MAX INTERVIEWS HELENA ON COUNTRY ESCAPE

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of excitement and activity for us in the MillaMia office. As you can imagine, the launch of a new collection not only comes with the thrill of seeing a long-awaited project come to fruition, but also, rather like the opening night of a new West End Show, the anticipation (and trepidation!) of the following reviews. Will the critics love it, or loathe it?

We took a collective deep breath and waited to see whether Country Escape would be as well-received as we hoped . . . and were literally bowled over by the immediate and incredibly positive response from our customers and stockists alike! The designs were instantly desirable and appealing - so many of you have already bought the book and chosen yarn for your favourite garment - it makes the process and the design journey all worthwhile.

For me, seeing the first double page advert in The Knitter was the defining moment - I knew that we had something special and unique here - an advert for what is essentially a knitting pattern book, but that had the look of a high fashion advert in a glossy magazine. I took a picture to remind me of the thrill I felt at seeing our advert looking like I'd just flipped the page in my latest Vogue.

It wasn't just me either. When I spoke to our stockists, they overwhelmingly said that it looked more like an advert in a high end fashion magazine than your usual knitting ad. I wondered if Helena had had made a conscious decision to push the boundaries of knitting and high fashion and I also got to thinking about what her vision and inspiration had been when she first conceived this collection. I thought it was time that I found out! - Max

Max: Do you think MillaMia are being trail blazers or a little controversial in marketing Country Escape more like a fashion house?

Helena: I think at MillaMia we want style to come first. We want everything we do to be consistent and we feel that the imagery we produce is all important in communicating what our collection and our brand is about. As such, yes - we feel our ranges should look as contemporary and stylish as an ad in Vogue - or at least that's the aim!

Charlie Cardigan

Max: What was your inspiration and vision when creating this first collection for adults?

Helena: I wanted a real Autumn / Fall story all about fresh crisp days outdoors - where you get to luxuriate in the warmth of a handknit, like the Catrin but still enjoy being out in the cold. We set the shoot in a rural spot that's great for sports and wholesome, outdoorsy activities - I think that the photos convey that sense of enjoying the English countryside even when it's really chilly outside!

I love winter too - wearing something elegant and practical because it's warm is the perfect combination for me! Pieces like the Charlie - a truly transitional piece that is equally well suited to cool evenings in the summer and for layering in Autumn and late Spring.

Catrin Jacket

Posted by Max