Hannah Weiland

Getting ready and talking Pokémon, fur-free fashion and makeup fantasies with SHRIMPS designer Hannah Weiland

Made for Fashion pairs leading fashion designers and makeup artists for a candid conversation about creativity, collaboration and catwalks

Hannah Weiland, the cool girl London designer behind fast-rising label Shrimps, is known for her colourful, animal-friendly faux fur coats and whimsical, feminine creations. This year, she hosted the ultimate Halloween getting-ready party in the penthouse of The New York Edition, inviting all her friends along. Special guests such as DJ Chelsea Leyland, stylist Kate Foley, curator Antonia Marsh and model Kesewa Aboah turned up to create their ultimate fantasy Halloween makeup looks, with a little help from five Senior M·A·C Makeup Artists. We sat down with Hannah to find out about her favourite Pokémon, fur-free fashion, her scariest waking nightmare and the makeup she’d rather die than go without…

She’s everyone’s favourite pocket monster this year…
“I’m Pikachu! I wanted to wear something that would go with my faux-fur fluffy coats, and I love my yellow ones from SS15. I’m wearing a Pikachu fleece onesie, yellow fluffy Shrimps x Sophia Webster shoes and a fluffy, yellow Shrimps coat. I have little ears on my hood but it takes a little while for my hair to get out of the way to put my hood up. I’m blonde as well, so everything is blonde, gold and yellow – happy colours! They wanted my face to go yellow too, but I said sorry – I’m not in The Simpsons!”

The difference between Halloween in New York and London…
“In New York you can be whatever you want for Halloween! In London you can be anything – as long as it’s dead. Last year, when I came for Kate Foley’s Halloween party, I was a pink squid. I looked for a shrimp costume but I couldn’t find any. New York in the fall is perfect Shrimps weather because it’s sunny and cold, so you can wear your sunglasses and your Shrimps coat at the same time. I missed the dog parade this year and I’m a huge dog fan, so I’m quite sad about that. I have a dog named Lionel – I would have chosen a sushi costume for him.”

“Halloween is a time for you to just be anybody but you,” says M·A·C Senior Makeup Artist Fatima Thomas. “You don’t have to be a specific thing for Halloween – do something with your outfit and makeup that you don’t normally get to do, because today you can get really creative and artistic. Wear something you wouldn’t wear in your everyday life, because today you get a pass!”

On the Shrimps-inspired costumes…
“My friend Daisy became a pink flamingo and is also wearing all Shrimps clothes. I’ve never seen her with purple eye makeup before, so tonight’s been a good chance to experiment. At first, she wanted to go as the girl from The Ring, but I banned her because it gives me the worst nightmares. We put Kate Foley in Shrimps too – a red Gerald dress – it’s got little velvet-flocked polka dots and she’s going as Little Red Riding Hood. My little brother is arriving in a Ghostbusters costume, someone is The Bride from Kill Bill, there’s a dead car mechanic and a few girls are going as nuns. But I think I have the best makeup so far!”

Makeup she’d rather die than go without…
“Since I discovered blusher, I cannot go without it for a day. I never wore it until I got some from a friend for my birthday last year. I’m really not a bronzer or a fake tan kind of person, but I would use it because everyone else did and would end up looking dirty instead. And mascara is my life.”

About how to have makeup party…
“Getting ready is the funnest! So, we came up with the idea of inviting people over to get their makeup done, dress up, and have snacks and drinks. M·A·C does the makeup for my shows, and I love all their colours and the makeup smells so nice. Getting my makeup done just now, I wanted to EAT it all! I just hope everybody loves their makeup and everyone has a memorable night. And, it’s so nice having your makeup done for you on Halloween – it’s a rare treat.”