ANGELA HOOKER//felder felder
FAULT:: Have you always had a fascination with textiles?
Angela:: When I was younger I always thought I would become an illustrator or a painter. Then as the years passed I developed an interest in fashion design so I decided to pursue my studies at Central Saint Martin’s as it seemed the best place to go for a fashion career. My tutor Natalie Gibson steered me towards the fashion and textile design course, as she liked my illustrations; I was trained as a fashion designer and also as a silkscreen printer and a textile dyer. This course opened new doors; I developed my passion for textiles then.
FAULT:: How did you come to collaborate with the Felder twins?
Angela:: I met the Felder twins at Central Saint Martin’s. I had seen their collections building up on the shop floors of Selfridges and Browns. Being at college with them gave me an insight into the way they worked and of their inspirations. I thought it would be a marvelous collaboration if I helped them on the textile side of the company. We took it from there.
FAULT:: During your collaborations so far, you’ve worked largely with print and leather. Are there any further textile areas you would like to explore?
Angela:: I love digital prints, I am still exploring all the possibilities this fresh media is offering as it’s still evolving. In parallel I am now combining embroidery design processes to the digital prints and will see what happens.
FAULT:: What sort of detailing can we expect to see during this month’s London Fashion Week?
Angela:: You have to look closely this season; we explored new techniques, most of them done in London. We also developed our leather techniques one step further. I am excited that we are also starting to explore new media.
FAULT:: The Felder twins also utilized your fabrics whilst furnishing the Hensen – a luxury loft space in North London. Are interiors a direction you would like to pursue?
Angela:: Fashion design and interior design are a good combo. Interior design is now a definite direction I am pursuing. I am developing my own prints and embroidery for interior textiles; they are now under development process.
FAULT:: Do you plan to establish your own label or company at a later stage?
Angela:: I wish to establish myself when the time comes and to have my own textile studio, it would give me more options and freedom in the design process/production side of things. I could create my own work and do production for other brands too.
FAULT:: Which designers or artists inspire you?
Angela:: Henri Rousseau, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gaugin, Vincent van Gogh, these artists will always be modern throughout the centuries. I admire them for how original they were for their time. It’s always refreshing to see their paintings; they inspire me the most in my work. When I was younger and lived in Paris I was inspired by French couture designers such as Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier and Yves Saint Laurent. When I came to London, the Japanese wave – Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons – were designers I admired during my studies.
FAULT:: Which other designers would you like to collaborate with?
Angela:: Diane von Furstenberg. I would love to collaborate on a print collection with her. A textile company I admire for their fabulous textiles is the German based company Jakob Schlaepfer; working on textile with/for them would be incredible.
FAULT:: Aside from working with Felder Felder, do you work on textiles privately?
Angela:: I recently started assisting a textile designer I very much admire, Sarah King.
FAULT:: What are you working on at the moment?
Angela:: I am mainly working on developing my own style of embroidery design. I also work on leather craft by painting, dying and carving.
FAULT:: What is your FAULT?
Angela:: Following my instinct.