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‘I can’t tell you how much time I spend getting exactly the right Pantone colour to suit everyone’s complexion’, says Wiggy Hindmarch, founder of resort fashion label, Wiggy Kit, ‘the colours I use make you pop’. This discerning eye for tone is integral to the label, which creates elegant pieces in a considered palette of colour and print. Though Wiggy started out in the performing arts studying dance, after following her parents to the States at 18, she quickly found her passion in design and buying, working her way through the ranks of the retail sector. ‘I knew one day I’d launch a brand,’ she says, ‘when both my children were at school full time, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to go after that dream’. Wiggy divides her time between West London, where ‘my bedroom and bathroom have an uninterrupted view of the Thames’ and the idyllic Harbour Island in the Bahamas. The brand's vacation angle was inspired by her second home and born of necessity - ‘no one was creating the pieces I wanted to wear in the summer,’ she says, simply. For interiors, the designer is all about comfort - ‘I’m never happier than when sitting by a roaring fire,’ she says, ‘and I love a luxurious bath in my freestanding tub overlooking our garden’. We met the globetrotting creative to talk interiors, holidays and her discerning view on colour. WW: When did you launch your label? WH: I have always had two summer wardrobes – one for high summer at the beach, when I was tanned and wanted to wear very little. And the other, for summer in the city - which was incredibly difficult to buy for. I couldn’t wear the pieces I had for the beach on the streets of London – too sheer, short and unsuitable. There was a gap in the market, so I set about designing a collection which would work for both environments - thrown over bikini or out to dinner in the evening - I launched Wiggy Kit in 2015, producing one collection a year |
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WW: Can you tell us about the role colour plays in your work? WH: Colour is integral to me - barely a person enters my house without having a Pantone swatch thrust in their face to see how that colour might react to their colouring and skin tone. It’s essential that my colours are universally flattering - it makes such a difference. I design and manufacture all my own fabrics, so everything in the collection is unique - my fabrics are as identifiable as my silhouettes. |
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WW: How does your dressing style relate to your interiors style? WH: They’re deeply related, I get far more inspiration from interiors than clothing. When I’m designing a new collection I think of the place, location and interior where I envisage the clothes being worn. I find myself looking at upholstery fabrics and desperately wanting to make a dress out of them, and if I need inspiration to create a new dress, I look to interiors books! I follow many interior designers on Instagram - particularly American designers - the bold use of colours, freshness and unapologetic theming. I often think my fabrics would work well for interiors... |
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WW: Can you describe your homes? WH: My interiors style is American through and through; colonial, bohemian, eclectic and fresh. It’s funny, because my house in Harbour Island is almost entirely white with a few well chosen pops of colour - I wanted to keep it calm and fresh and restful. In contrast, my London house is a riot of colour, texture and print - I’m about to embark on a complete refurbishment, and I want it to be a cacophony of colour, print and humour - to make you smile and say ‘wow!’. |
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WW: How does travel inform your designs? WH: Harbour Island feels like home. My collections are informed by years spent living that warm weather lifestyle while still having to get on with work and normal life. Practicality and function, but looking great while you’re doing it. I adore America, my time spent there has definitely informed my label’s aesthetic. I have a particular penchant for New England and the Deep South. I would love to do a proper road trip the length and breadth of America - I enjoy small-town America so much more than the big cities. |
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Finally, which Wicklewood cushions would you style together? WH: My favourite cushions combos would probably be... 2 x Lilly Indigo with 2 x Ikat Colebrooke Indigo with 2 x Antigua Stripe Indigo, finished off with 1 x Antigua Stripe Oversized Oblong in Pink Blue |
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