CHIP CHOP

 Vibrant and chirpy, polished and pop; fashion is fun for label Chip Chop.

Drawing on her graphic design background, designer Hannah Chipkin blends typography and sleek design into her ultimately chic collections.

Hannah speaks with Couturing about the delightfully “tongue in chic” Chip Chop aesthetic and the printed words which started it all.

“I didn’t come from a fashion design background, it was all new to me; what I knew was how to make a print,” Hannah explains.  “I love bold prints; hearts, stars, pineapples, watermelons, things that grab me visually, and I always loved words… It’s all about how the word looks”.

This love of typography spawned the original Chip Chop canvas totes, which sported witty slogans in pop colours, and in recent years, the label has expanded to include dresses, silk shirts, leather jackets, jeans and shorts.

Edgy and quirky, the Chip Chop collections play on pop culture themes, with the current season collection “#todayimwearing” successfully poking fun at, whilst also paying homage to, social media’s ubiquitous “outfit selfie”.

“If I don’t do something a bit statement then I’m not letting the real Chip Chop shine,” Hannah says.

“The Chip Chop girl likes fashion with humour. She’s open to having fun in what she wears and being bold and colourful. She’s Chippy, to be quite honest,” she adds.

Chippy van der Chop, the Chip Chop ambassador, is an imaginary blogger dreamed up by Hannah to spout weekly chic-cheeky musings such as, “My cat says Miu Miu” for the Chip Chop blog.

“Chippy’s totally tongue in chic; satirical, but in good taste,” Hannah says. “She’s best friends with Miss Piggy, Alexa Chung, the Olsens –she’s very cool but also down to earth.”

Chip Chop design elements feature simple shapes to offset the eye catching prints, keeping the label aesthetic in line with Hannah’s own style – comfortable, happy and effortlessly chic. “I want something to last that you’ll love for years, not just a season, I try to stay away from fads and on-trend things.”

“Sometimes inspiration strikes at midnight,” she says, of her design process. “I have a wall full of post it notes with print-outs of cool things around the world that I’ve loved. It’s organic, it just collects,” she laughs.

Hannah says iconography is another strong element of inspiration in her work; places and figures that are iconic, such as the Eiffel Tower.

The Chip Chop aesthetic is “always a little bit French”, and the upcoming Winter range won’t disappoint in that quarter, as Hannah outlines the concept for the season: ‘French Toast’, inspired by a recent jaunt to Paris.

From the streets of Paris, to the sweets of lovers, the upcoming Spring/Summer collection will see what Hannah describes as “the perfect marriage of iconography”.

“It’s called ‘Sweet Talkers’, and it’s based on those icing heart lollies that say things like ‘Be Mine’ and ‘True Love’,” she explains.

The lifestyle-focused collection will include pillow cases, cushion covers and a candy-coloured range of homewares including melamine plates that will be stocked at General Pants Co.

“The lines that I’ve done can almost be conversations, one to another,” Hannah muses. “‘Kiss me, Call me’; ‘In Your Dreams Babe’ – they’re playful discussions between products.”

With lifestyle and homewares on the cards, and a newly launched range of children’s wear, we ask if Hannah has any other surprise plans up her sleeve to further the Chip Chop empire. “I’d love to do a Converse shoes collaboration,” is the immediate answer. “Shoes are very important to me. I have way more shoes than I have clothes”.

But Hannah says this is only the beginning, “Chip Chop is climbing up this mountain. It’s been too quiet for too long.”

To see more, and to purchase anything from the collection, please visit chipchop.com.au.

Images courtesy of Chip Chop.