Olli Hull - Upcycled and handpainted artwork
Olli Hull's pieces are artworks in themselves: upcycled, handprinted and bold.
Find out more below about Olli's stories and practices that make his brand unique and exceptional.
The designer's story
Olli Hull is an artist and designer based in London. He upcycles old fabric and second hand clothing into wearable pieces of artwork and handpaints them himself.
He has been making art since he was a kid, but it's when he was working on fashion editorials and creative shoots that he developed a love for fashion and self-expression through clothing. He decided to utilise his drawing and painting skills to create art that was wearable. He then started to look into charity shops and vintage markets to find clothing that he could paint; that is how Olli Hull started his clothing brand.
His collections usually begin in his sketchbook, from where he then starts to experiment with fabrics, garments and materials to try and bring his feelings and messages to life in physical form.
Inspiration
Olli draws from his own experiences growing up Queer and the conflicts and pressures that he has experienced as a result of living in a world that is still not fully accepting of people who identify as LGBTQ+, or outside of the gender binaries.
Through his designs, he explores the impact that consumerism, social media and fast fashion have on our mental health and on the planet; he expresses the beauty standards that are outdated in today's world.
He's inspired by trailblazers and those who go against the norm. He likes fashion and art that exist as a form of protest, be that by making a clear political statement or simply through the act of bold self-expression. He aims to create clothing that embodies these qualities.
Sustainability
Olli wants to be able to create whilst minimizing the impact on the environment.
He believes that fashion and art can influence, challenge, and birth new ideas. His hope is that by maintaining and employing sustainable practices within his work, he can contribute to the shift that needs to happen.
Up-cycling is at the core of his brand. Because every item of clothing is up-cycled from second hand garments and scrap fabrics it has saved textile waste from ending up in landfill.
His work is designed to act as a protest and to challenge the current model for how we are living, by taking something that would otherwise have been waste and making something meaningful out of it.
He also uses recyclable and compostable postage bags and recycled shipping materials.
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