In fashion, the seasons follow one another but are not the same. The start of spring and autumn are marked by the – long-awaited – arrival of new collections. While our fall-winter pieces will soon be available online and in stores, we have decided to take you behind the scenes of creating a collection. From the collection plan to the choice of fabrics, from the creation of a range of colors to the purchase of prototypes: at Hast, we evolve with the desire to offer you quality, durable and timeless pieces, always with an extra touch of style . Aware of the current issues linked to the sector, we do not chase novelty or trend, but seek to imagine an essential and everyday wardrobe, reflecting our current inspirations.
To explain to us all the secrets of this work which extends over more than a year, Sébastien, our stylist, took part in the game of questions and answers, during an exclusive interview. What are the steps to building a fashion collection? What are the inspirations? How to choose a subject? Come on, we'll reveal everything to you!
Sébastien, what is the starting point of a collection at Hast?
Initially, we think about the collection plan by product categories. We decide how many t-shirts, jackets, pants or shirts we want to produce. Each season is divided between new products and timeless items which are renewed, most of the time in a different material or color. Above all, we want to avoid overproduction by imagining a collection of pieces that combine style, timelessness and durability. Pieces that we enjoy wearing today and tomorrow.
How do you imagine the story you are going to tell?
First, I think about volumes, colors or materials. I try to see how these silhouettes can meet and complement each other. I don't imagine a collection based on invented stories or a return to a certain era, but rather by drawing inspiration from images or found pieces. These clothes, borrowed from the past, have a unique heritage, more than imaginary trends, not realistic enough for my taste.
What inspires you?
My goal is not to reproduce something that already exists, but to add a different and identifiable touch. When I designed my first collection plan for Hast, I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Without playing the nostalgia card, I am very inspired by vintage pieces, with finishes and materials of exceptional quality. If I had to borrow something from them, it would be precisely this incomparable sense of detail: a peplum, a swallow, a pocket shape, the sewing of a trouser bottom, an original collar stand. There is something almost tailor-made. This is in line with our ambition: to create clothes that last over time, beyond fashion effects.
Once the collection plan has been established, how do you choose the materials?
Each material is chosen with the greatest care. We go to trade fairs and meet directly with suppliers, mainly Italian. We want to use fabrics with an interesting feature, like a different texture. If we choose more basic materials, then we try to find the best quality.
To establish a collection, we make associations between a trouser fabric, a jacket fabric or a shirt fabric. We put it all on a board and we try to see if everything is coherent. Is there a balance in terms of colors, drapes and reliefs? Do the clothes match? Is our silhouette credible? These are all aspects that we explore when making the decisive choice of materials.
Do you ever create tailor-made materials?
For the spring-summer 2023 collection, which we are working on at the moment, we did it for a work jacket. One of our Italian suppliers had a beautiful linen, but which we wanted in a heavier weight. We loved the texture, the material, the color, but it didn't match the work jacket we imagined. So we asked the supplier to make a fabric just for us.
Another important step in building a collection: how do you establish a color range?
Summer and winter, at Hast, color is very important. The fact that we only use natural materials for our collections allows us to have a range of very beautiful, varied and deep colors. Thus, there are very few dark colors and black is almost non-existent.
The choice of colors is made at the same time as the choice of fabrics. When we receive a fabric from a supplier, there is a color range connected. We do numerous tests of combinations between fabrics and colors to imagine silhouettes that we like.
At what point do you have a finished product in your hands?
Once the choices of colors and materials are made, we write the technical sheet for the garment, which we send to our manufacturer. This sends us a prototype, that is to say the assembled garment, as it will appear in the collection. At this point, we keep the parts that we are going to purchase and we set aside the parts that we ultimately decide not to produce. We are very rational in our decisions and we do not want to develop anything, any way. This is part of our responsible approach which advocates more reasonable production and consumption.
The last step of a collection is to define the lookbook and shooting atmosphere which will be used on our site and in communication. We choose the models and the settings for the photos. This is a special moment where we see the garment in context. We can't wait to present the new back-to-school collection to you. But for that, you will still need a little patience...
