You probably haven’t heard of Hope Macaulay… yet.
But the up and coming fashion designer from Northern Ireland is catching the eye of A-List celebrities with her loud and noticeable collections.
Photo: HOPE MACAULAY
The 23-year-old University of Creative Arts graduate is known for her luxury chunky knits and bespoke vibrant prints. Hope creates large expressive paintings and transfers them onto fabric which, combined with carefully constructed detailed beadings and playful designs, makes what she describes as: “wearable pieces of art, that are bold and vivid experiences, each telling a dream-like story.”
Photo: HOPE MACAULAY
Musician Halsey was seen sporting the Alice chunky knit in her ‘Road to Manic’ series on youtube. The 25-year-old singer of ‘Without Me’ and ‘Eastside’ rocked Hope’s oversized cardigan while speaking in London during a press tour. The cardigan, which costs £520, is made to order using 100% merino wool and embellished crystal buttons.
Photo: Youtube
The knit, which features in Hope’s spring/summer 2020 collection, takes influences from a certain children’s story…
“Inspired by Alice and Wonderland my spring/summer 2020 collection is another a surreal world. All of my collections feature a story in the prints,” Hope told us.
Hand painted, striking prints with alien-esque florals also feature heavily in her collection.
Sustainability was at the forefront of her mind when designing this collection. “I made a 100% recycled cotton suit and used organic fabrics for my other designs,” she said. All of Hope’s knitwear is made from 100% merino wool which is both sustainable and biodegradable.
Halsey’s stylist Zoey Costello contacted Hope asking for garments to loan for her to wear on the Jonathan Ross Show.
She said: “They let me know what they wanted to borrow from me. My garments are all over the world – some at my Press Office in London at Fashion Crossover and some are in my studio in Portstewart, Northern Ireland, so I had to collate them and forward them to Halsey’s hotel.”
Photo: HOPE MACAULAY
Halsey didn’t wear Hope’s garments on Jonathan Ross but ended up wearing the Alice cardigan to one of her album listening parties.
“I didn’t even know that she wore it!” said Hope. The album play through was very discreet so there was no photos of it. “I was scrolling on twitter and just happened to come across the London vlog she tweeted and watched it. Next thing I know she’s wearing my cardigan! I couldn’t believe it!”
When asked who else she’d like to collaborate with Hope said: “The other celebrity who really stands out to me right now is Dua Lipa. It would be really cool! Although Halsey is really my style and she’s such a perfect match for the brand.”
Hope’s spring/summer 2020 collection is now available to shop at HOPEMACAULAY.COM.
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