
NEW YORKERS WALK EVERYWHERE — HOW DO SOCKS FACTOR INTO WHAT YOU WEAR WHEN YOU STEP OUT?
I walk for miles every day in New York. It’s wonderful exercise, but more importantly it feeds my heart and soul and eyes. When I walk I observe, and when I observe I want to draw. If I don’t have the right socks, if I don’t feel great and comfortable, then I’m distracted from the beauty of New York City!
CREATOR DIARIES
BRITT THEODORA
STYLIST
DATE: SEPT 2019
CATEGORY: CREATOR DIARIES
HOTSOX sat down with Britt Theodora, celebrity stylist known for exceptional accessorizing and perfect pops of color. Take a peek inside Britt’s covetable closet and see how she pairs HOTSOX with her favorite looks.
Britt paired the Flamingo Embroidery sock
with a pink baby doll dress.
DESCRIBE YOUR CLOSET IN 3 WORDS.
EDITED, RELAXED, CHIC.
WHAT KINDS OF THINGS INSPIRE YOUR CREATIVITY.
I am constantly inspired by my surroundings. Whether that is during my morning commutes on the subway, colleagues on set and foreign places. I love observing what people around me are wearing and what inspires their wardrobe choices.
WHAT DO YOU THINK CREATIVITY LOOKS LIKE / WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
Creativity looks like a group of people collaborating together. Most beautiful pieces of art, music and fashion are constructed by a group of people working together.
WHAT OR WHO ARE YOU INSPIRED BY?
I am so incredibly inspired by my clients. A lot of them are pioneers in their industries and I find it so motivating to learn what drives them.
NAME THE GREATEST ALBUM COVER OF ALL TIME.
Negro Swan by Blood Orange.
TELL ABOUT YOUR BOLDEST FASHION CHOICE – A SINGULAR MOMENT OR AN EVERYDAY DECISION.
I like to be bold in my accessories. My wardrobe is pretty uniform so having fun with a pair of bright colored shoes or colorful bag is how I like to spice up my outfit.
EXPLAIN YOUR IDEAL INTERGALACTIC GETAWAY – WHICH UNIVERSE AND WITH WHOM?
I’d love to live in a universe where everyone can fly so I can easily see all of my friends and family while living anywhere in the world.
IS YOUR JOB JUST ABOUT CLOTHES OR IS IT MORE THAN THAT?
I always tell people styling is 90 percent strategy and 10 percent creative. My job requires a lot of prep which includes conversations with designers, budget planning, shipping coordinating and organization. So yes, so much more than clothes itself. Thats the fun part!
Power suit brings the Flush sock into play.
The Neon sock adds a pop of color to Britt’s summer whites.
WHY DID YOU GET IN THIS BUSINESS?
Since I was 12 years old I slept with a Teen Vogue under my pillow. I remember checking the mail every day until the next month’s issue was delivered to my door. I would then photocopy the previous month’s issue and tape it on my wall. Fashion has been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember!
GIVE US YOUR BEST SOCK PUN.
I used to have a few jokes about pairs of matching socks but I’ve lost one.
It was the 1970’s and a new era roared across America. The spirit of individuality and endless possibility took hold.
Inspired by the excitement of the day and the bold fashion statements of the moment - hot pants and Mary Janes - we brought creativity to the most mundane product: socks. HOTSOX injected creativity into a standard wardrobe essential with an added dose of style.
The brainchild of a pioneering album cover artist and a designer, HOTSOX was born from the creative union of music, art, style and pop culture––and in the process created the fashion sock category that redefined the way we walk through the world. HOTSOX became a canvas that highlighted the zeitgeist of the moment for decades to come.
Today the gatekeeper of fashionable feet, HOTSOX continues this style forward tradition of self-expression. Reflective of modern culture, HOTSOX inspires individuality through contemporary designs, each knit with superior yarns for optimum comfort. In the age of nostalgia, HOTSOX remains an expressive experiment for the bold new voices of creatives across every creed.
