The Pacific Skirt

Another gem that slipped out at the end of the 80s was Pacific State by 808 State. One of the old school classics, it appears on just about every nostalgic classic house compilation out there. It is the sound of the summer, so was an obvious choice while I was designing the S/S 2015 collection.

Slip into the fine-gauge cotton blend Pacific skirt with bare feet for a day by the pool or on the beach, then whack on a pair of colour-pop heels for a balmy night out.

The Good Life top

I reckon I've wrecked a few pairs of heels over the years dancing to this one. Today's post is about Good Life and the sweater it named, following on from our last post on the Spring/Summer 2015 collection and the tracks that inspired it.

At the tail end of the 80s Inner City released Good Life and it was such a powerful, seminal track that it sounds as good today as it did then and, in my experience, never fails to get everyone on their feet the minute it comes on. It was so good, it was re-recorded and released again ten years later in 1999. Our Good Life sweater is a fine-gauge knit and a staple for your wardrobe, perfect for our unpredictable British summers, it'll see you through to autumn. We've included the brilliantly low budget video to Good Life below. Sums up the '80s in a nutshell.

The Halcyon Cardigan

Orbital's Halcyon and On and On was released in 1993 and I loved it so much it appeared on pretty much every mix tape I made over the next few years. I still can't get enough of it - it's a particularly good one to play once the temperature starts to rise, even better if I'm driving around the countryside in my ancient BMW with all the windows down.

As mentioned in a previous post about the Spring/Summer 2015 collection, the colour palette and general vibe for these pieces was inspired by some of my favourite house tracks from the '90s. As the weather is finally improving I thought I'd talk you through some of those tracks and the pieces that have been named after them. The wrap cardigan (pictured above) that shares its name is one of my favourite pieces from this collection. I wore it to death at the end of my pregnancy last September and for that reason alone, it holds a special place in my heart. It is the perfect spring throw-on. 

Introducing the Spring/Summer 2015 collection

We're delighted to unveil and share Hangar: our Spring/Summer 2015 collection, inspired by the early Acid House movement. In the 90s, following the decline of much of Britain’s textile industry, Acid House raves breathed creative energy into a decaying industrial landscape, which for many became an epiphany. 

We wanted to make a statement about the importance of handmade and ethically produced clothing, so took inspiration from the relationship that the Acid House movement had with these industrial spaces for our latest collection. 

All of the pieces in the Spring/Summer 2015 collection are named in tribute to some of the Amy Hall team's favourite old school house tracks, and in celebration of this, renowned house DJ Jamie Bull created a mix of tracks inspired by the collection, downloadable now on Soundcloud.

Photography: Alyssa Boni, styling: Georgina Hodson, hair & make up: Jodie Hyams, retouching: Tim Bennett, model: Sophie Ellson

Amy Hall x Jamie Bull

With the launch of our Spring/Summer 2015 collection 'Hangar' imminent, we're excited to unveil this brilliant mix by DJ Jamie Bull. As this collection was inspired, in the main, by the Acid House movement of the late 80's and early 90's, we knew we needed a musical preamble. We're all big fans of Jamie Bull here in the studio - not a week goes by without at least one of his famous HomoElectric mixes blaring out while we're hard at work, so it seemed appropriate to ask him to provide his sonic interpretation of these S/S 2015 pieces. We're really proud of this collection and we're honoured to have Jamie create a mix especially for us. Let these sounds get you in the mood for the weekend... and if you like what you hear, check out Jamie's other mixes here.