Watch: founders of Hej Hej on their playful prints, and how to look after your linens and other luxe fabrics in your wardrobe.
28 September 2022
By Fashion Quarterly
Produced in partnership with Miele.
Designed for life: in our recent Instagram live, founders of Hej Hej Alice Isles and Kiki Judd discussed their approach to caring for garments — with the help of Miele's specialist laundry appliances. Watch the video below.
Founders of Hej Hej Alice Isles and Kiki Judd are well known for their linen and other luxe fabric offerings since they launched their brand in 2018. But the idea for the brand came before that when Kiki was living in Shanghai. “She was getting custom linen pieces made to combat the hot weather over there and was sourcing beautiful linens in incredible colour ranges. At the time a lot of linen brands were doing natural colours so we wanted to use natural fibres but in really playful colours.”
After noticing a linen-size gap in their own wardrobes Hej Hej was born. Fast forward to today and their colourful pieces are a standout with their playful prints (think an embroidered lobster as this season’s offering) in natural fabrics. And it’s not just linen, they use an array of luxe natural fabrics such as cotton, cashmere, silk and wool to create their ranges each season.
“Every collection begins with a colour palette. With a collection we like to think about what we want to wear, and we find the things that we’re naturally drawn to are the best sellers.”
The pair who are both mothers admit that taking care of your treasured pieces is not always easy, however say it doesn’t have to be difficult.
“Linen is a really durable fabric so you don’t need to wash it so much,” says Alice. “I try not to overwash any of my linens but when I do wash them I make sure it’s on a cold cycle and I don’t dry it in direct sunlight. That’s the key.”
And with the Miele Washing Machine WWV 980 and Dryer TWV 780, taking care of those pieces just got a whole lot easier.
“Miele has some great washing options – they have a really good silk cycle and really good options for wool as well,” says Kiki. “We also really like the refresh cycle in their dryers,” adds Alice. “When we put our mohair wool in there, it fluffies them up and gives them a little scent so they feel fresh and clean.”
So how can you increase the longevity of your clothes? Alice says it actually starts with what you buy.
“You need to buy the right fabrics and cuts for you, [items] that you know you’ll keep in your closet forever. And opt for fabrics like linen [because] they last a lifetime. They’re amazing fabrics.”
But, the designer adds, it’s about caring for your clothes too.
“You need to make sure you’re looking after them, hang them up and keep them out of sunlight when drying. And remember to use the right wash cycles to make sure they keep working for you.”
FQ’s managing editor Sarah Murray talks to the founders of Hej Hej about looking after delicate fabrics at home, and how to extend the life cycle of your clothing. Watch the video to discover more.
