BUSINESS PROFILE
Rory Hutton
Founder & creative director of Rory Hutton
Words Markus Bidaux
I rishman Rory Hutton, 33, is a storyteller who tells tales through his printed designs. He started his eponymously named company making men’s accessories, such as bow ties and handkerchiefs, in his signature prints, but his work really sings on a larger canvas — as shown by his scarf collection. Hutton has also lined up some illustrious collaborations, including designing print stories for exhibitions and anniversaries at the British Museum and The Royal Opera House. Now based in Cambridge, Hutton tells us about his life in prints.
Did you always want to start your own fashion brand?
I definitely wanted to start my own business — I’m not really sure if I’d call it a fashion brand. I tend to work mostly with museums and on those kinds of collaborations.
Although most of my products are scarves, I have created ranges that include items such as greeting cards and notebooks. I’m probably more of a print designer, rather than an actual fashion designer.
How would you describe the brand’s style?
I love history; I studied fashion design and then I studied design history, so my brand kind of marries both interests. It’s about reinterpreting history or giving traditional themes a contemporary edge.
How do you make your designs?
Most of what I do is through the medium of linocuts. My Instagram is full of my linocuts. I start by drawing everything and then I carve it. Ultimately, they’re digitally printed, but it still gives you that handmade quality.
What inspires your designs?
Before the pandemic, I was mostly collaborating with museums and galleries. They’ll often come with a brief on a particular subject for an exhibition they’re opening. When I’m left to my own devices, as I have been for much of the last year, I developed a whole collection based on gardens. I was looking at female gardeners of the 20th century — people like Vita Sackville-West. I designed prints around their aesthetic or things that were important to them.