JAMES HILLMAN
LUXURY FASHION CONSULTANCY. LONDON.
Senior direction from first sketch to wholesale rail.
Twenty years in.
I work with founders of small and emerging luxury brands — people building something durable, not something that photographs well this season. Concept, design, development, production. I don’t consult from the margins; I sit inside the work.
I take on the brands I want to work with. There aren’t many. Most start with a conversation — a fifteen-minute call, no charge.
OUR WORK SITS AT:
Selfridges / Harvey Nichols / Liberty / Bloomingdale’s / Nordstrom
“YOU HAND JAMES A BRIEF AND THE WHOLE THING IS HELD. NOTHING FALLS THROUGH THE GAPS.”
— GABI, FOUNDER, CASA MARANÉGET OUR FASHION ROADMAP
If you are starting a brand and don’t know where to start or what the steps are. We have created a road map for free to help get you on your way.
if you want to speak to us get in touch here
Where to start.
Three ways in, depending on where your brand is. You don’t need to know which one you need — that’s what the first call is for.
01 — We haven’t spoken yet.
Start with a fifteen-minute discovery call. No charge, no preparation — we work out where your brand is and what it needs next. If one problem needs proper working time, the Studio Audit follows: thirty minutes on that one thing, £250 + VAT, and you leave with a direction.
02 — I have a specific challenge or decision.
The Studio Session. Ninety minutes of working time, in person at the studio or over Zoom. £750 + VAT. You leave with a written Direction Document inside five working days.
03 — I’m ready for ongoing work.
Studio Advisory — retained senior product and strategy direction, season after season, from £2,000 + VAT a month. For defined briefs and full launches, Project Work and Full Service live on the Work With Us page.
Some founders simply keep me on hand — one scheduled hour a month and a line for quick questions. That’s the Studio Subscription, £350 + VAT a month.
STUDIO SESSION.
Most brands start here with us.
A focused 90 minutes with a senior fashion consultant. £750 ex VAT, in person at the studio or via Zoom.
You leave with a written Direction Document inside five working days.
‘He took his time to understand my vision and translated it into a clear direction for the brand. The follow-up document was detailed, thoughtful and gave me much greater clarity on the path forward with my brand.’
-Bushra a.
selected work
Casa Marané.
Ten years across swim, menswear, linen, resort wear, womenswear, accessories and home.
Stockists include Selfridges, Liberty, Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdale’s. Two flagship stores in Uruguay.
LUCA.
five seasons in. Together since 2020.
PERFORMANCE CYCLEWEAR FOR WOMEN, bUILT FROM CONCEPT. U23 CYCLE TEAMS, PRO-ATHLETE PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS TRIATHLON AND OLYMPIC CYCLING. COLLABORATIONS WITH LEBLANQ, THE CLUBHOUSE AND MANY OTHERS. EDITORIAL CAMPAIGNS SHOT IN COSTA RICA, MALLORCA, LANZAROTE AND THE ITALIAN DOLOMITES.
KOZHA.
Worn by some of the biggest musicians, sportsmen and celebrities around the world.
Men's luxury leather, built from the ground up. Bulgarian heritage modernised — even the name landed there. Kozha means leather in Bulgarian.
NADIA GIO.
A new Saudi luxury house
Edgy. Minimalist. Modern. ready for the world. Full service from brief to launch — concept, design, sourcing, production, photography direction.
BRÓG.
"We aren't selling." A three-word brief, a total rebrand.
Now stocked in Ireland, Japan, on the floor at BHV in Paris, Nordstrom in New York and entering the Middle Eastern market.
Women's luxury Irish footwear with a gold metal signature and the fada debossed into every sole.
