Houghton-Butcher (Great Britain) Ltd (Q4548)
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Camera sales company, United Kingdom
- Houghton-Butcher
- Houghton
- Ensign
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Houghton-Butcher (Great Britain) Ltd |
Camera sales company, United Kingdom |
|
Statements
“This is the most body-conscious collection I’ve ever done,” Katharine Polk explained at a preview of her Spring ‘18 bridal lineup. Indeed, the tightly edited selection of dresses, plus one bold trouser (more on that later), often zeroed in on making a big statement with as little fabric as possible. Like last season, Polk called upon a few of her closest “friends slash muses” for inspiration: Holly Graves and Lauren Buys star in the Spring ’18 lookbook in an effort to highlight real women and, by extension, real figures. “They’re not just hangers,” Polk said. “This collection is about celebrating femininity and the female body, and these women really exude that.”The corsets didn’t hurt, either. Polk offset the retro waist trainers with fresh details, like a smattering of pearl and star sequins on the bodice of a cut-out dress or ostrich feathers stitched onto a strapless column. “It’s meant to be traditional but also a little bit naughty,” Polk said. Tweaking tradition, she styled a motorcycle jacket—a Houghton signature—in guipure lace with matching bell-bottoms. It was a new twist on the jumpsuits and rompers we’ve seen from Polk in the past. “These are for the bride who just wants to dance all night,” she said.The standout of the collection was a nutmeg tulle gown with feathered hummingbirds stitched throughout. The delicate taupe color was a marked departure from traditional white or ivory, and it was just sheer enough to reveal the model’s silhouette. Most looks were styled with elbow-length gloves—some in tulle, others dotted with celestial-inspired sequins for a touch of Old Hollywood glamour. Not every bride will be able to get on board with such a sexy wedding-day look, but there’s something to be said for customers, like Polk’s, who are willing to take the risk in the name of love.
20 April 2017
As more brides trade churches for upstate barns, and princess-cut diamonds for colorful gems, Katharine Polk is one of several designers rethinking the term “bridal.” Her new collection for Houghton will likely go down as the least bride-y of the week: Sequined jumpsuits and Mongolian lamb coats came in candy shades of pink, turquoise, and lavender, and giant tulle skirts were offset by embroidered baseball jackets or Perfectos with “Fuck Boy” and “Hopeless Romantic” painted on the back. All of it was meant to be worn down the aisle, at the reception, and long after the wedding night. “My friends wear my bridal in their everyday life, but might style it with a leather jacket,” she said. “It doesn’t need to be labeled bridal or ready-to-wear—it’s all the same clothing. Showing the looks on real women drives that point home. They’re just pretty clothes, and it’s about how the girl wears them.”Those real women were her real-life friends, who also discussed body positivity and their struggles with it in a film Polk screened at the beginning of the presentation. They modeled the clothes in the lookbook, too, and even had a hand in the design process: Polk invited them to dig through the archives and pull out their favorite pieces, then tweak and reimagine them to highlight their best assets and tastes. It didn’t make for the most cohesive collection—some girls love sequins, some love ball skirts, some love fishnet bodystockings—but choosing a wedding look that reflects your own distinct, off-beat style is a message we can get behind.
7 October 2016
Textures and layers and tiers. The tackHoughtondesigner Katharine Polk took for her Spring bridal outing wasn’t a spare one, but then again, Polk has made her name as a favorite among women in the market for something thoroughly modern—and with edge to spare. For those who find themselves left cold by traditional princess shapes, there will be appeal here. While Indio, California, may be a long way from the Upper East Side townhouse were the designer presented her new lineup, there was a palpable festival flair to crisscrossing chiffon layers that revealed a hint of white fishnets—and sky-high ’90s platforms—beneath. An intensely youthful quality is at the core of Polk’s aesthetic, and the bare shoulder detailing and lace bodysuits for layering felt of-the-moment. Those bodysuits, along with glittering belts and a handful of other accessories, were available for purchase the day of for the hundred or so brides-to-be Polk played host to.
20 April 2016
Brides whose tastes sway to the boho (and who might just throw on a pair of motorcycle boots for their rager receptions) will find a happy match with Houghton. For Fall 2016, Houghton designer Katharine Polk married the wiles of her two chosen muses: Penny Lane andKate Mosscirca her ’90s nymphet heyday. That combination came to life in some richly freewheeling ways. Take, for example, an asymmetrical mock-neck cream gown with a generous, shimmering cascade of silk fringe, or a languid, lace-trimmed slip dress with a sheer skirt. Plenty of styles will last long after the rice has been thrown, too, like Polk’s sumptuous mohair bomber, hand embroidered with a scattering of pearls.
12 October 2015