Cath Kidston design director Christine Hafsten on the fabric of great British design

The Drum was keen to find out what take Hafsten, a Norwegian, has on the very British brand she now has creative control over. So with the help of D&AD, we lined up recent graphic communication graduate and up-and-coming designer Hannah Packard, to catch up with Hafsten on all things patterned and what the future holds for the brand.

Hannah Packard: What does it mean to be a ‘British’ brand and does that factor into your design thinking?

Christine Hafsten: Having our identity based in modern vintage and being a quintessentially British brand is very important to our design philosophy and how we grow and shape our product lines. Being a British brand means there is such a rich cultural heritage and wealth of historical references and design elements to work with when developing concepts. We try to capture the essence of Britain’s history, tradition, values and culture and what these represent and come up with fresh angles on what this means for our products and prints.

I am from Norway and I find it useful to be a foreign ‘tourist’ who is ‘looking into’ the British culture and way of life. My parents are Anglophiles and I grew up with a very idealised and idyllic vision of British culture and traditions.

Cath Kidston design director Christine Hafsten

HP: How was it following Cath as design director? Was there a lot of pressure?

CH: It has been a lot of fun and I have loved every minute of it. I am in my dream role at the moment, and the people I get to work with on every level are so inspiring and skilled in their fields. I spent so much time with Cath who gave me such a good in-depth knowledge and history of the brand and the key values. We met daily and worked for hours on designs and concepts, so I really feel that she prepared me well.

I know she valued my viewpoints and trusted my taste so I feel completely free and confident to make my own decisions now about what looks right for the brand, always keeping our design values at heart while adding my own take on things.

HP: Where do you see the Cath Kidston brand in the future? Do you want to continue to expand across more areas and products?

CH: We will continue to develop our product ranges in new directions to stay relevant, modern and original. It is important to design items that fit in an ever changing world, and our customers’ lifestyle and their needs are constantly evolving. We are ‘the home of modern vintage’ and the modern element will always change with the times. We will expand and move into categories as they become relevant. We have recently updated our travel range of suitcases and carry-ons, sourcing products using modern, lightweight technology in frames and fabrication, and taking great care in choosing the print and colours that would stand the test of time and suit a variety of tastes. It is important to change with the times.

HP: What is it about pattern that you love so much? Do you have a favourite pattern in nature or in the world around you?

CH: I absolutely love patterns. It has always been something I have been drawn to from a young age, and I am very lucky to work with this subject matter that I love every day. One of my favourite patterns is floral, and there is endless inspiration with flowers. I like natural patterns that mix soft, pretty colours but still create a statement. Our new London street print was inspired by the world around us in London. We wanted to celebrate the joyful spirit of London life using icons of the city like guards, famous contemporary buildings, taxis and the red buses.

HP: From an artistic view, are all of the patterns from Cath Kidston created in-house, or do you collaborate with illustrators when you have a particular idea in mind?

CH: We are very lucky to have a large in-house print team with highly skilled artists. We recruit candidates with various backgrounds for our print team, like illustrators and artists, as well as those with a textile and fashion/print background to get a varied skillset. Everyone has their own unique handwriting, and we use a mix of this element as well as training everyone in the classic handwriting of the brand.

At present we have a fantastic collaboration with Disney. I’m extremely proud of the range we have developed together and can’t wait for the products to hit the shop floor in September. The two design elements created a fresh mix of prints capturing both the essence of vintage Walt Disney characters as well as integrating them in our Cath Kidston world of flowers and novelty.

HP: What or who inspires you and why?

CH: I get inspired by everything around me; inspiration really comes from anywhere. For leadership and management inspiration I love to read biographies and interviews with personalities who I admire and pick elements of their wisdom that resonate with me and suit my style. I then use this to inspire, mentor and grow my team of print designers.

In terms of creative, I always find inspiration in fine art; the way they use colour or drawing techniques and develop a concept and articulate ideas. My favourite artist is Robert Rauschenberg. I also love interiors blogs and magazines, quintessentially English traditions and culture, bloggers who dress and decorate in personal and interesting ways, and books – for all the themes and concepts they evoke.

HP: If you could do one thing differently at Cath Kidston, what would it be or what would you change? The sky is the limit.

CH: If the sky is the limit I would build a brand new head office with a roof garden, shop and cafe on the ground floor. Our current office is beautiful, but with florals inspiring so many of our prints it would be wonderful to have that source of inspiration at our fingertips.

This article was first published in the 17 August issue of The Drum, focused around British creativity.