discover the design process of our collaborator, Georgia Pratt Holiber of Hilda Ereaut.
what drew you to the combination of sage and bone for the merino cardigan, and how does this new colourway reimagine this piece?
i was interested in exploring this floral intarsia in a more neutral palette while also highlighting the floral and texture with a deeper contrast. it reminds me of tapestry work which i love.
how do you balance decadence and ease in your design, and how is that reflected in your collaboration with Standard Issue?
this balance for me is about having clothes that are more adaptable in wearability and fit, while also remaining well made and fabricated in a way that feels special and decadent. i found that this collaboration gave me an opportunity to imagine what that would look and feel like in a knit.
your collaboration with Standard Issue is marked by such considered details, what inspired the floral motif of the cardigan and the ruffle trims on the dress?
i don't typically wear a lot of print or pattern but since the beginning of Hilda Ereaut, florals have been a constant design reference for me. specifically florals that I can manipulate somehow. i almost always use the 'wrong' side of the fabric when i choose a floral silk. i like how it turns the floral into something slightly more ambiguous. i was really interested in using one of my florals in this project because it leans into that idea of manipulation and i was excited about creating a physical texture with the knit. the trim on the dress is similar - i wanted to highlight a textural feature and i wanted it to be subtle, something that would soften the strong silhouette without feeling like an over designed detail.
having recently moved back to Tāmaki Makaurau from New York City, how do you imagine this relocation will affect your creative process?
when i started Hilda Ereaut in NYC i was modeling full-time and about to have my first child. my creative process just had to fit around all of the other things, it was constantly happening in the background but i had to be scrappy with the way that i worked or i would never get anything done. i like that about the business though, life informs my process and it goes through seasons of high productivity and low productivity and i think working this way forces me to be more decisive and thoughtful about what i am making. basing my whānau and business here in Tāmaki Makaurau is allowing me to have a stronger connection to the community, which is really important for the way that i want to work, small and local.
what’s a knitwear piece you find yourself reaching for time and time again, and what is it about this piece that gives it such staying power?
i have a few really beautiful knit pieces but every winter the first knit i pull out is a men's wool sweater that i bought at a thrift store in New York, there is nothing exciting or unique about this sweater but its just a really great shape, the right neckline and the right shade of charcoal - it just always looks good! it cost me $10.
Standard Issue's knitwear know-how meets Ereaut's instinct for decadent practicality in two garments that explore form and function. pieces conceived not as seasonal statements, but as lasting wardrobe propositions.
the merino dress, defined by its ruffled rib trims, and quietly adaptable intention. the cardigan, marked by its rose-filled floral motif, bringing renewed clarity to a familiar form.
