Design Philosophy of The System

For me (Jack Hancock), design isn’t about rigid rules but about understanding material, context, and intent. I’ve always approached clothing through the lens of fabric itself—how it feels, moves, and carries meaning—rather than through added decoration. While ornamentation has its place in design, I’ve chosen to strip it away, focusing instead on what’s essential. The System’s aesthetic comes from this mindset, where materiality leads and every decision is deliberate. Imperfection, too, isn’t a flaw but a space where ideas evolve rather than end.

Historically, ornamentation has also functioned as a form of wealth storage—gold, jewels, and elaborate textiles have been worn as both personal adornment and material assets. Decoration is not simply an external display but a tangible connection to value, history, and self-perception. Garments hold intrinsic value, whether that value is socially recognized or not. Context is essential in understanding design—what something means, how it is received, and how it functions within its cultural and material landscape. 

Materiality matters, not only in the physicality of a garment but in its psychological and ethical resonance. The origin of materials—who made them, how they were sourced, and under what conditions—affects not only the quality of the garment but also how the wearer internalises their relationship with it. A person who repeatedly buys garments of impossibly low cost may, even subconsciously, sense that they are participating in an imbalance—an ethical dissonance that shapes their relationship with the item and, in turn, their sense of self-worth.

This understanding of materiality extends to the supply chain. Ethical sourcing is not about achieving an impossible perfection—tracing every fibre to its absolute origin—but about making informed choices that honour the people and processes behind the materials. The value of a garment is not only in its final form but in the sum of labor, care, and history embedded within it.

On imperfection—perfection, like divinity, is a human construct. Inspired by Japanese aesthetics, particularly wa 和 (harmony) and 間 (the significance of space), my approach embraces imperfection as an inherent feature of design rather than a flaw. In Western fashion, there remains a discomfort with the unfinished, a resistance to things that appear incomplete. Yet within the philosophies of deconstruction and wabi-sabi 侘び寂び, the unfinished is not a failure—it is an aesthetic, an openness to evolution. There is a distinction between a mistake and the imperfect: a mistake is an unintended deviation, while imperfection is an intentional acceptance of reality as it is.

Mistakes, in themselves, are part of the process. They are not errors, but miss-takes—opportunities to refine, learn, and progress. In many traditions, learning itself is the primary purpose of action. Within this philosophy, design is an ongoing dialogue, not a fixed outcome.

This philosophy shapes not only the garments themselves but the way I engage with the craft and the people who seek it out. My practice explores bespoke clothing, pattern making, and tailoring techniques, with an emphasis on understanding traditional methods through direct application. Precision and materiality are central—whether in the careful cut of a tailored piece, the refinement of a pattern, or the balance of historical precedent with contemporary need. Through this, The System offers a space for those who value craftsmanship, whether through bespoke commissions, ready-to-wear pieces, or learning the techniques themselves.