Bastard Aristocrats: Hector Maclean on Reclaiming British Identity, Punk Rebellion, and Sustainable Fashion

Lucy: Hi Hector! So I was hoping you could tell us a little more about Bastard Aristocrats and how your own background inspired it?

Hector: Sure! Well, yeah, my ancestor, Lady Bellasis: she slept with the king, so technically I’m a bastard aristocrat! But I grew up in a council house, and that's the kind of dichotomy of everyone can be royalty in their own way, and all deserve to wear a crown, and class doesn't really mean anything. We can all be royalty.

Lucy: And I suppose that has inspired your personal design philosophy as well?

Hector: Totally! As British people, it's such a melting pot of, like, old and new and all different kinds of surroundings. You live next to opulent buildings and trash cans and that’s the London feeling.

Lucy: So I guess that kind of leads to the question I had about the Union Jack. I noticed a lot of them during the show. I've particularly noticed there's been a rise in repping the union jack. Why do you think it resonates with you, and why do you think it's resonating now with the general public but not how you'd expect it to traditionally?

Hector: I think we want to be patriotic. We're ready for this kind of thing. I think things are so hard right now, but I think we want to be British from the UK. We accept everyone. We want everyone feel like they’re home. It's down to trying to reclaim the flag. and I guess that’s probably why

Lucy: And this leans into the punk philosophy as well?

Hector: Yeah! We’re allowed to be decadent, aristocratic and also punk as well. That’s British.

Lucy: Speaking of punk, you worked with Vivienne Westwood for a while, how has her work inspired you and this collection?

Hector: I did! It was lovely. I think just her punky style. I swore away from tartan though. I am not touching tartan with a barge pole! But I think just her essence of punk rebellion and Britishness. Viv will always be part of my heart! It’s Viv!

Lucy: When you were casting the runway, what was your idea and how did you go about choosing models?

Hector: Oh! Just British huns! We wanted just punky, strong, gorgeous girls and guys who are just British and strong and fun

Lucy: Sustainability is a big part of your ethos. What is your approach to that and does it make it harder for you?

Hector: It does. I think it always does because you’re trying to save the environment, you're trying to stop pollution, you're trying to use sensible dyes, all those kinds of things. So it just limits your design capabilities. But you just have to be innovative.

Lucy: Do you have any designers that you admire, perhaps ones that are very sustainable or otherwise?

Hector: It’s mostly friends! Like the lovely Charles Jefferies, but I have a lot of respect for my colleagues and of course Viv! [Vivienne Westwood]

Lucy: You’re from the UK, but is there a particular area of the UK that inspired your Collection?

Hector: A bit of Brighton? Yeah the punky and grittiness of it? I live just outside of it

Lucy: I’m from Brighton as well! Outside of work, do you have any passions or hobbies?

Hector: This takes a lot of my time! I’m not going to lie! But lots of painting, illustrating. That’s what I do day to day. Not the painting for this collection though!

Lucy: Who did the painting for this collection?

Hector: Lots of wonderful people behind the scenes!

Lucy: Well thank you for taking the time to talk to me

Hector: Of course! Really enjoyed it