Kelly Harrington

The jean genie

Kelly Harrington travels the world in search of the latest trends. We meet the fashion forecaster in London for a glimpse into her universe – and our future wardrobes.

By EMMA HOLMQVIST DEACON Photos by MOEEZ ALI

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here’s a solemn beauty to this bleak win- ter morning, with clouds the same shade T as the concrete buildings surrounding us on London’s South Bank. Suddenly, a contrasting fgure appears – a double- denim–clad Kelly Harrington. “I love the brutalist architecture around here,” the fashion insider says about the spot she’s cho- sen for our day out. “I come here all the time, but I still get lost sometimes – it’s like a maze,” she enthuses, her feline eyes all lit up as she scans the angular edifces around us. Harrington has many strings to her bow. Alongside a multi-pronged role for H&M – as trend forecaster, vintage archivist and print designer – she runs one of Instagram’s most revered denim feeds, @kellouhar, with over 46,000 followers and counting. Last season, she was invited to collaborate with Norwegian denim brand Tom Wood, creating a denim capsule collection that was instantly snapped up by the likes of Selfridges. Her light-hearted take on such time pressures is an admission that she’d quite like to “clone herself.”

TODAY WE’RE PICKING Harrington’s brain about trend forecasting specifcally. She spends 14 weeks a year feeding this passion, always working two years ahead. So how does she go about pinpointing new trends, and charting their evolution? “After so many years in the feld, trend-spotting is almost an instinct,” Harrington says. “There isn’t a defnite pattern to how trends evolve – a myriad of diferent elements and aspects come into WHO SHE IS AND play, ranging from street style, runway shows and fash- ion blogger styling, to the social, economic and political WHAT SHE DOES backdrop,” she notes. “I’m constantly switched on, with my tentacles out, people-watching and going to con- Kelly Harrington certs, festivals, art exhibitions and anything culturally Age: 39 relevant.” Lives: Surrey, UK Her job also involves plenty of traveling. In recent Profession: Trend forecaster/print designer/ months, she’s jetted to Tokyo, Amsterdam, Paris, vintage archivist for H&M. Denim specialist, Stockholm, Nashville and New York. She rates Tokyo designer, curator and Instagram influencer as one of the best trend-spotting cities. “The way the @kellouhar Japanese style their outfts is amazing, they’re a lot more experimental and way ahead in terms of trends,” she says. Harrington has worked in the fashion feld for over 15 years, and it’s a fast moving industry. “Our digital

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document9187560452333294442.indd 84 1/18/2019 8:40:12 AM Kelly Harrington Photo: Kelly Harrington Photo: Nathan Zucker for denim days festival days denim for Zucker Nathan Photo: KELLY HARRINGTON’S FAVORITE DENIM BRANDS KAPITAL Japanese brand with a unique take on denim and a handcrafted feel. kapital.jp

KSENIA SCHNAIDER 2 Based in Kiev, this

Photo: @thestreetsensei player offers a whole wardrobe of bound- ary-pushing denim garments. kseniaschnaider.com

Photo:Team Peter Stigte Peter Photo:Team SJYP Korean brand celebrated for its cool and quirky sensibility. sjyp.kr

MARQUES ALMEIDA This fashion-led Lon- don brand has elevated denim, unleashing it on the catwalk. marquesalmeida.com

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culture has accelerated fashion trends, so these days which can be slipped on over a relatively neutral outft it’s harder to keep up,” she notes. “Digitalization and in order to give an after-dark appeal. the rise of social media have changed the way peo- We’ll also be seeing more of repurposed and vintage ple dress. Everything is available globally to everyone clothing, deadstock material, sustainable biotech fabric today, and this has made fashion more homogenized,” and the use of recycled components. “This trend – or she observes, citing Tokyo’s Cat Street as an example. movement, rather – will continue, as brands and manu- “This cool spot used to be dominated by Japanese stores facturers fnd new ways to reduce their impact on the you weren’t able to fnd anywhere else, but today it’s environment by reinventing the manufacturing process flled with the type of international brands you’ll come for a circular sustainable economy,” she says. across in most western cities.” Denim is Harrington’s personal fab- Site-specifc trend discoveries might be harder to ric of choice, and there’s a reason why. ‘We’re becoming come by now, but this hasn’t dented Harrington’s “I’m surrounded by diferent trends, enthusiasm. “You have to make more of an efort to fashion infuences and prints all day more conscious of the seek out unique trends nowadays, but I love the chal- long, so denim has become a sort of environment and the l enge, looking for those backstreets and undiscovered puritan escape for me, a blank can- way clothes-making fashion labels or shops. I also use the internet to locate vas,” she says. impacts the planet’ niche places and designers I would have struggled to It’s not as if she has to leave it un- fnd in the past.” adorned though – quite the opposite in fact. The vintage Levi’s jean jacket THE DAY WE meet Harrington, she’s just returned from she’s wearing today has been personalized in a most Stockholm, having briefed the H&M design team unique way at Levi’s Haus of Strauss studio in Tokyo. with her 2020 trend predictions. We’re not at liberty A hand-embroidered mouse sits proudly on the right to discuss details of her work for the retail giant, but shoulder, and a wedge of cheese on the other. It’s a Harrington has this to say about the future. “We’re well looked-after rodent – Harrington twirls around to becoming more conscious of the environment and the show us the third embroidery – a mouse house. “I love way clothes-making impacts the planet. As a result, when a garment tells a story, and I’ll continue adding we’re seeing trends for natural-based dyes and simple details to this jacket from each new place I visit,” she clothing that works from day to night.” says. “I’m a bit of a souvenir addict – I love to evoke Harrington’s personal tip is the transparent overlay, memories from all the diferent places I’ve traveled.”

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The fashion insider’s guide to Tokyo

Tokyo is one of fashion trend forecaster Kelly Harrington’s most inspirational stomping grounds. These are her favorite spots – from the coolest shopping to the best places to eat and stay.

By EMMA HOLMQVIST DEACON

BONUM wise, there are three Hotel Trunk Photo: This brand specializes in floors of fashion by vari- 1 3 quirky, hybrid-style denim ous cool brands as well as pieces remade by hand a good selection of from vintage and second vintage. My super stylish hand garments, making friend Poggy owns the them unique and sustain- place. able. All pieces are hand- 3-14-17 Minami Aoyama Minato-ku crafted in the brand’s own store.united-arrows.co.jp atelier.

Chrome- 5-11-2 Jingumae, TRUNK HOTEL Photo: Tokyo Park Hyatt Shibuya-ku • bonum.jp 2 This is a relatively new hotel, located just off Cat NEW YORK GRILL Street. It’s hip and young 1 This is not a fashion tip in feel, and lots of design- perfect place for people- per se, but one of the best ers and other creatives watching. Tokyo experiences you come here to hang out. 3-29-5 Jingumae Harajuku can have is to dine at the There’s a good café and deuscustoms.com/cafes/harajuku New York Grill within the restaurant with focus on Park Hyatt hotel. It has local produce, and I often PIGSTY panoramic views over the pop by even when I’m not There are lots of vintage city from the 52nd floor staying at the hotel. stores along trendy Cat

and you may recognize 5-31 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku Street, and Pigsty is one Photo: deuscustoms.com/cafes/harajuku the place from Lost in trunk-hotel.com of my favorites. I always Translation – a key scene find amazing pieces here. was filmed here. DEUS EX MACHINA Look out for the tin pig on Park Hyatt Tokyo, 52nd floor, CAFÉ the pavement and you 3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku 3 Seek this place out if know you’ve come to the restaurants.tokyo.park.hyatt.co.jp you’re after a very good right place! You’ll find a cup of coffee. It’s a biker- good selection of clothing UNITED ARROWS style café – complete with and accessories for men, BEAUTY AND YOUTH motorcycle workshop – women and kids as well. You’ll find several United and fashion store rolled Pigsty also has a massive Arrows shops in Tokyo, into one. There are always warehouse in Osaka that I Top notch food but this particular one has lots of fashion types can highly recommend. For the best places to a resident eatery called sitting outside during 5 Chrome-25-1 Jingumae, eat in Tokyo, go to Pizza Slice. Shopping- warmer months – a Shibuya • pig-shibuya.jugem.jp scandinaviantraveler.com

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