East Meets West at Henry Holland's Fash Bash in London

Last night, East Londoners, who usually party in gritty bars, met West Londoners, who are all about posh venues, at Movida, the ultra chic club in the heart of the city. The force behind this union was none other than 24-year-old Henry Holland, designer-of-the-moment who has taken the fashion industry by storm with his fun, irreverent label, House of Holland. The event, which he's titled Fash Bash, naturally attracted his group of famous East London friends including accessories designer Katie Hillier, stylist Sam Ranger and shoe designer Atalanta Weller. His main girl and muse Agyness Deyn was not in attendance. Luckily, she'll have another chance, since this was only the second in a series of parties Holland is hosting at Movida. I dragged him into the back office of the club to chat about sponsors, education and the inspiration behind his party.

Zandile Blay: So what made you throw this party?
Henry Holland: Well Movida supported my show. They sponsored my venue and a lot of things, so this is an extension of the relationship. It's my pay back and my thank you.

ZB: It sounds like business. Are you enjoying it?
HH: Yeah, that's the thing! It is business. But you know if someone said clean my toilets for four weeks and we'll sponsor your show, I'd say no. But they are saying we'll sponsor your show and you can put on a party for your friends once a month for four weeks. Obviously...! Everything we do is about having fun. In our studios it’s like a party everyday, so it’s kind of nice to be able to put on a proper party for everyone.

ZB: So what makes this party different from all the other wonderful ones in London?
HH: Oh! The list is so long. Well, it’s mainly an East End thing that we do. All our friends get together and go to parties mainly in the East and Movida is quite West, so this is a departure for a lot of people. It's not the kind of club we'd normally go to. I suppose an American equivalent would be like, usually going to dive bars and then going to Teddy's (in LA). So we are bringing everyone over and saying it doesn't matter where we are we can have a bit of fun!

ZB: Speaking of different, what do you think sets you apart from other designers?
HH: I'm not classically trained as a designer. I was a journalist to start with. I'm kind of learning on the job every day. So everything I do and all the steps of the business is like a learning experience. I am a rookie basically. The spotlight is on me as I learn.

ZB: My last question: how do you feel right now -- at this moment!?
HH: I am a little bit anxious cause it's like, if you have a party at your house, you are always anxious until it is finished. You are asking everyone if they are all right and you want to make sure they are having a good time. But tonight is a lot of fun!

Henry Holland pictured above with Zandile