Syndicate Volume One Class of 2015 Syndicate is a directory that strives to showcase emerging and recently established young creatives throughout the UK to highlight the diversity and talent that exists here. It is a platform that aims to promote new artists and inspire people to continue being creative and supporting each other as a cohort. Having always been interested in creative culture and the people contributing to it, the idea to produce a publication that not only focused on such but also featured the young talents of today was an important and exciting prospect for me. Being a young creative myself, I am aware of the struggles that come alongside it and the often negative comments of pursuing a creative degree, but personally I believe it to be one of the most significant fields to practice and an area that should be celebrated. Magazines have always strived for this and were always a means of escape for me. I reveled in discovering new creatives and expanding my knowledge of the creative world so when constructing Syndicate I knew it needed to include the work of the current youth generation and focus on showcasing their own talents and from there the idea for a directory was born. Syndicate is exclusive in that it is the first print publication of it kind, focusing purely on the individuals featured throughout and allows for young creatives to contribute to and promote their own distinct skills and ideas. Creatives have always had a tendency to stick together and Syndicate aims to support that bond by encouraging people to contribute their own work to the directory and discover and help promote the existing talent within the UK. Volume One focuses on the creative class of 2015 and features work from an array of gifted individuals and brands, celebrating the variety this country has to offer and aims to encourage the new class to dream big and work hard to pursue their ambitions because quite simply; if you’re dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough. Welcome to Syndicate.
All submissions welcome: syndicate.directory@gmail.com
VOLUME O N E
CLASS OF 2 0 1 5 SLIGH HOUSE
ABANDON SHIP APPAREL
MINATO SUSHI
CARAVAN CLUB
LITTLE BOOK TRANSFERS
CECILIA STAMP
LOVE SUPPORT UNITE
EMILY BINKS
LYNNE JEFFERIES
THE INC
PAIGE DAVIDSON
JAKIL
TIGER CLUB LONDON
AMBER SNOW
RYAN COWIE
ABANDON S H I P A P PA R E L
Richard Davies & Duncan Sweeny Clothing brand abandonshipapparel.com
Where are you right now? I am in my office at Abandon Ship HQ in Glasgow Do you believe that where you grew up influenced your work in any way? I grew up in Dundee, within my social circle dressing differently and doing things that weren’t the norm was usually made fun of. It didn’t stop me and probably made me more confident in my own opinions. Since then I have surrounded myself with more positive people and that has had a big affect on my influences. How did Abandon Ship Apparel begin? It began as a drunken conversation in a bar, like all good ideas, between my business partner and best friend. We then started the brand with £300, three designs and a website. What has been the highlight of your career so far? Employing and working with great people and giving them the chance to do something fun and creative. What is your favourite piece you’ve created? My current favourite is probably the Tiger and Watermelon t-shirt as it is just ridiculous. What is your creative process? I don’t really have one, I don’t sit and wait for inspiration. I just constantly make notes and then when I get a chance work on the concepts, either by making them myself or by collaborating with other artists. How would you describe your work/style? We are very eclectic, going from the insane to very subtle and subdued and back again. One thing we always make sure though is that what we create is great quality. What are you currently working on just now? Currently we are working on Summer 2015, some relaxed fit t-shirts and summer vibes.
What keeps you motivated? I love my job, its motivation enough. Do you have a motto/mantra? I strongly believe that PMA – Positive Mental Attitude – is a really important mindset to have. If you give out positive vibes then you’ll get back positivity. What are the best and worst things about being a young creative? The best is that we get to create what we want and have fun doing it. The bad is probably the lack of support out there for the people that keep their heads down and work hard. What does 2015/16 hold for you? Continuing to build our brand and creating great products and giving back to our loyal customers. What excites you? Getting new samples, its like Christmas day on sample day. You get to see what you’ve created in the flesh for the first time. What is your guilty pleasure? I have tried to give up sugar… so a Wham Bar. Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? Be honest and positive with yourself and who you are trying to reach and you’ll be fine.
CARAVAN C L U B
Where are you right now? I’m back in Edinburgh for a show tonight, currently in my old room in my parents’ house that my mum decided to turn into a gym as soon as I stepped out the door. It’s upsetting. When did you decide music was the career for you? Fairly recently, after I left school in 2011 I went on to study Geography and Sociology at Edinburgh but one day I did an open mic night and ever since then I knew a music career was for me. It was actually an accident. During school nobody knew I could play the guitar. All my friends were like ‘It’s really awkward coming to see your gig ‘cause we didn’t even know if you could sing and it would be so awkward if you couldn’t!” How did you become involved with Caravan Club? They were looking for a female singer when I was at college so I went to the audition and was the first to audition and had to sit through all these girls, but they called me the next day asking if I wanted to join and that was it. What is your creative process? I usually come up with a musical idea first, and build around it. I’ll let Liam hear it and we will take it from there. We’ve been playing together for so long now it usually all just comes together. We don’t sit at home and then write it and take it into the room, we just do it while we’re all there and then record it, take it home and listen to it and then fix it for the next time. What has been the highlight of your career so far? There’s been a fair few highlights this year - Playing at the Marriott Hotel and being offered a free recording session with Gorbals Sound was definitely a highlight. Supporting Fatherson in Dunfermline was also amazing . The most fun was when we headlined and sold out XFMs This Feeling at Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh. It was just amazing to see all the support. Also this year we’ve had the pleasure of playing twice at King Tuts in Glasgow. What are you working on just now? We’ve got two songs that we’ve just done, whilst I’ve been in London it’s kind of made us more motivated for when I’m back and we can do more stuff. So they’ll still be practicing when I’m away and they’ll send me stuff and I’ll add to it and send it back. I think we’re just focusing on getting our EP done because we need a product before we can do more ‘ cause nobody’s interested in seeing bands without one. What is your personal favourite piece you’ve created? When we got Lost and Found recorded, it was nice to hear the polished finished version. Currently working on a new track that I can’t wait to let people hear. What does 2015/16 hold for you? I’m going to continue with my music technology degree in London. EP launch with Caravan Club then a mini UK tour. Hopefully do a couple of solo shows with some electronic stuff I’ve been working on. What keeps you motivated? The fact I get to do something I love every day and get paid for it is enough motivation for me.
Liam Mabon, Laura Morrod, Alexander Targowski, Stewart Kelly, Imogen Toner, & Kai Wallace. Musicians caravanclubmusic.wix.com/caravanclubmusic
Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? If you don’t ask, you don’t get. So ask anyone for anything.
CECILIA S TA M P
Pop-Culture, neon, typography, architecture, my parents, old electronics and music. Where do you call home? Glasgow, although I was born in London. My family relocated to Glasgow when I was five as my Dad started working at the GSA in the History of Architecture Dept. Do you believe that where you grew up influenced your work in any way? Yes. From one big city to another, I have always been surrounded and influenced by buildings, the man-made and industry.
Cecilia Stamp Jewellery, textiles & print designer. ceciliastamp.co.uk
What age did you have an interest in jewellery and jewellery design? I’ve always had an interest in art as a whole, from drawing to making things when I was a child. I never went to art school with the intention of becoming a jeweller though. That came after my Foundation Year, I tried out lots of different things and found I had a natural affiliation for metal work and creating ‘small sculptures’. I went on to do a Masters in Printed Textiles after my degree, as it felt like a natural progression to go on to. I think a lot of design disciplines really overlap and it’s great to be able to explore other mediums. Who or what are your biggest inspirations?
What has been the highlight of your career so far? That’s a hard question as there’s so much, big and small, that I’m grateful for. A while ago, being chosen to exhibit at the Galerie Marzee in Holland. Recently, creating a small jewellery collaboration with the wonderful Laura Spring and her amazing fabrics. What keeps you motivated? I’ve always been brought up with a strong work ethic. My parents are both very hardworking academics and career orientated so perhaps it comes from that. Do you have a motto/mantra? Try not to worry about what other people think so much and be kind to others. What is your creative process? I take inspiration from things I see around me, and either mull things over in my head for a while or draw and create shapes and make test pieces. Sometimes it takes a while and I need to play around with them for things to take shape or make sense.
What are you currently working on? New colour-ways of an existing collection and planning for a larger scale necklace project involving my screen-prints, as well as re-launching my website. What are the best and worst things about being a young creative? There’s a lot of advice and support available, and so many useful tools like social media, which are free and really make a difference to how you show your work. The worst, there’s not enough time to do everything you want to. What does 2015/16 hold for you? What are your hopes for the future? Expanding my business, focusing on new projects and commissions as well as doing music. Do you have any vices? Puppies, especially my sister’s staffy, Titan. What are you currently obsessed with? Wanting an ACNE leather jacket and eating Nakd bars. Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? Try lots of different things, keep going, don’t be afraid of making mistakes and be respectful of others.
E M I LY BINKS
Emily Binks Sculptor http://www.the505collective.tumblr.com/
THE INC
Catriona Oliver & Luca Bogen Ethical fashion business the-inc-fashion.com
Where do you call home? Home for me is officially Edinburgh, but half of my heart lies in Malawi. I’m a torn between the two places. Why have you chosen to base your work in Malawi? In 2010, I went to Malawi on a gap year, I stayed for 6 months and fell in love with the country and it’s people. Whilst there I met a girl called Alice who had just set up Tilinanu Orphanage, a girls orphanage that was home to girls from nearby villages. I’ve since returned to Malawi five times and feel such a strong connection with the place that I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. Malawi is one of the poorest places in Africa and there is much that can be done to create positive change that I had to be part of it. How did this project come about? Luca and I met in 2010 on the same gap year project and we were both desperate to do something worthwhile to help out in the country more. Luca has a degree in Fashion Marketing and with my knowledge of Malawi and its people, we decided to combine our talents and create a fashion company that would give something back to a country we both love. What do you aim to achieve? The Inc was started with the aim to create a self-sustainable business run by Malawians who otherwise would not have a job. We employ women in rural villages and train them in skills in tailoring and garment making. Ultimately we want the women to run the businesses themselves. The skills and knowledge we teach them is transferrable into their own lives and they can become tailors for their local villages whilst also creating garments to be sold in the UK. We want to pay a fair wage and empower women who otherwise would only be wives or mothers with no income. Women in Malawi rarely complete school and are often married with children by as young as 14 years - we want this to change and give women a chance to become something more. What is the current process for creating these garments? For our first collection we ran two different projects - upcycled denim jackets and accessories. The denim jackets are made using only recycled materials sourced from local markets and second hand clothing shops, as the profit made at these shops goes back into outreach projects. For the creation of the accessories we employed two men from the local woodcraft market who taught the women how to make crystal necklaces, bracelets, earrings and dream catchers.
What keeps you motivated? Seeing the effect our work has on the people we are working with. Hearing stories from the women about the poverty they are living in but also the love we receive back from them and their selflessness. The love and warmth that exists in the hearts of Malawians is something you rarely see in other places and that’s what keeps me working even when things get difficult. I want to give back to a country that welcomed me in as family, no questions asked. What are your hopes for the future? We want to grow the business and recruit volunteers to help us train the women’s group in becoming tailors. Our dream is to have a business that is run by Malawians and creates employment for those in need. Our next step is to find like-minded people who want to help us work our way to this goal. Do you have a motto/mantra for the project? Trust in your dreams. We are both dreamers and the worst thing you can do is to not believe in something that seems impossible. What’s the best thing about being a young creative? I never thought of myself as one until you asked me, but I guess being able to do something I enjoy and that I believe in. Working in the company of people I love and being able to see the work I’m doing create positive change in a place I love is amazing. And all the smiles, you could not believe how many. Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? One thing Luca and I always say to each other is to have patience and things will eventually work. We spent our first year of working together panicking and pulling our hair out at tiny problems, then a week later something would happen that made sense of everything. You should trust your gut feelings and go for what feels right, even if it ends up being a mistake, you learn from it and you learn how to amend a mess into something beautiful. Be patient and be calm, and the work you create will reflect that.
J A K I L
Would you like to collaborate with anyone, if so, who? Speaking of our inspirations; someone like MJ, Alexander O’Neal or Fleetwood Mac would be incredible yet very unlikely. Looking at current artists; Bombay Bicycle Club, Foals, Jungle, Blood Orange, Jessie Ware right the way through to Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, Solange or someone funky like Tensnake. What is your creative process? There’s no set recipe when it comes to writing for us. Songs can start from a practice room jam while others can come from just chilling in the house. It’s all about embracing the moment when it comes really. Some tracks we’ve finished in a couple of hours, others can take months. Currently it’s a mishmash of taking ideas to the laptop, to the rehearsal room then back to the laptop and so on until we think it’s done. What is your favourite song you’ve created? We just love writing so much that’d be hard to pick a favourite; we’d much rather leave favourites for someone else. It’s very much a continuous process; trying to keep our songs exciting while providing a consistent ‘Jakil’ sound. So making Jakil ‘Jakil’ is our favourite thing to do.
Where do you call home? Edinburgh is our home. Can you tell me a bit about how the band first started to where it is now? We’ve all known each other since our teens, early teens and for a couple of us, since we were bairns. The first time the five of us were all in the same room was through Edinburgh School’s Rock Ensemble, so we have them to thank for bringing us together. Moving to London together really solidified the five of us into what Jakil is today. Who or what are your biggest inspirations? We all have our own personal inspirations but collectively we share a big passion for 80’s pop; Quincy Jones, Madonna, Whitney, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac. All these artists in that particular decade resonate with us in a big way. Do you believe they have shaped your work in any way? Definitely, whether that be with regards to production,
songwriting or even how we perform live. There will always be a moments where we manage to reference back to an artist or song we’ve loved from growing up. How would you describe your style of music? Tight, gritty pop. What has been the highlight of your career so far? The highlight for us would be the big move down to London. We’re very proud of home and love going back but moving down really put a strong message on the masthead for Jakil. All of us under one roof, writing and recording in the music centre of Europe, if not the world. We hope there’ll be plenty more moments for the highlight reel to come though. Where is your dream gig location? Playing a Scotland show at Hampden would be really special. We’re currently really happy with our wee intimate shows at the moment though; enjoying the ride as they say!
jakil.co.uk
What keeps you motivated? We have a big drive to succeed in Jakil and although we don’t have a firm grip on what that means for us, it still keep us going. I think we’ll know when we’ve reached our goals but there’s a possibility that someone, probably us, will keep moving the goalposts and want to push us farther. Gigs, each other, recording, writing; it’s the whole package that keeps us focused. We’re doing what we love together and that’s pretty rad. Do you have a motto/mantra? We don’t really have anything that we can say to readjust or get ourselves back on track should we falter a wee bit. It’s just a mindset we have; we’re always there to kick each other on. What is the best thing about being a young creative? We’re lucky in that we have a great network of like minded people that we surround ourselves with. It keeps us inspired and its cool to know that there are so many of us in the same boat. Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? If you really want to do it, then do it.
AMBER S N O W
Amber Snow Womanswear fashion designer instagram.com/amberlouisesnow
Where are you right now? In my studio at home, in Derby. Can you tell me a bit about your childhood? I am originally from Sunderland, but my family and I were relocated to Borrowash in Derby where I grew up. I had quite a difficult childhood and didn’t come from a very wealthy background but I am grateful for the experiences and upbringing I had when I was younger as it has helped me learn the value of life, happiness and money, but most of all it has helped me become a strong and independent person. What age did you have an interest in fashion and design? Not so much fashion, but I’ve been very into design, arts and crafts as my mother used to be very creative herself. We used to spend regular time being crafty and creative together. Perhaps around five or six I started to grow a little more interested in it all. Who or what are your biggest inspirations? When it comes to designing, a whole range of things often inspire my work. I love to learn, to watch people and to understand societies and social patterns. I love to explore the internet and see what new trends are evolving before they develop into a mainstream high street trend. Creative prints, bold colours and statement colour palettes are great ways of expressing personalities, having fun, and addressing taboo subjects in society. Do you believe they have shaped your work in any way? Yes definitely! Conservation and environmental awareness is also very important and inspirational to me and I feel that my work is a good way of encouraging consideration towards the planet and it is something I enjoy doing. Within a lot of my work so far, I have tried to raise this awareness about how beautiful, interesting and important our planet is, I’ve always been passionate about the environment and I’ve made a conscious effort to be as eco-friendly as possible within all areas of my life. What has been the highlight of your career so far? Model Audrey Kitching, requesting my entire Dimensional Perceptions A/W2014 collection for an exclusive fashion video and editorial for Ladygunn Magazine New York.
What is your creative process? My creative process can often change depending on the type of project I’m working on. I usually first of all gather, research and collate inspiration, but sometimes the inspiration itself can be based around or even restricted by the particular requirements of the project or brief. During the inspiration and research stage, I have to consider how the research can be interpreted in a practical but recognizable manner, which ultimately effects the type of things I sometimes explore for inspiration. For garment detailing such as beadwork, I need to consider how designs would look when beaded; would they still be understandable and executed well when complete? After the initial concept and research stage, my ideas become more refined and I start to design and develop designs. During this stage, I often explore ideas through samples to question whether they would be successful or not. After the designing and refinement stage, and once I have finalized designs or ranges, I’ll pattern cut, toile and continue to develop shapes and silhouettes in their 3D for until I’m confident and happy with the visual balance, then I’ll make the final garment. How would you describe your work/style? I think the factor that distinguishes my designs or style is the element of high quality fit and finish paired with a bold and exciting visual appearance. I hope that my designs are recognized for how fun and interesting they are, but at the same time the buyer/wearer can feel assured that they are purchasing/wearing something of high quality and beautiful fit, which doesn’t have to be compromised or lost if they want to wear something that is fashion-forwards and expressive. I’ve always tried to combine my two most influential passions within my work, my love for couture quality manufacture and my love for fun, exciting, expressive designs, especially when it comes to detailing. I absolutely love embellishments, specifically the really time-consuming microscopic embellishments that take forever to do but look amazing. I think this factor in itself can be considered to single out my working style and may be the element that makes my designs so distinctive. What keeps you motivated? Like everyone, I too have good and bad days and sometimes on my bad days, it’s really difficult to keep motivated or even up-beat about things. I find it helps if I just give myself a bit of a break. After a day away from it all, it’s normally the responsibly of my work and the excitement of it all that keeps my motivated, I feel proud of what I’ve achieved so far and don’t want to let that slip. I know how fast fashion can change so that keeps me motivated too.
Do you have a motto/mantra? Just trust in yourself and ignore what others are doing and don’t concern yourself with others as it’s a tough world and you need to look after yourself! What are the best and worst things about being a young creative? I guess one good thing is that there is a constant search for new or ‘fresh’ talent within the publication side of fashion. There are a huge amount of other professionals who are searching for new designers to work with and perhaps feature within their own work, which is great and definitely helps with building a reputation for yourself and compiling a directory of contacts. Unfortunately, there is also a bad side to this and there are sadly people out there who will try to take advantage of you and treat you like you’re still a child. It’s very frustrating and from personal experiences I’ve learnt to look after myself and my work a lot more and become more analytical and skeptical about the agenda of others. I’ve also made an active effort to concern myself with my up to date rights as a designer, professional and business and started working with a contract for my own protection, which is very important and something I would very much recommend for any new creative.
What does 2015/16 hold for you? What are your hopes for the future? I have a new Spring/Summer 2015 collection called “No Youth” that I’m currently working on. I also have a few editorials that are due to be published thatI’ve worked on with a selection of recognized and respectable creatives. I also have another range called ‘Virtues of Venus’ and will introduce a new branch into my business called “Bermuda”, which focuses on simple RTW wearable silhouettes, paired with exciting prints, textiles and textures. What are you currently obsessed with? Sequins, beads and sprinkle sponge cake. Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? Ignore everyone else and go with your gut feeling.
W
W
S L I G H HOUSE
FIFTEEN WAYS TO SAY CAT 40ml Reyka 20ml Cocchi Rosa 12.5ml Pine syrup 10ml Lime juice 8ml Blueberry shrub 2 dashes of Icelandic bitters Shake all ingredients and top with ginger beer Created by James Macrae
Cocktail Bar & Restaurant Edinburgh slighhouse.com
W
M I N AT O S U S H I
“Minato Sushi is an East Lothian based sushi delivery, catering and events service aiming to provide Edinburgh and the Lothians with fresh, tasty, locally sourced sushi. The idea for this business came about after doing a year abroad in Australia. I was amazed at how inexpensive and readily available sushi was and found myself eating sushi most lunch times. I decided that Edinburgh needed a sushi delivery service and so Minato Sushi was born. We offer customers the option to have their lunchtime meal of sushi delivered directly to their workplace at a very low cost. This is a very exciting time and this is a business that I hope can grow as more and more Scottish people discover their love of sushi too.�
Jennifer Kerr Sushi delivery company minato-sushi.co.uk
L I T T L E B O O K TRANSFERS
Where are you right now? We are in our office/studio space located smack bang in the middle of Glasgow City Centre. How did you guys meet? We all met at North Glasgow College and studied Visual Arts together for three years At what ages did you have an interest in art? All of us had an interest in art from childhood. Mairi’s mum is an artist, Hollie’s parents had a keen interest in art and antiques and Nikki used to paint and draw with her gran as a child.
How did the idea behind Little Book Transfers come about? After graduating we got involved in the summer project, Somewhereto_Re:store, which was set up to regenerate an unused space within the city by creating a creative pop-up venue. We documented the on-going of the space for the duration of the pop up which was one month. This was our first mural together and this is when we realised we could possibly take it further and start a collective.
Nikki McGuigan, Mairi Hutchinson & Hollie Russell Mural, Illustration & Design littlebooktransfers.com
How would you describe your style/aesthetic? We work doing illustrations used to create private commissions, objects, live art and wall and window murals, ranging from small to large. Our work is often feminine and is inspired by nature and form. It has a surreal undertone and can often be described as humorous and whimsical. We also like working with blocks of colour, often pastels shades, which illustrate over and around. What is your creative process? We use Google docs to throw together mini briefs, which we can all edit live and insert photographs to create a document of ideas. We normally come up with small, basic sketches, together or apart and verbalise our ideas to each other. We often create mock-ups for clients using illustrator. There isn’t much in-between from initial sketch to finished product. We do a lot of our work on the spot and change things as we go when creating mural work. We work from the loose sketches we make but it is all very much freehand and we go with what feels right for the space when we turn up to different sites and locations.
What has been the highlight of your career so far? Having a five month long feature in the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow in correspondence with Generation: 25 years of Contemporary Art. We created a 25 year long timeline which consisted of 25 individual illustrations which we free handed onto the wall on the two balconies of the GOMA. We collaged and illustrated a selection of world history and art events that took place to create funny yet informative work for each year. What keeps you motivated? Knowing that we are working and doing something we love. If our workload is overwhelming, or even if work comes in, in dribs and drabs, we take it on and pursue it; what else would we be doing? We keep each other motivated because we are a great team; we work hard together, have fun, meet new people, create interesting briefs for various projects and companies and get paid to do it. Do you have a motto/mantra? Our company ethos is the belief in the effectiveness of visual arts. What does 2015/16 hold for you? We hope to secure a residency and do festival live art works or murals. We will also be creating printed fabrics and looking more into creating bespoke items such as crockery, tote bags, cushions etc. to sell on our website. Our ideas for a range plan have been in the pipeline for a while now. What are your hopes for the future? We want to gain more experience in exterior mural work and would like to do public art pieces and regenerative artwork. Creating window displays for big brands would be excellent as well as collaboration with fashion labels to create backdrop artwork/catwalk murals. We would also like to be part of larger exhibitions and establish our collective more. What are you currently obsessed with? Nature, birds, exotic foliage, floral, partial hidden female body parts, pastels colours especially mint green and tangerine, intense detail meets minimal, surrealism, awkward/imperfect angles and unusual compositions. Do you have any vices? For Mairi it’s tea, Nikki it’s coffee and I think we all enjoy a bit of wine and chocolate! Quite predictable really!
Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creative? Believe in yourself, have faith in your own taste, be forthcoming and open when it comes to networking, seek out opportunities as much as you can, apply for everything, e-mail everyone who you think could help further your career and don’t be shy! Even if you get a knock back from an application don’t be disheartened as someone is still reading your name and looking at your work. Document everything, everything!! To a high level! Stay on top of your social media platforms and keep in touch with the on-goings of your city. Take your time and take everything in your stride. Life is a big learning curve and everyone had to start somewhere. Even if the task at hands seems massive – you can do it!!
L O V E SUPPORT UNITE
Love Support Unite is a foundation grounded in Malawi, East Africa, created by sisters Alice and Nina Pulford, originally from Leicester, England in 2013. The project started after Alice visited Lilongwe, a village in Malawi and met Mercy Mkandawire who had been operating a feeding programme for local orphans. She then returned home to the UK to raise funds to build an orphanage for the children. In 2009 Tilinanu Orphanage was built and is now home to 36 girls from local villages who were chosen on a basis of who were most in need, many were orphaned by HIV/AIDS or sexually abused and even exiled by their families, believed to be witches. As a foundation LSU works to generate sustainable projects in Malawi. They recruit volunteers with skills in a multitude of different areas and invite them to the villages with the hope of creating positive change in one of the poorest countries in Africa. Projects range from small start-up businesses to rehousing the elderly and building schools. Love Specs are a promotional tool helping the foundation to gain publicity, recruit volunteers and raise funds. Most importantly they not only promote the foundation and help you to see the love but all profits raised go directly towards achieving LSU’s aims. The idea was born in 2012 when Nina discovered the material, now used in the glasses, that enables you to see rainbow coloured hearts through it.
The Love Specs were created from Nina looking through the material whenever she needed cheering up so she fashioned them into wearable glasses that became increasingly popular incredibly quickly. The first test at selling them came soon after with them being created with the intention of selling them at music festivals, the perfect place to spread love and the work of the project. The sister’s philosophy behind the specs is simply that when buying a pair of Love Specs you are both seeing the love and sharing it with a country that desperately needs it. Love Specs aim to create and spread smiles alongside creating positive change within Malawi, which is something they are more than succeeding at. In the past 2 years Love Specs have became evermore successful, having stalls and installations at a number or European festivals including Glastonbury and Secret Garden Party. Topshop sell them and the band, Rudimental helped the cause by branding their own, selling them on their recent UK tour. Alice and Nina have stayed true to their word and 100% of profit made goes towards achieving the foundation’s goals and sustaining Tilinanu Orphanage. The future of Love Specs and LSU is looking positive with huge plans for this summer’s festival season and launching an entire range of new products, including kaleidoscopes, scrunchies, handmade dreamcatchers, feather and crystal necklaces, to help sustain the projects currently in process in Malawi.
Alice & Nina Pulford Volunteer African Charity lovesupportunite.org
So far the projects that have been funded by Love Specs and volunteers include the building of Mkundu Primary School which educates 900 children, The Porridge Fund which feeds over 600 children every week, water filtration systems in a local primary school that can guarantee clean and safe water for the children and many small businesses for people in the nearby villages. This change has been monumental for Malawi and deserves to be known about as it something that is continuing to grow and help the people who need it most with an overall message of love and positivity.
LY N N E JEFFERIES
Where are you right now? In London, studying Acting and Contempary Theatre at East 15 Acting School. Where do you call home? Musselburgh. I never really understood how much love and appreciation I had for Scotland until I was living elsewhere. Do you believe that where you grew up influenced your work? Hugely. As I said Scotland really resonates with me, the people and attitudes are unlike anywhere else in the world. The sense of pride and community is unrivaled. What made you go into your chosen field? I had originally wanted to study Biology, but after freaking out about what to do with my life I wanted to join the Circus then after being laughed out of the career adviser’s office What appealed to you about the circus? When I was young I did loads of gymnastics because I never thought acting would be an option. I didn’t do it in high school or have anyone tell me I could be an artist if I wanted. I used to do gymnastics and there was this girl who I just thought she was the coolest person and she actually left and joined the circus – she done hula hoops and the stuff on stilts and I thought it was amazing so I wanted to run away to the circus and my careers advisor laughed at me. I did my research and discovered that being an actor was actually a possibility. Being very dramatic and s tubborn I decided I was going to be an actor, which was equally laughed at! What is your creative process? Whenever I am given a character its all about research and emotional connection. East 15 is a ‘method’ school. We are thought to embody the character fully, which means knowing everything about them; family, thoughts, and physicality… it is very thorough. Then I usually use that to find art and music that they would bring life to the character. Same goes for writing, being able to mold a universe around an initial idea relies on imagination and a shit ton of research! My course has a lot of creating our own work and pushing for change and I want to do that because then I have power, as it’s my own work. You can create it, you can do it, and it’s seeking out things for you to make yourself. The point of art in general is to change where you are socially, physically, anything, as long as you’re pushing someone to think about something, that’s the point and that’s so relevant right now because there is so much wrong with the world. In history it’s always art that does it, now there’s this whole Internet revolution, everyone sits and says everything behind a keyboard. Here we are all in the warmth of our houses saying how terrible it is but not doing anything. I feel like art is one of the few things that still goes out and does something. What keeps you motivated? I suppose I am the same little girl who wanted to be the star of all the school plays, loud and bossy, and I know I am an unconventional performer and writer; I want to make an audience feel something, to be able to experience something. What does 2015/16 hold for you? To keep fighting for the arts, do well at drama school and be happy. Hopefully having my play selected and staged and toured in Edinburgh. Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? Never give up; be a bad bitch and make things happen.
Lynne Jefferies Actress & Model
P A I G E DAVIDSON
Paige Davidson Tattoo Artist facebook.com/paige-davidson-tattoos
Where do you call home? The Corrie in Clydebank since before I can remember What age did you have an interest in tattoo art ? I had always wanted tattoos and had admired the work that went behind them, but I first came out to my Mum and said it was what I wanted to do for a living when I was sixteen. Who or what are your biggest inspirations? Tattoo wise, Marcus Maguire and Aimee Cornwell when I was starting out. Do you believe they have shaped your work in any way? Not majorly, only in the sense that it showed me there was a damn sight more going on in tattooing, style wise, than I had originally thought. I love their work. How do you feel about negative aspects that often come with tattoos? I brush them off like I do most negativity. Growing up in Clydebank, you learn pretty young that people can be easily offended by “different” or “alternative”, so I’ve always grown up taking it in my stride because I would let other people opinions determine choices on my personal appearance in any respect. Do you believe this is changing with society? Yes, I do. I find it difficult to walk down a street now a days without seeing tattood folk. It’s great What is your favourite thing about being a tattoo artist? Seeing my work truly come alive. I’ve always been more than happy to tattoo what I have been asked, obviously within reason, but when it comes to an appointment that I’ve spent days preparing the design and then seeing the end result at the end of the day, there is truly nothing more satisfying. It’s such a fantastic feeling. What is your favourite tattoo you’ve created so far? It’s hard to say, because I’ve loved different tattoos for different reasons. I’ve loved a tattoo because I’ve watched a grown woman come to tears of joy, the tattoo itself being the name of her recently departed mother, and I’ve loved tattoos that start to finish, from design to technique, have been completely my own. Every tattoo as taught me something new, so I have a true love for them all. What has been the highlight of your career so far? Coming into my own from being an apprentice to becoming a full time artist.
What keeps you motivated? Seeing my clients smiling when looking into the mirror at their new tattoo. Regardless of what it is or how long it took me or how much preparation went into the design, I will always love seeing someone happy with my work. And on any days I’ve been down or panicked over a tattoo, I have my boss Derrick Burns to give me the occasional, and always well needed, kick up the arse. I can’t thank him enough for every time he’s done that for me. What are the best and worst things about being a young creative? I never think about the negatives, it would only make me panic and feel insecure, when really all I have to think about are the many possibilities I still have ahead of me at such a young age. What does 2015/16 hold for you? I’m moving to Barcelona to work in a new tattoo studio, Seny. So really I’m hoping the next two years will be everything I’ve loved from the previous two only in a completely new city and studio. What excites you? Too many things. The future, knowing I’ll be having dinner with my family at the weekend, buying a new urban decay eye shadow pallet, the squirrel currently on the wall in my front garden. What do you do in your spare time? I am a fantastically lazy person. Eating, napping and watching anything on tv from my boyfriend’s bed. That’s where you’ll find me. Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? Never say no. You have absolutely no idea of what you are truly capable of until you actually put yourself out there and did it. No will get you nowhere. Plus it doesn’t even sound nice saying it. Yes has always got me places I could never have dreamt I’d be two years ago.
T I G E R C L U B
What age did you have an interest in fashion/accessories? From a very early age, my mum and auntie used to dress my cousin and me in matching outfits because we looked like twins, think that’s where it all started really and the Spice Girls, I had to have all the outfits. How did TigerClub London come about? TigerClub London came about Halloween 2013, I wanted to go as Mystic Meg but couldn’t find a turban to finish the outfit so I made one and embellished it. My friends then wanted them and I started selling them on Depop just to make some extra cash. Then in November 2014 the Assistant Buyer for hats at Fenwick brought one via Depop and messaged me asking if I’d come for a meeting and potentially supply so I did and the turbans ended up in store that November, it all happened very fast. Who or what are your biggest inspirations? Designers such as Charlotte Simone and Sophia Webster, they’ve found their niches, started out like me and look at them now. Also Sarah Jessica Parker in SATC, I always have those ‘what would Carrie wear?’ situations. Lastly and most important my family, they motivated me to do this full time and work hard at it. Do you believe they have shaped your work in any way? Yes definitely, for my motivation. I follow the other designers on Instagram and seeing them grow makes me keep at it and not give up when the hurdles come along. What is your creative process? I normally keep up with the latest catwalks and trends for the upcoming seasons and start from that, also taking inspirations from street style and Tumblr. I’ll identify a trend and start a collection from there. What has been the highlight of your career so far? Seeing my turbans in store at Fenwick. It’s so rewarding and crazy to see your hats that you’ve hand embellished in such a luxe store. What are you currently working on? Currently working on two new collections, all I can say is they’re very glam, and a complete new style. Do you have a motto/mantra? Everything eventually connects.
Where do you call home? Brighton Do you believe that where you grew up influenced your work in any way? Definitely, growing up in Brighton gave me many chances to be creative, whether it be painting plates over lunch with my mum or just going down the lanes seeing all the hand made clothes. I loved it.
What are the best and worst things about being a young creative? Probably worst would be funding it, the struggle to live and create is hard to balance, also the fact that people will take advantage and you can get stung big time. The best, that I’m free to explore, constantly create and see your product from pen and paper to on the shop floors. What does 2015/16 hold for you? World domination, joking! Probably to get my new collections out there, expand to more stores and have a showroom.
Megan Horscraft Accessories brand tigerclublondon.com
Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? NEVER give up!
R Y A N COWIE
Ryan Cowie Fashion designer instagram.com/ryanncowie
At what age did you realize you were interested in fashion? I was about fourteen and had a project in fourth year art where we had to design outfits, I designed heaps and everyone else done one or two and I started wondering if I could actually make them and then that was it. I got a placement at a wedding dress shop where they made the dresses and then worked there for a year, from there I got obsessed with it and thought; ‘Lets just do this!’ How did you go about pursuing your current career? Dropped graphic design. Did higher art, made sure I picked the fashion route, basically ignored the expressive side. I made a handbag, it was the first thing I ever made, the first thing I ever used a sewing machine on and it was awful. It was white cotton that I dyed with green ink then embroidered flowers on it. It was so ugly. What or who are your biggest inspirations? Women. My Grandma and my mum, my sisters are quite like them, so all the women in my family. Thierry Mugler from the 80s, he’s my favourite. I’m also really into architecture because it makes your body look more aggressive.
Where do you call home? Aberdeen What did you dream of being when you grew up? I originally wanted to be a graphic designer. In high school I was really into Anime and I loved drawing. The precision side of graphics is what appealed to me, I like all the straight lines and everything being measured and it has helped with my pattern cutting now and I think my designs now are quite graphic. What is your earliest memory? We have loads of family videos so I get confused between memory and that. I used to be obsessed with cleaning when I was little. My grandma and my mum were both cleaners and there’s a video of me when we were in Spain and all I would do is walk around the apartment with this mop and mop the floors.
Can you tell me a bit about your childhood? I’m the youngest of four, my brother is ten years older than me, and my sisters are five and three years older than me. I was brought up around women a lot. My mum worked in a community centre and on Thursdays they had lunches for the pensioners and I would go with her and be around all these old women, which I loved. Do you believe where you grew up influenced your work in any way? Yes, it’s made me want to design for women. I couldn’t design menswear, I would get bored, I barely care what I’m wearing. There was always a really strong feminist vibe in my family. My Grandma was the boss bitch of our family, my ex used to say my family are like a mafia and my Grandma was definitely the top dog. My thing is to try and make women look scary to men because the women in my family are quite scary.
Are there any specific architects who inspire you? I’m obsessed with Zaha Hadid, her buldings are either really curvy or angular, I love that. I also really like Art Nouveau, it’s so pretty even though it’s not my style. Alphonse Mucha is one of my favourite painters, people say he made women look pretty but he actually made woman look sexual without making them look like sex objects. I also love Dali and Klimt. Where do you go for inspiration? I watch Sci-fi films, that will inspire me or I’ll find a random bit in the bible, I’m not religious at all but the stories are amazing and there’s some cool people in the bible. Like there’s a lady who had sex with a man and then when he was about to orgasm she cut his head off. Her name was Judith, she’s my favourite. She did it to save her village because he was going to kill everyone. So she got him drunk then seduced him and cut his head off. My favourite Klimt painting is of her and her eyes are half closed because she’s mid-orgasm, she’s holding his head and has one boob out, it’s amazing. The early testament is wild, God wasn’t fucking around in the beginning.
What would you say is the highlight of your career so far? I just did a shoot with a photographer that might be going into a magazine. I also got invited to do an event with Innis & Gunn, I got to go to their headquarters and do a video shoot. It was promoting designers through a house party and every designer had their own tribe of girls so we would dress them in our own designs and film them in the house party. What is the favourite piece you have created so far? It varies a lot on my mood. I got really into making bondage harnesses recently. I’ve just done a blue one that’s probably my favourite. What is your creative process? Find a kick ass bitch for inspiration. There is definitely a ‘Ryan Cowie woman’, which is an amalgamation of everything that inspires me. I suppose my Grandma is my muse because she was head bitch in charge, she worked, ran a household, raised kids, survived a war, nothing phased her. It’s her crossed with a dominatrix. The woman I design for is definitely mouthy, loud, occasionally quite vulgar, likes a dirty joke. Likes tight clothes, will flirt with men but wont sleep with them. Will use men to get what she wants. She’s basically just a bad bitch. What keeps your motivated? The fear that people will get better than me. Do you have a motto? As long as I’m making things that I think will make a woman feel strong, that’s all that matters, I never want to make a woman feel like a doll or a decoration, I want her to feel like a strong person. There’s also a Queen Elizabeth quote I like. It was before she went to war with the Spanish and she wore a dress with armour on top. And she said; “I might have the feeble body of a woman, but I’ve got the heart and stomach of a king.” I love that. What are the best and worst things about being a young creative? Worst is no one will take you seriously unless you have 10,000 followers and dress Rihanna. The best is you can please yourself because no one is paying you so you can do what you want. Regardless of what you make someone will want to buy something. What are your hopes for the future? Continue and build a business, grow my label. Be less mean to people. Be nicer to my boyfriend.
Do you have an ideal client? Dita Von Teese, Lady Gaga, Willem from Ru Paul’s Drag Race – God I sound like such a gay. Drag Queens in general, they don’t have to be a biological woman, just as long as they’re kick ass. What excites you? Fabrics, holographic things, power bitches from the 80s, architecture, sex, dirty chat with my friends and food but I don’t like posh food. Mince and Tatties, Mac and Cheese, Fajitas are as fancy as I get. What do you do in your spare time? Sew, a lot. Try and make as many things as I can. Make my Instagram as interesting as possible. See my friends as much as possible. Give my boyfriend as much attention as he deserves. Whats your party trick? Getting wasted of one drink, the lightest weight you’ve ever seen. And twerking. I sound like an awful person.. I’ll twerk for a drink! What’s your guilty pleasure? I don’t feel guilty about any of my pleasures. I don’t think you should have to. You’re allowed to like what you like and no one is allowed to say shit. Do you have any vices? Not really, maybe cheese? People are like; “I could go a smoke” and I’m like; “I could go a bit cheese and crackers..” Do you have any words of wisdom for other young creatives? No, because I barely know what I’m doing half the time. Deal with your own shit. Don’t bitch and moan, just do something.
CLASS OF 2 0 1 5
CONTACTS
0131 225 6936
ABANDON SHIP APPAREL
hi@abandonshipapparel.com
CARAVAN CLUB
caravanclubmusic@gmail.com
CECILIA STAMP
c.j.stamp@gmail.com
EMILY BINKS
THE INC
JAKIL
AMBER SNOW
emz3000@hotmail.co uk
catriona_oliver@hotmail.com
info@stickylipsmusic.com
thebigyellowbag@gmail.com
minato-sushi@outlook.com
hello@littlebooktransfers.com
SLIGH HOUSE MINATO SUSHI
LITTLE BOOK TRANSFERS
info@lsufoundation.co.uk
LOVE SUPPORT UNITE
lynne_796@hotmail.com
LYNNE JEFFERIES
paigetattoos@gmail.com
PAIGE DAVIDSON
tigerclublondon@gmail.com
ryancowie@live.co.uk
TIGER CLUB LONDON
RYAN COWIE
Created by Hannah Jeanie hannahjeanie@gmail.com