Look from hej hej’s new Fresh as a Daisy collection. Image supplied.
September is officially the start of Spring which makes hej hej‘s joyful new collection perfectly timed. Titled Fresh as a Daisy, the charming 25-piece range welcomes the return of the brand’s gorgeous custom embroidered daisy pieces on new styles and hej hej’s signature dresses. There’s also easy-to-wear separates in sweet shades and a fun new daisy bucket hat.
The optimistic range sees hej hej offer suitably uplifting tones for Spring with fresh new hues of summery seafoam, bold pinks, bright cherry reds alongside classic blues. Linen is the hero fabric of hej hej’s collections and the natural and breathable fabrication forms the basis of the brand’s SS21 collection in three weights – lightweight, medium weight stonewashed linen and more structured heavyweight.
We caught up with hej hej’s founders Alice Isles and Kiki Judd to find out more about the new range, what their favourite pieces are and their top tips for looking after linen.
Tell us about your latest collection?
In true hej hej form, the collection is made from 100% linen – a natural, breathable fabric we love working with.
We have always been influenced by Scandinavian fashion and this collection pays tribute to their philosophy of bright colour and playful prints. You’ll find bold, bright hues, custom embroidery and wearable silhouettes in ‘Fresh as a Daisy’. We wanted people to shed their winter layers, and brighten their Spring – and given we’re in lockdown, the mood-enhancing palette couldn’t have come at a better time!
We loved creating the custom daisy embroidery fabric last year so we developed a new version for SS21. We wanted the base fabric of the Pink Daisy to be the perfect shade of pink which meant we had to custom dye the fabric first. Then we scaled down the size of the daisy so there are more daisies per meter and the fabric can be used for separates as well as dresses.
What are your favourite pieces from the range?
Alice: I think the Eat Your Heart Out Dress in Seafoam will be on heavy rotation for me. But I am really excited about the She’s Wrapped Dress in the Pink Daisy. I can’t wait to dress up again (post lockdown) and take her for a spin.
Kiki: My #1 from this range is the Lazy Daisy Top in Pink Daisy!
This collection is hej hej’s 13th to date, how has your label evolved in that time?
We have become more confident in understanding what works for our customers, the fits and colours. We design based on what we personally want to wear and that is always evolving and changing with our lives. As we’ve grown we’ve been able to increase the size of our collections, offer a larger size range and develop custom fabrics.
How would you describe the hej hej customer and what do you think they’re looking for when they shop with you?
Ladies with equal parts attitude and style. We like to think hej hej is a punch of colour and living proof that luxury can be playful and fashion can be effortless.
What are your tips for wearing and looking after linen?
We get asked all the time if the linen will crease… 100% yes! That is the nature of the beautiful fabric so let it do its thing and don’t get hung up on a few creases. A little tip… if you hang your linen up when it’s damp – there’s no need to pull out the ole’ iron once it is dry. But, if you’re one of those ‘unique’ folks who love domestic chores or have an item that really needs pressing, iron while the fabric is still damp using the medium-hot steam setting.
Linen is a sturdy material that can absolutely be machine washed, though feel free to handwash if you’re that way inclined. We highly recommend washing in cold water on a gentle machine cycle, with a mild detergent to protect the fibres.
Store your linens in a cool, dry place. Linen has inbuilt insect-repellent properties so you should have nothing to fear with those pesky moths.
Images supplied.