HADES is making knitwear punk again
Knitwear that’s been crafted in a small town in Scotland. When you hear that sentence, it might be hard to conjure up HADES. At the opposite end of the spectrum to the dowdy knits you might expect, the British brand – founded back in 2016 by sisters Cassie and Isabel Holland – is doing its bit to bring a kind of punky flair to cardigans, jumpers and much, much more. As Cassie put it herself during our interview, the whole punk thing wasn’t entirely a conscious decision. They’ve created collections with the likes of everyone from The Cure to Blondie, to none other than Tilda Swinton — all figures who have made a name for themselves (and will go down in the history books) for doing things a little differently. Would she agree there’s something countercultural to HADES, though? We reckon so.
There’s definitely a counter cultural ethos to their DADA! collection. Inspired by the Dada movement (art formed during the First World War that was all about revolution and liberation), it’s a capsule that transcends what we think of as bog standard knitwear — though, with HADES, what else would you expect? There’s the skirts hand screen-printed in the Midlands (one in a Galliano-esque newspaper), jumpers complete with artfully-placed cutouts and, perhaps the understated standout, the Edie knit, which swaps out the typically HADES, slightly oversized silhouette, for one that cinches at the waist. “We just have to create new pieces each season,” says Cassie. “Otherwise we’d go out of our minds working with the same shapes.”
As you can tell, the ladies of HADES hold themselves to a high standard. They’re pervasively innovative while making their mark on the oversaturated fashion industry in way that always adheres to their morals — local craftsmanship (their pieces are primarily made in a factory in Scotland’s Hawick), ethical manufacturing (they’re all about small batches and unnecessary waste) and, well, what makes HADES, HADES. Take their new line of scarves. Forget run-of-the-mill monograms — HADES have swapped out that for personalisation that consists of poems from Oscar Wilde, William Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson. You just take your pick. I tell Cassie that I like the one from Wilde particularly, which reads “True friends stab you in the front”. That’s a favourite of Cassie’s, too: “It captures something essential about authentic friendship,” she tells me.
When I sit down with the HADES founder, it’s just in the wake of the internet’s boyfriend, none other than Paul Mescal, wearing their Narcissus cardigan while doing promo for Gladiator II. I would say it’s a “pinch me” moment, but take a little peruse around the internet, and you’ll see that HADES has many-a celeb fan. Chatting with Cassie, it’s clear to see why. They’re doing something rather special.
Amber Rawlings: The Dada movement was all about shaking things up. What made you think, “Yeah, let’s put that on a jumper”?
Cassie Holland: I can’t remember the exact moment we conceived of the collection, but the spirit of the Dada movement is something which resonates with everything we do at HADES. The Dadaists believed that revolutionary art could act as a great liberator and a riposte to bourgeoise conventions. We like how Dada believes that there’s a new, better way of doing things. That’s a serious pursuit, but they did it with whimsy and playfulness.
AR: You’ve managed to make knitwear feel quite punk-y. Was that always the plan, or did it just evolve naturally?
CH: Our first collection was informed by the DIY ethos of the punk movement, but we haven’t consciously pursued a punk aesthetic since. We do work with a lot of counter-cultural bands and musicians, though. We’re interested in radical figures from history — dissenters. But generally our overarching brand has evolved naturally. It’s been informed by many influences.
AR: Your pieces get worn by everyone from Frank Ocean to Alexa Chung. Do you still get excited when you spot someone in HADES?
CH: Absolutely. We love it when people wear HADES. Paul Mescal recently wore our Narcissus Cardigan, and he did it in such a fresh and different way. Those sorts of moments are rewarding, but nothing beats seeing people wearing HADES out in the street. Or, when we had our pop-up shop in London, loads of customers came in wearing it. It was so interesting seeing the different ways people styled our pieces — that’s the biggest thrill.
AR: Those Blondie and Bowie collabs must have been dream projects. How do you approach turning music icons into knitwear?
CH: We always look at the band’s iconography. We reference their album artwork and the colours and typography that they use. And we like to work closely with the artist. For our collaboration with The Cure, Robert Smith was very hands on with the designs. I guess we want to create pieces which celebrate the artist, but that are simultaneously not too literal – nor too abstract – to be recognised. We have a lot to work with, too. Bowie, of course, was always evolving, and so was Blondie. They’ve had many different logos and experimented with loads of different musical styles. With the Blondie collection, we also created shapes that referenced the kind of silhouettes Debbie Harry actually wore. The collabs are dream projects, but they can be anxiety-inducing as we’re keen to meet the expectations of these figure’s fanbase.
AR: The fashion industry’s obsessed with newness, but you’re championing traditional craftsmanship. Does that ever feel like swimming against the tide?
CH: We think that you can combine traditional craftsmanship with innovation. We’re interested in using ancient techniques to produce contemporary silhouettes and styles. We do face challenges with fitting into the wider fashion industry — retailers expect us to create more types of products, but rapid newness isn’t what we want to do at HADES. But we have received a lot of support and recognition for our approach. It’s a double-edged sword.
AR: Each collection seems to have this mix of rebellion and heritage. Is that a reflection of you both as sisters?
CH: I think we’re interested in juxtaposition and duality. That’s what produces an interesting aesthetic. I couldn’t say whether it’s a reflection of our individual personalities, but it would be true to say that’s a combination we’re always drawn to in our designs.
AR: The fashion industry’s pretty London-centric, but you’re working with makers across the UK. Was that a conscious choice?
CH: We do work directly with craftspeople and prioritise partnering with the types of industry where support is needed, but our first concern is always working with people who can bring our designs to life. And we’ve found that most of the technical expertise we seek is based outside of London.
AR: The personalised scarves feel like a fresh take on customisation — not just initials, but poetry. Where did that idea come from?
CH: We’ve been playing with the idea of a poetry knit for a long time. Sometimes we conceive an idea and are able to make it immediately, but other times it takes longer to realise. In the past, we’ve done collaborations inspired by William Blake and Mary Shelley, and I guess we’re continuing that tradition, while adding a personalised element. I think there’ll be more poetry pieces in the future, too. The task is using these long written sentences whilst maintaining a beautiful design.
AR: How do you balance creating pieces that feel current while avoiding the trap of trend-chasing?
CH: HADES is completely independent. There’s no investors and therefore no pressure to meet year-on-year growth targets. That means we can create collections with creative freedom. In terms of creating designs that feel current… We do pay attention to contemporary design, but we also feel that if it’s classic, then it’s current too.
AR: Those cinched-waist knits in the Dada collection feel like a new direction. What sparked that silhouette?
CH: It’s a silhouette that allows us to elongate the arms and cinch the waist. It actually began as a totally different design, and each version we sampled took us further away from the original. We’re not abandoning our classic style, though! We just have to create new pieces each season, otherwise we’d go out of our minds working with the same shapes.
AR: I love that Oscar Wilde quote, “True friends stab you in the front”, on the scarf. What made you choose that? Do you have a favourite among the literary quotes?
CH: We love that quote too. Like all of his aphorisms, it works on multiple fronts. It’s true, it’s dark, it’s simple, it’s complex and it’s funny. We knew that it would appeal to people because it captures something essential about authentic friendship. It’s really difficult to find ones that are beautiful, witty and concise, so any that made the cut are our favourites.
AR: How do you find being a brand in the Instagram age? It’s obviously amazing for exposure, but do you ever wish you were designing in an era that was a little less online?
CH: We were launched via Instagram, although that was back when it was less commercialised and allowed for more organic growth. In that sense, we do have some appreciation for the app and similar digital platforms. But, personally, I’m as tired of the internet as everybody else. From a brand perspective? It has advantages and disadvantages. It’s definitely facilitated easy access to artists and industry, which can be so creatively nourishing.
AR: What’s next for HADES?
CH: Next year we’re launching a lot of new styles and concepts — more than ever before. We’ll also be refreshing old favourites. The 3D-printed-button Carrington cardigans and digitally-printed knits. And, of course, we’ve got an exciting band collaboration planned. Longer term, we’re not the best at looking far out over the horizon. There are some big-scale ambitions we’d like to explore, though. It will also be our tenth anniversary in 2026.
You can shop HADES here.
