1. Where do you take your inspiration from? Personally I think everyone has to have their own style otherwise we’d all dress the same but I mainly pick up things from different people and mix together as much as I can. Normal everyday would be from designers like; Samuel Ross and Rei Kawakubo as well as fashion icons like Luka Sabbat, Ian Connor and Virgil Abloh. 2. What was it that first motivated you to start the brand? I think realising there is a gap in the market which is in-between street-wear and smart has pushed me towards starting it, having a fit in your mind and not being able to find the clothes to bring that to life can get annoying so why not make them. I like the idea of expressing your visions and experimenting with materials and ideas which is mainly linking artwork into fashion. Street-wear having blown up massively in the past 3-4 years and has seen a lot people trying to emulate brands like supreme only to conclude in the gildan printed tshirts to be stored in the loft. 3. How would you describe your style? My style is quite varied in the way I dress. I’ve been wearing brands like Bape for at least 6 years now and still to this day, I’d say they are more a casual wear now. My style can differ day by day but I tend to get more exclusive and harder to get your hands on items as I see a deeper value in them. Style right now is very much more the tapered cropped trouser with a more fitted t-shirt, it’s something that can be worn on a day to day basis and with a few changes such are footwear or jacket you can look casual or smart. 4. Do you think the brand will change as you change? (in the sense of will it progress with you) I’m hoping that in years to come the brand will never lose its true identity which is important because then you’ll just become another Zara/Topman brand (successful but not what I want). I think at 22 I’ve already got out of the mindset where people are trying to have every garment in the fit to be of a street-wear or designer logo flashing in people’s eyes. I think that will allow me to maintain the identity of the brand and not just follow the hype, but obviously you have to do so to a certain extent to reach out to more consumers.
5. Who is your consumer? I don’t think you can ever fully chose who your consumer is as people change with either age or whatever is hype at that current time. Depending on whether I’d want to make a lot of money out of it or do it for enjoyment would be how you chose your consumer. I personally would be aiming for street-wear enthusiasts who need to tone the hype clothing down for reasons being they’re getting older, attending smarter occasions or not trying to look like “GullyGuyLeo”- too much going on. 6.How do you approach shopping for yourself? My approach to shopping is as simple as looking in my wardrobe and seeing what I want to replace or if I’ve been thinking about a fit and I don’t have certain elements to it. I’m fussy in the sense I don’t particularly like high street as I don’t think the quality for money is good or even the copied style from higher end designers. Predominantly done online as you can’t really get your hands on much these days unless you live in a big city or you queue up for a week which can be difficult at times as I hardly ever have a chance to try on the clothes before I purchase. 7. What is your statement piece of an outfit? (e.g. is it the jacket, trainers etc) Being a crep freak I’d be inclined to say they are the statement piece but most of the time if I’m asked “what should I wear” it always boils down to the t-shirt/shirt. That is the item which is at eye level; it’s the item that you will never not wear in terms of weather and occasion. It’s nice to have a good jacket or trainers but what good are they on a night out? Or a sunny festival? Your t-shirt is number 1. 8. What shops/ brands would you never purchase from and why? Without being as harsh as possible I think brands like SikSilk, GymKing and HERA are what are wrong in the world of fashion even though I wouldn’t consider them fashion at all. Putting an old English font logo on tight fitting clothing cannot be considered fashion as no thought process is behind it. These are also the brands you see so many people in which makes me question why, but obviously a lot of people just want to look the same as love island contestants.
9. Where do you want your brand to be in 10 years time? (what do you want for your brand) Initially I had in my head to explode into the scene but really going into the depths of starting it has made me realise how much groundwork has to go into it before anything is even produced. The designs, fitting, cost of production and research into the market. Personally I think these days if you get a feature on hypebeast/ complex you have a high chance of increasing your consumer. The rest will then follow in terms how much you’re releasing, how hyped it is, does anyone famous wear it and spotted wearing it. These factors are the factors I will have to look into if I want my brand to explode. But to answer it straight I want to be making enough to have it as my full time job whilst going around the world promoting it. 10. How much do you roughly spend on a purchase for yourself? Very varied in terms of how much I spend on myself because it can be anything from a £20 pound shirt to £400+ on a pair of shoes. In general most items are around the £70-£100 mark. In most cases females can look nice not having to spend much due to not wearing the same clothes many times but males tend to wear the same clothes various times. My view is you get what you pay for so why not spend that bit more to ensure the quality is there. 11. Do you think retail have much to offer for male consumers? Actual offering yes I’d say retail does offer males a wide variety of clothing especially with how quick shops like urban outfitters and asos see brands collections and then copy off the designs and get them onto the shelves. In terms of actual style, personally it’s not for me. 12. What would you like to see for the future of fashion & retail for male consumers? The thing with fashion for males is that most feel they need to get every item branded and it has to be a hyped item. This for me is killing certain brands, which is why we’re seeing a lot of street-wear brands now being hated on. Half of this is to do with famous people fronting these brands which then get the younger kids into them. Yeezy’s are a prime example, having bought out 12 different colour ways of the shoe over the time of the releases, less have been bothered about having a pair due to loss of exclusivity.
1. Where do you take your inspiration from? Anything I see that I like inspires me to create something cool using the vibes I get from it. I’m really open minded and it isn’t always necessarily other brands that I get inspiration from. Sometimes it’s locations e.g. Marrakesh hotels provided the colour palette for SS18 and that’s where the campaign will be shot. 2. What was it that first motivated you to start the brand? I have always loved fashion and been conscious about the way I look and dress. And when shopping I thought I could definitely have a brand in these shops one day that could compete with what is currently here and since then I have never looked back! 3. How would you describe your style? Hmmm. That’s a tough one! I don’t think I have a certain style I just wear whatever I like! One day I may wear a full Thom Browne outfit, the next day I could wear a full Joe Wilkinson, Haider Ackermann, Gucci or Balenciaga outfit.. I don’t really stick to a certain style because I appreciate every style (to a certain extent!) I love to wear my own brand ofcourse. It feels good when someone compliments it when I have it on. 4. Do you think the brand will change as you change? (in the sense of will it progress with you) Oh yes of course. My second collection that will release in September is already so different to my first collection. I think my brand will change a lot for the first few years until I settle into a certain style/fit I am known for. But even then I will be trying to switch it up a lot to keep it interesting! 5. Who is your consumer? I don’t aim for a particular age range, but due to the style and fit of my current collection it tends to attract ages 18-25. My goal consumer for the future is both male and to expand into female, that are into high end fashion.. (any age) I use a lot of Japanese fabrics in my brand for 2 reasons, first reason is that I think it is the best quality fabric in the world (denim, jersey and technical outerwear) and secondly because I love the Japanese consumers, the style over there is amazing. They appreciate the luxury fabrics and really appreciate the fact something is made in London, England. 6. How do you approach shopping for yourself I do a bit of everything really, I shop online a lot and love to shop in London. I am there 3/4 days a week too at the factory which helps. It is the best place by far! I love the department stores (Selfridges/harrods) but the boutiques are so much better have a much wider range.
7. What is your statement piece of an outfit? (e.g. is it the jacket, trainers etc) Has to be a jacket! I would happily throw on a pair of stan smiths, H&M cropped trousers, uni qlo plain t shirt with a Gucci jacket, Balenciaga coat, J.W Anderson denim or a Joe Wilkinson Bomber.. I think a nice jacket completes an outfit. If not the jacket it would be nice knitwear. Balenciaga have released some amazing knitwear this season too! 8. What shops/ brands would you never purchase from and why? I never say never to any brand anymore. I didn’t think a year ago I would be wearing Balenciaga clothing but styles change, creative direction changes and it is now since Demna Gvasalia took over, one of my favourite brands. The same as Gucci with Alessandro Michele. 9. Where do you want your brand to be in 10 years time? (what do you want for your brand) 10 years is a long time... I would hope in 10 years that my brand will be globally and I will have boutiques all over the world. As I said above I really like the Asian market, Japan (Tokyo) is where I would love a huge store. I would also love to do some collaborations with other brands I love and with some celebrity fashion icons. 10. How much do you roughly spend on a purchase for yourself? It varies every time I shop I can’t really have a rough guess because it is always so different. 11. Do you think retail have much to offer for male consumers? Yes sooo much. There is cool stuff everywhere! You just have to look. I think the good thing about the high street shops is they provide people the cheaper alternatives so everyone can look and dress well. But of course I feel there are still huge gaps in the market that I hope to fill. 12. What would you like to see for the future of fashion & retail for male consumers? I would love to see prices reduced as they are just so high right now which I fully understand is necessary for the big companies but I would love to see more people wearing gucci, Balenciaga etc! I would also love to see more people creating brands with a unique style and fit and not so many streetwear/cheap alternative style new brands.
1. Where do you take inspiration from for your drag character? I take my inspiration from all the people around me and other famous people, however i cant say there is one person in particular that gives me all my inspiration 2. Do you find it daunting when shopping for your drag character? I do when alone, but shopping with friends and other drag queens boosts my confidence to shop more openly 3. What shops do you go in and why? I love Primark, New Look and other budget shops as you can get an outfit thats quite plain and customize it yourself 4. How do you prefer to shop, online or actually going in-store and why? Shopping online isnt great as the size guides arnt too great! 5. Are there any high-street shops you feel cater to your needs (for your drag)? Quiz have quite fancy dresses but the cost is quite high for someone who doesnt to drag so regularly. 6. What make-up brands do you go for and why? I love Max Factor and MUA, these are bold and thick makeup that allows for heavy use 7. Would you ever go to a make-up counter and have a 1:1 consultation? I have never considered it to be honest but if i needed to i could. I dont think that alot of make up artist understand drag looks like covering the eye brows so i think it may be a waste of time 8. Do you find make-up just target a specific audience (for example women)? All make up is focused to women and i do struggle to find stuff that is thick to cover a multi-tude of sins 9. What do you think make-up brands could do to improve? I would love a brand to do a drag make up range looking and consulting with what people want such as thicker more bright and colourful stuff with glitter and thicker lashes 10. Brands are developing things such as apps that enable you to see the makeup on your face before you purchase, do you think things such as that would be useful for you and the drag community? Drag Make up is very different to your everyday make up so i think these apps wont work for me however they can keep trying!
1. Where do you take inspiration from for your drag character? Minnie VanRental is very much inspired by Broadway women and fairy tale characters. Think idina menzel meets Regina from once upon a time. 2. Do you find it daunting when shopping for your drag character? It can be quite intimidating and you do get funny looks when you walk into a shop as a 6ft man in his 20s who knows which bra he wants. Mostly I get in, get what I need and get out and try not to think about it. For clothes I either shop online or go to charity shops where people are nicer and happy to chat, and there’s often an older fashion sense which suits my character. 3. What shops do you go in and why? Charity shops have an older style which suits Minnie more, and it’s cheaper. Drag isn’t my job and so I try to spend responsibly. Online places like Amazon and everything5pounds are also good for bargains. 4. How do you prefer to shop, online or actually going in-store and why? Online as you don’t have to explain your purchase to any cashiers that give you funny looks but it means you can’t try things on. Returns are easier though. 5. Are there any high-street shops you feel cater to your needs (for your drag)? Peacocks and select are good as they’re cheaper fashion and have a range of styles and age demographics. 6. What make-up brands do you go for and why? Nyx is great for eye shadows especially in bold colours however things like powder, lashes etc are just fine from Poundland and wilko. Foundation I usually get from boots and their own brand is fine, it’s more the colour I look for. 7. Would you ever go to a make-up counter and have a 1:1 consultation? Depends on the cost but yes. I can talk to them about my style to get any tips and I think they’d genuinely be interested in my opinion and my story too 8. Do you find make-up just target a specific audience (for example women)? They definitely do as it is still cultural norm that only women wear make up. As more men wear makeup and gender as a social construct is questioned more, make up may begin to market to different target audiences more on style and personality rather than gender 9. What do you think make-up brands could do to improve? Showing men in make up but still in a everyday and casual setting. Show the use of make up and how it can change your features to how you want them to be seen. 10. Brands are developing things such as apps that enable you to see the makeup on your face before you purchase, do you think things such as that would be useful for you and the drag community? Yes but only To an extent. There are so many makeup styles it would be hard to see how you apply that product until you get it. Things like eye shadow and liners can be used for multiple different parts of your make up too and these apps would only show their primary intended use