In search of the truth behind Laura Palmer’s murder, Poster Girl co-founder Natasha Somerville and Nick Hinman, otherwise known as the frontman of Fast Money Music, are taking a trip to Twin Peaks. Well, almost.
In their first conceptual shoot together, the power couple take to the streets of London, stepping into the shoes of Bobby and Shelly. A risky entanglement over the cult television show’s plotline, Somerville and Hinman swap out vintage diners for East End pub spots, pairing British heritage with Lynchian gloom. Paying close attention to detail, the pair recreate each character’s styling from head to toe, most notably achieved through a slinky, latex spin on the iconic diner dress.
Establishing a sense of continuity within Somerville’s work, pop culture and cinematography stitch their way into the design process of Poster Girl. Envisioned alongside Francesca Capper, the experimental label toys with sheerness, ultra-shine materials and skin-tight silhouettes, building up an identity that revolves around confidence, nostalgia and femininity. Making its first moves in 2017, the duo’s sought-after pieces have been spotted on the likes of Dua Lipa, Kylie Jenner, Paris Hilton and Doja Cat, meanwhile extending its invite to world-dominating party girls.
Elsewhere, Nick Hinman leads the way for Fast Money Music, an amalgamation of years spent playing in bands across New York to London. We caught up with Somerville and Himan amidst a weekend spent in the city of love, celebrating the outfit’s first time playing to a Parisian audience.
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How was Paris! What was it like performing there and do you have any tips on how to tackle a new crowd?
Nick: Paris was fun! Supersonic is such a great venue. The showcase we played was sold out and the room was packed, so that was exciting. I have a lot of love for the City of Light as well. I lived in France when I was on an exchange program in college, so it was a bit of a “pince-moi” moment coming back years later.
As far as tackling a new audience, it’s all about trusting yourself and being authentic on stage. You prepare the best you can, you play the best you can, and whatever happens happens. Most importantly, have fun. Even if you break a string or you forget a lyric, as long as you’re having fun, the crowd will be too.
Where did the initial idea for the Twin Peaks- themed shoot come from?
Natasha: Emily Hope is our dear friend and an amazing photographer, she messaged me as she wanted to shoot Nick and I together. She wrote: “Thinking sexy Twin Peaks. And you the total Twin Peaks lipstick cute little skirts and socks girl”, I replied with that iconic image of Bobby & Shelly in the diner where he’s holding her face and it all spiralled from there!
Tell us about the design process of the diner dress!
Natasha: Keeping some of the original design details was super important to me to play homage to the iconic Double R Diner uniform. I chose an off-white for the trim of the collar/cuffs/pockets for a vintage aesthetic. I designed the seam lines to give a cinching illusion to the body, kept the midi length like in the show but exaggerated the ‘V’ neckline removing the front buttons. And the uniform was never going to be complete without the headband.
Which aesthetic qualities did you draw from Twin Peaks, and how would you say that you made them your own? Were there any particular details that you wanted to elevate?
Natasha: I’m obsessed with David Lynch’s use of colour throughout. The neon green title credits mixed with sepia hues gives a jarring clash right from the beginning. I wanted to draw on this idea with the latex diner dress as it’s very similar to the original, yet upon closer inspection everything is a little off – that high-gloss liquid shine, the low cut ‘V’ and skin tight silhouette. We also wanted to give the aesthetic a kind of London grit, so swapped a classic American diner for a pie & mash shop, and London fields in the rain was the backdrop for the dense conifers – It was worth the vintage Gucci heels covered in mud! It was fun to style Nick too, but honestly his personal style is so flawless all the time it was effortless.
If you could experience any other era as a film character, who would it be?
Nick: I’m a future past guy. I love how directors and writers envisioned the future in the 50’s-90’s especially. It would be fun to be a cab driver in Luc Besson’s version of New York City in The Fifth Element, or part of the Blade Runner unit in Ridley Scott’s Los Angeles 2019, or part of the motorcycle gang in the Neo-Tokyo of Akira. Although, the romanticism of a dystopian future is probably questionable once you’re there in person.
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Is this your first time working together on a project? As a couple, but also two, individual creatives operating in different worlds, how did you find that experience?
Nick: We’ve collaborated and aided each other on both our creative projects in different capacities, but this is the first time we built an idea from the ground up together. For instance, Natasha shot my music video for Space Opera while we were in Tokyo (in the rain, bless her) and I narrated the POSTER GIRL Love Factory campaign. We always look to each other for guidance and inspiration, and since music and fashion are intrinsically interlinked and entwined, Fast Money Music and POSTER GIRL compliment each other quite nicely, even from an artistic vision standpoint.
Which qualities do you think you align in creatively, and in turn, which elements do you bring out of one another?
Nick: Firstly, we both have a strong DIY-mentality which I find a crucial part of finding inspiration to create anything. Both PG and FMM have crossover attributes and values as well, like a seriousness and severity coupled with a cheekiness and accessibility that’s both inviting and inclusive. We can bounce ideas and concepts off each other and our trust in each other’s taste and judgment, and that helps us find the most effective creative solution and middle ground.
You founded POSTER GIRL alongside Francesca Capper – would you say that collaboration plays an important role in your work?
Natasha: I met Francesca at Central St Martins in the most intense environment. We have survived many things together in the 7 years in business so far, and honestly I don’t think either one of us would have got through without each other.
Is the intersection between film, fashion, music and the arts something that you’d like to explore further? Nick
Nick: Being an independent musician in 2024 (2025 soon, sheesh!) already feels like the intersection of these four elements. You’re the composer, the producer, the creative force, the graphic designer, the video director. I love being involved in all aspects of a release (for better or worse) so that means I’m shooting and editing the music video, creating artwork, and designing the live performance while retaining some sort of brand identity, NOT to mention writing and producing the music. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing friends and collaborators on the last EP release, like Louis Gilbert for art and animation, Aaron Eisenberg for videos and Joe Lyons for co-production, along with musicians like George Daniel and John Waugh of The 1975.
After all this, if I’m lucky, I have the time and resources to write more music. It’s can feel like a vicious cycle but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Every new release calls for a new theme and vision, which in turn is a new mixture of all four of the above.
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Tell us about how you approach the design process of a new collection, does this hold a resemblance to how you plan a conceptual shoot as such?
Natasha: Starting with a strong theme is crucial, without that you’re designing blind. I’m very visual, so I almost like to fast forward in my brain and project a picture of what the final result could look like and then work backwards. I love to delve into a library at the start of a collection and bury my head in magazines and books. If you’ve ever seen the terrible 80’s movie Short Circuit just picture the robot ‘Number 5’ flicking through the books at lightning speed saying “input, innnnpuuuut!” I love comparing him to Nick because he’s like a walking encyclopaedia haha.
You’ve consistently hinted towards pop culture across your work, what makes you keep returning to these references?
Natasha: Nick and I dressed up as Layla and Billy from Buffalo 66 for Halloween this year, that baby blue ballet dress Christina Ricci wears is engrained in my psyche. Honestly I think we just live in such an overstimulated world now that we struggle to process anything novel, so there is a hunger for nostalgia and a comfort with the familiar.
What does it mean to be a POSTER GIRL? How do you identify her?
Natasha: to be a POSTER GIRL is a feeling, an energy. I see it every time someone tries on a piece of our clothing. There is a confidence that exudes from them, and a kind of transformation happens in that split moment they look in the mirror.
This year we’ve seen your work venture further into the use of latex – what made you gravitate towards the textile, and what has that learning process looked like? Have you worked with latex before?
Natasha: I interned at a latex brand back in 2011; I’ve always had a fascination for the material since you glue the seams by hand. I made my entire graduate collection at CSM in latex. I find it interesting how the connotations of the fabrication is still very much sexualised. When we started shooting in the pie & mash shop I was passed a phone by the waitress and the manager was on the line. She said I couldn’t take photos because she doesn’t accept ‘OnlyFans’ shoots (I called up the day before and was given permission). Of course unbeknownst to her there is hours upon hours of work gone into that one garment, let alone many years to perfect the techniques. I had to include that moment of me on the phone with her in the final imagery!
As the brand has grown and evolved, what idea, narrative or messaging has stayed at the core of POSTER GIRL would you say?
Natasha: no matter what we will always be grounded by our tongue-in-cheek humour. Recently there was a surge in TikTok searches for POSTER GIRL because a girl wore one of our dresses to an Applebees, which caused a hilarious outrage. So naturally we took the sound bites to create content. Together Francesca & I have over 32 years of experience working in fashion, so grounding the seriousness of our business with humour has always been at our core.
In the same breadth, in which ways has your artistic vision expanded?
Natasha: I love exploring new directions, recently I’ve been obsessed with bringing cartoon characters to life which stemmed from a birthday outfit I wore inspired by the movie ‘Cool World’ to Chateau Marmont earlier this year. Honestly I’m just a girl who loves Disney and dressing up, and now that this is my career it’s basically a dream come true…*and she lived happily ever after*!
As an independent British fashion label, what would you say are the rewards of creative autonomy, and in turn what elements do you find challenging?
Natasha: I’d say being your own boss is a creative luxury not everyone has, so I have a lot of gratitude for it. That being said, as a creative director for an independent fashion label, you end up taking on more of a business strategy role in the company and end up spending less time actually designing. It’s also more difficult to get the same recognition as other brands who have big investors and what feels like favouritism from certain influential councils and panels.
What have been some of your highlight moments of 2024?
Nick: Lighting a mannequin on fire for the ‘Hot Melt Glue’ music video in Joshua Tree in February, going to Tokyo for the first time with Natasha in March, releasing my second EP in August, and definitely playing Supersonic in Paris in December.
In turn, do you have any New Year’s Resolutions that you’re entering 2025 with?
Nick: Resolutions are an interesting one. I’d say progress not perfection, be patient and be present.
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