Studio Visit: Henry's
Keith worked as a skateboard photographer in Vancouver for several years until the magazine industry declined. He then moved to Toronto to focus on editorial and fashion photography and began making clothing just before the move, which leads him to where he is today with Henry's.
1)Keith ma bwoy, how’d the recent Toronto summer treat you?
It's been a busy summer work wise. I feel like I haven't had too much time off to step out and enjoy the heat, but I've got a lot on my plate, so I usually just stick to enjoying the nice evenings on the patio at Black Dice.
2) What's one thing you look forward to most about Summer in Toronto, and what's a must-visit spot you would suggest people hit up when in the city?
I love the hot and humid nights, but they make sleeping a bit tricky. I enjoy riding my bike when the time allows it, but like I said previously, I've been very busy just going into work early and leaving late. I don't know about a must-hit spot outside of all the amazing food options we have here so I'll just go with that: Get yourself a nice meal at TDot Jerk or any of the other Caribbean spots around the city.
3) Before we get too into it, I've got to mention - When I was visiting Toronto in April of last year and I was rolling by yours to pick up a pair of rounded jeans & a criterium jacket, it felt damn good when you opened the door, skipped the hello and said "Whoa, what hoodie is that?". Have you ever had a moment like that in the early stages of your brand where someone whose work you appreciate has admired one of your pieces, and who were they?
Yeah, I can't pinpoint an exact person or situation in the earlier stages of my clothing making journey, but it's always nice to get asked about what you're wearing and to be able to answer simply "my clothing". I'm closely tied with what I make and look at it all day every day, so to have others recognize it organically and ask is always a nice reminder that I'm on the right path.
4) Could you share with us the story behind your first collection and what that experience taught you?
Every collection reveals a new breakthrough regardless of it being my first or my latest. I'm on a constant journey of learning how the pieces work with one another, how the colours clash or cooperate, proportions of a shirt and how it first under a jacket or over a set of trousers.
5) At the age of 13 your Mum taught you the basics of sewing, and rifling through your Dad's camera collection got you into the world of photography - two creative outlets that have been a large part of your life. When you visit home do you find that you still garner inspiration for your work from things that your parents do or keep around the house?
Yes, it can be from my grandmother's knit blankets, my fathers paintings of old family photos. I always find it refreshing to go back home, take a bit of a break away from the studio and look into the family archives for inspiration.
6) You incorporate a lot of beautiful curves and shapes onto your garments - usually on the pockets, double knees, side seams etc. Are these inspired by your first post on your IG, your Dad's motorcycle suit from '78?
That's partially it, but also about seeing how things could be made with a different perspective in terms of classic design. Making things based on a skewed memory of what it was rather than a direct photographic reference can sometimes lead to these choices in terms of a curve of a panel or proportion of a pocket.
7) You've been in your new studio for around a year now, how is it compared to working out of your living room?
8) Being self-taught, do you find you incorporate traditional tailoring techniques into your work or have you mutated them over time to have a special Keith factor that most traditional tailors would kiss their teeth at?
I think I get to the final step in some alternative ways compared to a lot of other people. I don't make it easy on myself at times, but I think that's also part of the process of how I do things and why my garments look and feel different from other peoples or other brands. It helps to look at old clothing from the inside out and determine how they got to the final product and reinterpret that in a way that makes sense to me.
9) What does traditional military and workwear represent to you, and how do you translate that into your designs?
It represents a practicality in a garment that can be learned from and interpreted in new ways to make sense to my life and how I wear clothing. Proportions or fabric choice can tell you a lot about how the garments were intended to be worn, and I enjoy interacting with these things and seeing ways to modernize something to make it feel fresh.
10) While we were in Tokyo earlier this year you found a healthy amount of vintage pieces that you could reference. Besides having access to different stores & garments in another country, what other influences/inspiration does travel provide you with for your work?
Travel provides a break both mentally and physically like I mentioned above about going home. I think switching up your routine and being in a new place can allow you some time to appreciate what's around you and meet some new people. When I go somewhere I tend to look up and around at my surroundings more than I would in Toronto and there's always things to be seen and learned from.
11) How do you see Henry's evolving in the future while staying true to its roots in traditional craftsmanship?
12) What's one thing that you find interesting or cooked about Australia as an outsider looking in? Plans on coming down under anytime soon m8?
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