BOOK OF DEER: DESIGNED FOR DREAMERS
Meet Eilidh Ho, the 25 year old Designer and Central Saint Martins Graduate behind the new ‘it’ concept label, Book of Deer.
What made you want to be a designer?
I’ve always doodled and drawing is a form of escapism for me. I knew I wanted to do something artistic growing up, but didn’t discover fashion and design until I was on my foundation course at Saint Martins. Fashion just happened to be my favourite medium as it has no constraints.
Did you have many opportunities to be creative when you were young?
I was brought up in a very liberal and creative household, so studying art was always encouraged. I did ballet from a very young age and was involved in a lot of performances growing up. That was my main form of creativity as a child.
How did you launch your own label at just 25, Book of Deer?
Even when I was in college, I had it in my head that starting my own label would be my goal. I had harboured the idea for Book of Deer for a while, before finally setting up the business. I started slowly with a lot of research into the market and the practicalities of production and from there began to build the brand identity.
What is your design inspiration?
Design inspiration can come from anywhere – be it something that stimulates your senses, or an experience that pops an idea into your head. I find most of my inspiration comes from history, cartoons and made-up worlds.
Your S/S ’12 seems like a very dream-like, innocent collection – is that intended?
The Mori girls were the starting point of this collection, as they are a subculture with a very distinctive style: one that reflects nature, rather than sharp trends. I took inspiration from their lifestyle philosophy of appreciating the small things in life and keeping innocence alive in an otherwise cynical world.
I then incorporated my own love of story-telling, prints and vintage detailing. The result is a collection that is girly, a bit quirky and hopefully just makes the wearer feel happy and hopefully, encourages them to dream about life beyond their everyday reality.
In what ways did your time studying in London influence you?
I was in London for 6 years – I do think that in that time, I truly became an adult. London is a great place to learn. I studied among some very creative and talented people. I learned how to be self-sufficient in both my creative work and everyday life.
What for you was your greatest challenge – and how did you overcome it?
I knew before I even started that setting up my business would be hard work and there were some areas that I was less experienced in- such as production. However, I found that people in the industry (particularly in Hong Kong) have been very helpful.
Do you have any practical advice for the next wave of young Chinese designers?
The one piece of advice that always rings true in this industry is to ‘leave your ego at the door’ to build solid industry connections (with manufacturers, models, photographers, retailers etc…). Be easy to cooperate with and also, respond to what the market wants… Yet at the same time, have independent vision and always believe in yourself and your own ideas, too.
