Hollie Bowden
Hollie Bowden is one of our favourite interior designers, who inspires us through the unique and beautiful objects that she discovers through her work; "she is a beauty fundamentalist, a visionary designer and an aesthete." We had the pleasure of shooting with Hollie at her studio in Shoreditch, where her creative intuition evidently shows how she transforms and upgrades a space through her distinctive vision. We spoke with Hollie to get a more personal insight on her work and to find out what she gets up to when she's not working on current projects.
What do you do?
Interior design.
Did you choose your profession or did it choose you?
Interior design definitely chose me. I was never destined to be desk-bound, I dabbled in set design and styling for a while, but I eventually crossed over into working with spaces and the rest is history. This is much more than a job for me - it’s an obsession and I never switch off from it. Working on homes and environments is such an intensely personal process, you have to give yourself over to it.
What's your favourite part of doing your job?
I love coming up with the concepts for design and the creative direction throughout, but my fave part is the final layer of dressing and installing at the end. Oh and sourcing too as I’m a serial shopper - constantly collecting, very at-home in a gallery and lethal in a flea market. Whenever we interview designers they usually always say they love doing the concepts and sourcing - we’re dying for someone to walk in one day and say they love the spreadsheets!
What/where/who inspires you?
Everything! My friends, my clothes, a great night. I’m forever collecting old books and design magazines, art exhibitions, travel, even better if I can combine art with travel…
How would your friends describe you?
Colourfully I think, it might depend which friend you asked, and when. I know I don’t have any gears - I'm either a million miles an hour or lying down, my friend Jamie tells me I’m always ‘flat out or flat out’. I think most friends would put me somewhere between funny and annoying, a Del' Boy with far too many clothes.
Who do you go to for advice?
My friend Louise - we have worked together forever and she is the oracle.
What’s an essential part of your daily routine?
I want to say I’ve got a skinfluencer beauty regime, but the reality is I’m doing my makeup on the way to work. I have twin girls who take up most of my morning - coming up with their looks for the day is an essential part of my routine!
What is the best part about living in London?
There’s always something exciting going on, any day or night. I could never live anywhere else really. I have a romantic idea of living in the countryside, but it actually gives me anxiety, so I always have to get back to the action!
If you could live anywhere else, where would it be?
It would have to be New York. It’s the only other place that would give me the kind of feeling London does. There always feels like there’s a never-ending interesting list of people to meet!
What does your perfect weekend look like?
Going to the flea market in Paris, without a shadow of a doubt.
What song do you play on repeat?
Seabird by the Alessi Brothers. It reminds me of my very first trip to Mexico with one of my best friends Gen and always makes me nostalgic..
What is your favourite piece from our SS23 collection?
The Lara trousers in Black, I’ve worn them everyday since I got them - they look great with heels in the evening or flats during the day.
What's been the highlight of your 2023 so far, and what do you still have to look forward to?
I’ve been renovating my own house for the last 2 year’s and the highlight of 2023 was definitely getting the rubbish bag mountain collected from the back garden. What I’m now looking forward to is finishing everything off so I can entertain friends.
Photography by Genevieve Lutkin
What do you do?
Interior design.
Did you choose your profession or did it choose you?
Interior design definitely chose me. I was never destined to be desk-bound, I dabbled in set design and styling for a while, but I eventually crossed over into working with spaces and the rest is history. This is much more than a job for me - it’s an obsession and I never switch off from it. Working on homes and environments is such an intensely personal process, you have to give yourself over to it.
What's your favourite part of doing your job?
I love coming up with the concepts for design and the creative direction throughout, but my fave part is the final layer of dressing and installing at the end. Oh and sourcing too as I’m a serial shopper - constantly collecting, very at-home in a gallery and lethal in a flea market. Whenever we interview designers they usually always say they love doing the concepts and sourcing - we’re dying for someone to walk in one day and say they love the spreadsheets!
What/where/who inspires you?
Everything! My friends, my clothes, a great night. I’m forever collecting old books and design magazines, art exhibitions, travel, even better if I can combine art with travel…
How would your friends describe you?
Colourfully I think, it might depend which friend you asked, and when. I know I don’t have any gears - I'm either a million miles an hour or lying down, my friend Jamie tells me I’m always ‘flat out or flat out’. I think most friends would put me somewhere between funny and annoying, a Del' Boy with far too many clothes.
Who do you go to for advice?
My friend Louise - we have worked together forever and she is the oracle.
What’s an essential part of your daily routine?
I want to say I’ve got a skinfluencer beauty regime, but the reality is I’m doing my makeup on the way to work. I have twin girls who take up most of my morning - coming up with their looks for the day is an essential part of my routine!
What is the best part about living in London?
There’s always something exciting going on, any day or night. I could never live anywhere else really. I have a romantic idea of living in the countryside, but it actually gives me anxiety, so I always have to get back to the action!
If you could live anywhere else, where would it be?
It would have to be New York. It’s the only other place that would give me the kind of feeling London does. There always feels like there’s a never-ending interesting list of people to meet!
What does your perfect weekend look like?
Going to the flea market in Paris, without a shadow of a doubt.
What song do you play on repeat?
Seabird by the Alessi Brothers. It reminds me of my very first trip to Mexico with one of my best friends Gen and always makes me nostalgic..
What is your favourite piece from our SS23 collection?
The Lara trousers in Black, I’ve worn them everyday since I got them - they look great with heels in the evening or flats during the day.
What's been the highlight of your 2023 so far, and what do you still have to look forward to?
I’ve been renovating my own house for the last 2 year’s and the highlight of 2023 was definitely getting the rubbish bag mountain collected from the back garden. What I’m now looking forward to is finishing everything off so I can entertain friends.
Photography by Genevieve Lutkin