Julian Hauxwell, second-year Food Science student and creative mind behind Fìor Clothing, talks to Editor Tessa Ndjonkou about how he came to realise that clothing does speak and one man’s past can be another’s future.
Sat front-row at UCD’s second sustainable fashion show, my friends and I try not to whoop so we don’t get recorded on The University Observer Instagram. Unfortunately, we fail miserably because we’ve just seen some of the most exquisite clothing from the day. Julian Hauxwell, the mind behind Fìor Clothing, second runner up and winner of last year’s show, completely stole this one. Where to even start? From the chemistry with his model, to the interactive, transformative, upcycled and handmade pieces he’d made for the show - he had the audience transfixed. As he towered over the judges, he explained with detail and care that the pieces are all handmade by himself. My jaw unhinges and gets closer to ground level. My friends and I exchange bewildered glances. Who is this person? And why haven’t we heard of him before? Literally, where have we been?
Although he did not win this edition, we agree that he is in a league of his own.
At the end of the show my friend and I careen towards him and try not to smother him. She promises to show his work to her boss and I just about beg for five minutes of his time for an interview which he is more than willing to give.
So that’s how we end up in The University Observer Office at 1:29 pm (he’s early): me with my hands around my knees and him draped comfortably on one of the office chairs. For the next few hours, I get to know the mind behind Fìor Clothing.
As a designer, how you dress likely says a lot about you… Could you talk me through your outfit today ?
Okay, so I'm wearing a pair of trousers that I made, because... I thought that would be appropriate. This actually took me quite a while. Usually, I work off a sort of initial burst of motivation, and then, you know, try and get [clothes] done relatively quickly, whereas this was a long work in progress, and I'm pretty very happy with the results. I'm kind of a bit of a perfectionist, but that's what comes with [doing what I do].
My shoes are called Clemons and they’re like a cheaper version of Paraboots.
And then this, this top is, it's Capital, which is a Japanese brand that is just amazing.My brother is also a very big fashion head, and he got this for me forChristmas, and I have not taken it off. I realized as I walked in, I was like, I wore this at the UCD Sustainable fashion show as well. I’d like to mention I do have other clothes (laughs), I just have this on me currently. And finally, I have this bag that I made myself that also doesn't leave me at the moment, which I am a huge fan of. My granny found an old skirt in her wardrobe, and asked me if I liked it and if I wanted it and I thought “Yeah !Absolutely, I do. I love it”. I find that often our relatives, our parents, or our friends always have secret digs and while they might not always see the value in them, we do.
You’ve actually partially already answered my next question, which was about your creative process. Talk to me through how you work. Do you work piece by piece, or do you usually set out to build an entire collection ?
My fuel comes off the initial motivation of seeing the fabric. I see this fabric, I think it's amazing, I think it can be this, and that's the drive that keeps me going. My creative process generally starts with fabric itself. So, I spend a lot of time looking in markets, charity shops, Adverts.ie, just secondhand things in general… old people's closets. I think that's brilliant.I quite like focusing all my attention on one thing and trying to perfect it.
I look at a piece of fabric I’m working on and think “what can I do the best” and “what can I use?” or even, “What can I make that will use the most of this in the best way possible?”
“My fuel comes off the initial motivation of seeing the fabric. I see this fabric, I think it's amazing, I think it can be this, and that's the drive that keeps me going.”
So it takes a while as well. I didn't just see it and think oh, this is what I’ll do something like this you know, it takes ages to think what exactly will make the most out of it. And then you want direction.
I’m very happy and lucky with how it’s gone and how good I’ve gotten and with what I make now. There could be an element of how feminine my clothes may seem, but it’s never in a negative way to me. i love that [they’re] noticing my work may not be typically masculine and something different to see on a big hairy man. It’s a possibility that someone other than me could have an issue with that - but not me, I don't think it's an issue I have at all. And I think most people do enjoy that element of my clothing and don’t think it's an inherently negative thing.
And what does your working space kind of look like? I know that myself, when I sit down to write, I need to put on a candle or something, burn some incense, and put on some music. What does your workspace look like?
I basically have everything set up in one of my granny's rooms that she no longer uses. I have two sewing machines set up. I have a cutting area, an ironing station. I then have all my clothes on a rack to the side. And then I even have a small area that's vaguely new that I've, that I take my pictures and things with. But generally, I'll listen to fairly easy going music. It'll be pretty jazz or soul-orientated, and things that will just keep me going. It's a slow pace, but sort of therapeutic.
Also, what is really lovely, and I enjoy telling people this - in that room, there's a piano. And one of our family friends, who is a pianist by occupation, he'll often come and practice on it. It's nice. And not that regularly, but every now and then he'll come and play, and I'll be working away. And I think I'm disturbing him, but he enjoys the noise of me working behind him. It's a really nice background. To have the creativity flowing between the two of you is lovely in different mediums. I really enjoy working alongside people, even if you're not necessarily working together.
We first met at the UCD Sustainability Fashion show, to what extent is sustainability a conscious part of your ethos when you’re creating?
Yeah, it's very, [sustainability] is very high up there. But I honestly think I have other values that are probably higher than sustainability, but ultimately brings sustainability along with it. Simply put, I just value the beauty in old things.
I really enjoy it. I really like old handmade textiles and pieces and things that aren't manufactured anymore and quality that isn't manufactured anymore. When it comes to clothing, I feel like people used to respect clothing a hell of a lot more, and it used to be much more valuable in a lot of different ways. And so for me, that's why vintage is a good thing.
“When it comes to clothing, I feel like people used to respect clothing a hell of a lot more, and it used to be much more valuable in a lot of different ways. And so for me, that's why vintage is a good thing.”
So I think other values that I have, including, you know, craftsmanship and creativity naturally come with sustainability because they generally come hand in hand. And things that lack craftsmanship, creativity, and quality are generally less sustainable. So they kind of just join together and I enjoy all of them as a whole, if that makes sense.
Speaking of craftsmanship, when did you start working with clothes? And how do you feel like your craftsmanship has evolved since you first began?
I feel very much on a journey. I think to myself, I really feel like I have a hell of a lot to go.
Basically, the way I started is in my Junior Cert home Economics class and I just swear by it. I think everybody needs to go and do Home Economics. It's the best thing I ever did in school. I quite enjoy telling people that when I was twelve, I really, really didn't want to choose it because it was a “girl's subject". And I just thought I might be out of place and whatever, but it was the best thing I ever did. The big hairy man that was really good at Home Ec. I liked that, just because, when you started school, there were people that kind of questioned my being there. They were like, “Hold on, you're the rugby guy. What are you doing at Home Ec?” And I was like, well, I like both. It was just the basics that I was taught of how a sewing machine operates. But that was enough to get me started. I remember the first day I made a shirt and I thought I had done something pretty extravagant.
“The way I started is in my Junior Cert home Economics class and I just swear by it. I think everybody needs to go and do Home Economics. It's the best thing I ever did in school.”
You mention that your starting point has always been textiles. Are there specific textiles that you rather work with?
Yeah, a hundred percent. Wool to me at the moment is just my favorite.
It's not necessarily the easiest thing to work with. I generally work with quite thick woven tapestry-like fabrics, which my small little domestic sewing machine doesn't... but at the moment I'm very much in the market for an industrial sewing machine. I think in terms of just personal preference, anything with a wool blend or a wool mix, I just think the texture is wonderful.
I think for me, generally people base their outfits on one of a few things, it's either shape, color like silhouettes, shape and then texture. And for me, it's all about texture and I love it. One half of me really loves the very precise element of tailoring and that sort of strain of clothing.
“For me, it's all about texture and I love it. One half of me really loves the very precise element of tailoring and that sort of strain of clothing.”
And actually the jacket that I had on the second outfit for the spring/summer segment of the fashion show was an Indian fabric called Kantha which I adore. It's hand-stitched in lines of embroidery thread all the way throughout. It's not perfect. It's a very old piece and it's literally done by hand. So the threads aren't perfect width and there's stains on it. I think I made that jacket with that in mind.
I made the hems quite intentionally sort of rugged and I leaned into that bit, which is sort of ever so slightly outside of my comfort zone. But I think I love both aspects, both the sort of slightly more rugged and less perfect. I think I also enjoy finding the joy in imperfection.
While you’re creating, do you have anyone in mind? Are you making clothing for people who are like you, for friends, family, a significant other?
I slightly struggle with fitting clothes properly. And I think I'm just generally quite a large human and that sometimes fashion can be, you know, quite... body type specific.
And I think that, that was definitely where I started. So when I started making shirts and things, as I said before, it was the motivation to get something that'll fit me after this.
Then moving on from that, the first person I put the most effort into, other than myself, for clothes is my brother. So he, as I said, absolutely adores all things fashion. He doesn't make clothes like me, but sometimes we try it together and do a bit of creative process, which is lovely.
"The first person I put the most effort into, other than myself, for clothes is my brother.”
We once did a project where there were these trousers that he really wanted that were based on a Japanese designer called Yoji Yamamoto. But they were quite expensive. He couldn't really find any pairs below about a thousand euros. So together we researched them.
We researched the fabric that he uses and sort of his cuts and his, and we looked at different measurements of different pants that we saw online. I went out and I bought this fabric. It was so expensive. Then I put them together and it took me quite a while. It definitely wasn't in time for his birthday, but it didn't matter. Now he wears them all the time. I think that's the biggest compliment ever.
How did you feel, winning and placing second during the UCD Sustainable Fashion show? How did it feel to present your art in front of UCD?
I remember sitting there watching, having people cheer for the things I'd made, and it was something I hadn't experienced, and I loved it, and I just thought, it was more fun than anything. When I won, I was just like “Thank you, this is amazing. I've never done this before. This is great!”
I put a lot more effort into it, actually the second time around. I don't want to say that that wasn't necessarily appreciated, but I'm not sure that people understand how much effort was going into it.
You’ve recently started selling clothing at the Om Diva boutique on Drury Street. Have you gotten any feedback from people working in the store and customers?
They're all just lovely. Every time I bring something in, Ruth, the owner is like: “Keep bringing them!” They're amazing, you know? “Sure, I’ll totally keep creating!”. I'm loving getting to know them individually. And some of them only know me as Fìor, which is quite funny. But yeah, I'm enjoying sort of getting through the space. It’s a move forward. There’s a bit of a community now. It's cute. I love just walking down here and you're just popping up to visit my clothes. I think that's really sweet.
“I love just walking down here and you're just popping up to visit my clothes. I think that's really sweet. ”
So what’s next for Fìor Clothing and what’s next for Julian himself?
There’s two markets I go to every month that I’m very interested in. There’s the one in The Digital Hub in The Liberties and then Le Zeitgeist Bohemia Market. If I’m happy enough with my stuff I’d like to have a stall there myself. Now, that’s a big step. I need to justify having a stall. But it's my thoughts for the future [...].
You’ve mentioned that your focus is more so on textiles and a singular item of clothing rather than influences … but you must have some - what are they?
I get asked that a lot, I don’t really have a specific answer. Most of the time my influences come from the fabric that’s right in front of me. Designers I’d usually take inspiration from would be something like BODE. They really value everything they make and it’s all handmade. The fabric is the main focal point and there’s a lot of craftsmanship there that I enjoy.
I really like Craig Green. I don’t always understand everything he does but some of the things he does make me a huge fan of. I have three jackets I’ve made that are heavily influenced by some of his pieces. The way he works is just really cool. I think a lot of high end designers struggle with color but he does it impeccably.
What three words would you choose to describe your art?
Freedom. I'm a very math and science-oriented person. I rejected arts and language and it feels very weird that this creative part of me has come out. I don't understand it and I love that I don't. I feel a huge need to understand everything else in my life. And I think this is just a part of me and I don't get what's going on. I think I do it so much because it's a completely different route. I study science all day and then I go home and relax by working with textiles.
Beauty. I find such beauty in texture and fabric - I'll happily pick apart friends' clothing and fabric and textiles etc. it's slightly dismissed these days - the craftsmanship behind a tablecloth or a throw was so delicate but now not enough importance is given [to it].
Expression. With most things, I like to explain and justify things and this I can’t. It feels so me but I can't tell people. I struggle to verbalize why I like this and why I'm doing it. There is a different cognitive approach to this than anything else in my life. It helps me express myself otherwise I don't have a medium - and I'm so glad I have it now. It's not about showing other people who I am but showing myself who I am. I can see bits of myself in my creations continuously - so I know I'm doing something right.