In menswear, no two seasons are ever alike. The start of spring and autumn is marked by the long-awaited arrival of new collections. As our autumn-winter pieces are about to launch online and in store, we take you behind the scenes of creating a collection. From the initial range plan to fabric sourcing, from colour palettes to prototype selection: at Hast, we are driven by the desire to offer durable, timeless, high-quality pieces with an extra touch of style. Mindful of today's industry challenges, we don't chase fleeting trends; instead, we focus on crafting an essential everyday wardrobe that reflects our current inspirations.
To share the inside story of a process that spans more than a year, Sébastien, our designer, sat down for an exclusive Q&A. What are the stages in building a fashion collection? Where do the inspirations come from? How do you select materials? Here's a look behind the scenes!
Sébastien, what is the starting point of a collection at Hast?
We start by planning the collection by product category. We determine how many T-shirts, jackets, trousers or shirts we want to produce. Each season blends new designs with permanent staples, mostly revisited in a different fabric or colourway. Above all, we aim to avoid overproduction by creating a range of pieces that balance style, timelessness and durability—garments you'll love wearing today and for years to come.
How do you imagine the story you want to tell?
First, I think about silhouettes, colours or materials. I try to see how these looks can meet and complement one another. I don't build a collection around made-up stories or a revival of a particular era, but rather by drawing inspiration from images or vintage finds. These garments, borrowed from the past, carry a unique heritage—far more than imaginary trends that feel too detached from reality for my taste.
What inspires you?
My goal isn't to replicate what already exists, but to bring a distinct and recognisable touch. When I designed my first collection plan for Hast, I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Without indulging in pure nostalgia, I draw immense inspiration from vintage pieces crafted with exceptional attention to detail and materials. If I had to borrow something from them, it would be that unparalleled sense of detail: a curved hem, a gusset, a pocket shape, the hem finish on a pair of trousers, a distinctive collar stand. There is an almost bespoke quality to it. This reflects our ambition: to create garments built to last, far beyond passing trends.
Once the collection plan is established, how do you choose the materials?
Every material is chosen with the utmost care. We attend trade fairs and meet directly with suppliers, predominantly Italian. We look for fabrics with distinctive character, such as an interesting texture. When selecting more essential materials, we focus on finding the very finest quality.
To build a collection, we pair fabrics: a trouser fabric, a jacket fabric or a shirt fabric. We pin everything onto a mood board and look for overall coherence. Is there balance across colours, drapes and textures? Do the pieces work together? Does our silhouette feel authentic? These are all the dimensions we explore during that decisive moment of choosing materials.
Do you ever develop bespoke fabrics?
For the Spring-Summer 2023 collection we are currently working on, we did just that for a work jacket. One of our Italian suppliers offered a magnificent linen, but we wanted a heavier weight. We loved the texture, the hand, the colour, but it didn't quite suit the work jacket we had in mind. So we asked the supplier to craft a fabric exclusively for us.
Another key step in building a collection: how do you establish a colour palette?
Summer and winter alike, colour is essential at Hast. Using exclusively natural materials across our collections allows us to offer a wide palette of rich, nuanced shades. As a result, dark colours are few and far between, and black is virtually absent.
The choice of colours happens alongside the selection of fabrics. When we receive a fabric from a mill, it comes with a dedicated colour range. We run numerous combination tests between fabrics and colours to create silhouettes we love.
At what point do you hold a finished product in your hands?
Once the choice of colours and materials is set, we draw up the garment's technical specifications and send them to our manufacturer. They then send us back a prototype—the assembled garment exactly as it will appear in the collection. At this stage, we keep the pieces we will order and set aside those we ultimately decide not to produce. We take a very rational approach to our decisions and refuse to develop anything carelessly. This is part of our responsible ethos, advocating for more mindful production and consumption.
The final step of a collection is defining the aesthetic for the lookbook and photoshoot used on our site and across our communications. We cast the models and choose the locations. It's a special moment where we see the garment in context. We can't wait to share the new autumn collection with you. But until then, just a little more patience…
