Some Girls: Hades

Clash meets the designer behind your new favourite band sweater.

The online store of new knitwear label Hades is currently password protected, all that’s visible to visitors are a few lines of apology and suggestions of how best to get in touch. Not because it’s yet to produce any product, rather, its last drop sold out in just 20 minutes.

An unsurprising state of affairs, despite the label’s official Instagram account – its only social platform – boasting just short of 1,500 followers, it has already attracted digital endorsements from several culturally and sartorially prominent women, amongst them Sharmadean Reid, Lesley Arfin, Lauren Laverne and Cora Delaney.

“There is a long history of people wearing band T-shirts and wanting to celebrate their favourite artists,” explains founder and designer, Cassie Holland of the concept, (the debut pieces are simple knitted structures in bold colours stamped with ‘The Slits’, ‘The Smiths’, ‘Patti Smith’ or ‘Sonic Youth’). “This collection came about as those band T-shirts aren’t very versatile and definitely aren’t always flattering.”

                

Named after the Greek god of the underworld – “people used to be frightened to say the word ‘Hades’ as it represented the end, so they’d employ different euphemisms; I enjoyed that” – the label, as Holland tells it, is the conclusion of a quarter life crisis. Developed over the course of a year, the initial output made a first appearance at the end of 2015.

“I knew I wanted to do something related to music and fashion and that I wanted it to be high quality and made and designed in Britain,” she continues, asserting a frustration with knitwear options as too frumpy, garish or simple as further drive. “I’d also just read Viv Albertine’s book ‘Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys’, and I was encouraged by the can-do DIY punk ethic that Viv vividly describes. The idea that, even if you’re not classically trained, you still have something to offer, it gave me a license to do it myself.”

Echoing the oft told inspo of contemporary zine The Mushpit, she cites Bay Garnett and Kira Joliffe’s 90’s title ‘Cheap Date’ as an important influence; anarchic, guerilla and irreverent, she says, it has amazing characteristics for a magazine or brand. Elsewhere Supreme’s business model resonates: “They behave differently to any other brand. They’ve always been bold and genuinely carved out a new way of working, and as a result they’ve had room to be really creative. They surprise people.”

For Hades, Instagram has so far been pivotal as a means for promotion. “It’s an amazing tool for reaching out to people who I admire, I’ve been able to direct message those people and amazingly they’ve gotten back to me,” remarks Cassie, genuinely surprised at the accessibility and responsiveness the platform permits. “It’s also been rewarding to see people posting photos of themselves wearing the jumpers, plus it’s been really helpful in capturing and promoting the spirit of Hades.” In case you were wondering, the woman who makes the biggest appearance on the Hades feed – the one in the polaroids – is younger sister, Isabel.

                

Titled ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’ after The Smiths’ track from 1986, the debut offering celebrates, according to its maker, punk, indie and post-punk music in well-crafted Scottish lambs wool. Confined to just four styles – “they’re bands I love” – the look is in tune with Idea Books’ iconic slogan tote selection, sharing a similar subtlety, while the marriage of music and fashion is comparable to Samantha McCoach’s Le Kilt label; there’s also a whiff, perhaps down to the pair’s very specific points of focus, of Hannah Weiland’s Shrimps, and on account of the medium, a nod to Bella Freud.

“My favourite is probably The Slits,” asserts Cassie of her work, “but I was convinced when I chose it that it would be the least popular. In actual fact it has been the one that has received the most praise. It’s a good learning as I shied away from a Fugazi one thinking it wouldn’t have a wide enough appeal, but actually I think the bands with the obsessive fanbases are probably a safer bet.” And the relevance of the letter S in the current line-up? None. “Actually,” we’re told, “the shape of an S is a challenge for knitwear so I’ll probably try and avoid it in the future.”

While the web patiently waits for a new delivery of Hades’ finest (due next week), the more distant future holds an as yet unannounced collaboration, as well as a shift away from band names. “At the moment our hopes are to continue to provide very high quality knitwear combined with bold colours and design and for them to be completely manufactured in the United Kingdom,” Holland asserts, plainly. “This is harder than it sounds!”

Words: Zoe Whitfield

www.hades-shop.co.uk

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