Lisa Houghton has spent twenty years inside the British fashion industry, across buying, design and trend forecasting. She founded this studio to share what that experience actually looks like. We open the series with her own story.
What first sparked your interest in fashion and design?
I think it was jumble sales, they were big in the 80s. My mom would give me 50p or maybe a £1 and we could fill a black bag with jumbled items. I loved finding vintage dresses and fur coats to dress up in, not realising that it was fashion. I just loved the way I could escape into them and the idea of who I could become when I put them on.
Can you remember the first piece of clothing or collection that made you think, “This is what I want to do”?
I don’t think I ever had a moment where I thought this is what I want to do. I always cut and stitched fabric and made clothes, I could almost see them come to life without a pattern, just flat laying the fabric and silhouette cutting it out to see what it could become. It was more the people around me saying that I should do it. But I do have vivid memories of items that stood out and that I formed emotional connections with. Most were from the beloved jumble sales but they all had a different way of making me feel. There was a PJ onesie with Bambi on the front that my grandma bought me for Christmas when I was about 6, my mom had to cut the feet out of it. I loved it so much; it was so cosy and felt safe. A ra-ra skirt that I twirled in for hours that made me feel so free. I also begged for a pair of harlequin style leggings so bright and so 80s, that I think were seconds at a discount store so the sizing was incorrect. I felt so unique and glamorous, so grown up. And then there was a saree at a car boot sale which I begged my mom to buy. I was obsessed with the sheer amber chiffon and its metal threads. I couldn’t wait to wear it even though I didn’t know how I would.
How would you describe your design style in three words?
Timeless. Contemporary. Practical.
Who has had the biggest influence on your creative journey, and why?
It was probably my mom. She had her own business making knock-off toys and christening gowns so I would steal scraps of fabric and make my dolls’ outfits.
What inspires you outside of fashion?
Music, art, birdsong. Pretty much everything in its own way.
If you could design for any person, living or historical, who would it be and why?
That’s actually hard as all of my icons usually come along with their own sense of style and that’s why I love them.
What has been the most challenging moment in your career so far?
Moving from a very free design ethic to structure at uni. I was self-taught and I do feel uni took a little bit of that freedom from me. I struggled to conform and doubted my ability because it didn’t fit the curriculum. This still bothers me.
What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned as a designer?
That my opinion matters, and to believe in my taste levels.
How do you stay confident in your ideas when opinions around you differ?
I would always have researched trends, my market, etc., and wouldn’t normally present anything I wasn’t confident in, so if I’m presenting it I’d stay solid that I’m right. Until I’m outranked, hahah.
If you could change one thing about the fashion industry, what would it be?
I’m not sure the route into design is as fluid as it could be. I was originally self-taught and feel those skills should have been nurtured when I went to uni. I didn’t feel I had another choice, but in hindsight a trainee scheme partnering with a business would have been better?
What role do you think fashion plays in people’s lives?
I think it can change your mood, wrap you up and help you feel safe, make you disappear. But ultimately it should set you free.
What do you wish people understood better about being a fashion designer?
How technical it actually is. I’m sure a lot of my family think I just look at colours all day and draw pretty dollies, believe me I don’t!