All Things Considered

Hemingway
Posted by Kate Sullivan

I'm not sure what sparked it off, but today I became nostalgic about my student days in Birmingham and in particular the shop Red or Dead that I liked to visit as regularly as my student borrowings would allow. It then got me thinking about the design conscious founders of the quirky fashion label and store, husband and wife team Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway and what they are now doing since selling up at the end of the 1990's.

Back in the Eighties, their first step into retail was with a stall at Camden and Kensington Markets.  Here Geraldine designed, made and sold her first collection of clothing. It took just a week for the New York store Macy's to put in an order - that was the beginning of Red or Dead. Then, in 1999, having won 3 consecutive British Fashion Council "Street Style" Designer of the Year Awards, the Hemingways' sold Red or Dead for a multi million pound cash deal.

These days they have become known for their design business Hemingway Design and their front against the appallingly designed, speed-built 'identikit' UK housing estates being built by the likes of Wimpey and Barratt.

"We’re not trying to make a big architectural statement.  We’re not trying to show off.  We’re just parents of a big family who came from nothing and just want to design thoughtful and interesting homes for ordinary families."

After Hemingway criticised Wimpey for their ugly housing estates, George Wimpey challenged him to design his vision of affordable housing. People’s desire for individuality has been one of the main concerns for Hemmingway, giving prospective occupants the freedom to choose internal layout, elevations and even the front door – tailoring their needs for their lifestyle.

The success of the unlikely collaboration with Wimpey on Staiths South Bank development in Gateshead has led to numerous other projects in the pipeline. For further information, links and  reading visit Art & Architecture and Building for Life.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on June 28th, 2007