Feature Feed: Wear Carbs

Wearing Cyber Barbie Skirt from Wearcarbs

I LOVE CARBS, what can I say.

Ice cream, potatoes and bread are my biggest weakness, and to be fair I don’t want to stop eating these naughty treats, because they are freaking delicious! As delicious as the badass English brand WearCarbs.

Vibrant, fun and eclectic. That’s what I think of when I see any of Jessica’s pieces. I also want to go out to music festivals everytime I wear any of these, but I also managed to mix & match some of her key AW18 items to make an everyday outfit, believe it or not 😊

Meet Jessica, the creative behind the WearCarbs, and get a taste of what her unique brand is about!

Tell us a bit about yourself (brand/ creative director). Where are you from? How old are you?

I’m Jessica, 28 and from a quiet farm in Leicestershire (which is where I moved back to start CARBS). I’ve always been a huge fan of glitter and arts & crafts, something that my family always thought I would grow out of, but here I am!

When was “Wear Carbs”, the brand, born? What drove you to start?

After I graduated I did a few internships (some good, some bad!) but no one would hire me so eventually after a couple of years I decided to start CARBS as my last resort before finding an alternative job not in fashion.

Where do you get your inspirations for your designs?  

Fun! Everything must be fun, bright and colourful. It always makes me smile when I see someone wearing a bright and colourful outfit so that is what inspires me. I try to wear as much colour as I can (especially in Winter when so many people wear dark or muted clothes, I try to counteract it) and usually when I wear pieces from my collection strangers will come up to me and comment on my outfit. I like how clothes can create interaction and bring that out in people.

How would you explain the style/ motto of your designs/ collections? Is there a specific personality that fits best in your designs?

I don’t design for a specific age group or gender; my best customer is in her 60s and surprisingly a lot of middle aged men wear my clothes! CARBS are for those who are maybe a little bit mischievous and want to have fun with what they are wearing.

What’s the hottest item this season/ upcoming season?

The faux fur jackets have always been the most popular but I’m working on some super cute colourful sequin dresses for Autumn.

In your opinion, what works best to make a brand like yours more successful? 

Determination and hard work. The first year was hard because no one knew about my brand at all and so I wasn’t making many sales. I sew from the moment I wake up at 8am to around midnight when I go to bed again and I work every day of the week, so it can be very disheartening when you are working so hard, but nothing is really happening. I almost gave up completely two- or three-times last year and the only thing that stopped me from quitting was having a DM from a stranger saying how much they loved my brand. Tiny bits of support like that make a huge difference. Collaborating with talented models and photographers was also a great way to network and show my brand to a whole new audience and as soon as I started to do more of that my brand’s audience started to grow.

Feature Feed: Khyeli

London based brand founded Ahmed Alkhyeli, who sees the Khyeli woman as POWERFUL. Just how we like it! 

I must say I got hooked by the idea behind his designs at LFW, a collection that explored the boundaries of cultures, combining traditional British heritage and the current situation of Syrian refugees who once lived luxurious lives. 

The S/S18 collection follows the same patterns, and I can't help but notice that despite being a sucker for colour, this monochrome palette has got really into me. 

Let's get to know the designer and the brand a bit more together!

Where did you learn your trade?

I’m self-taught. I studied architecture for my bachelor degree. I was always drawn to
fashion, and architecture helped me develop more than an appreciation for the beauty of it
but also an appreciation for the craftsmanship and thought that goes behind it. By the last
two years of my studies, I started teaching myself how to drape and construct garments
through books and any video tutorial I can find. My curiosity grew the more I learnt and so
did my hunger for knowledge not only in the creative aspect of the job but also the business
aspect of what it takes to build a successful fashion house. When I graduated from
architecture, I took a short course at Instituto Marangoni in Paris called ‘the business of
Fashion’. I realised throughout that course that with all its challenges, I had a curiosity and
love for the fashion industry that I would not be able to give to any other profession and
that the accumulation of knowledge and discovery did not feel like work but was something
I did out of a natural desire to know more. In turn, I knew that this would be the career I
would want to pursue.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? Describe your aesthetic …..

It differs from when I’m working on a collection to when I’m working on a bespoke design
for a client. For collections, I start with an idea I would like to express. This idea serves as a
source of inspiration. For example, my previous collection was about the openness to
possibility and liberation from limitations of convention. This directed me towards the focus
on conventional, classic pieces of clothing with traditional ways of construction that
transition throughout the collection from very constructed garments made of heavy weight
fabrics, to a much lighter weight transparent fabrics which seem to be effortlessly wrapped
around the body and incorporating feathered dresses so light they float on your body to
symbolise liberation. Whereas when it is a bespoke design, the client is the source of
inspiration. I like to learn about them, their culture, the occasion they are dressing for to
deliver something truly unique and personal.

Ultimately, the most important thing for me is to frame the woman. I believe she
should be the center of attention not the dress she wears. I think the biggest compliment to a designer is for a woman to be told today you look exceptionally beautiful rather than that dress is beautiful. Often a dress that has a lot going on can
take over and end up being a distraction from the true reason it is worn, which is to
compliment the woman wearing it and draw attention to her inherent beauty. As for
my design principles, I derive a lot of them from my architectural background. I put a
lot of emphasis on materiality, form and construction. We only use the highest quality
of fabrics, we always try to have form be dictated by the way a dress is constructed.
Most dresses will look like they were not touched very much and drape organically
when in fact a lot skill and craftsmanship went into the pattern cutting, and
construction of the garment.

Who is your customer?

My customer can be of any age, and can come from any part of the world. She is confident,
educated and powerful while retaining a strong sense of her femininity. In her fragility, she
finds compassion and in her strength she finds the power to defend what she believes in.
Above all she understands that her value doesn’t lie in what she wears, but that what she
wears expresses a sophisticated sensibility and a love for fine fabrics and details of cut that
emphasise her individual beauty. She understands that garments are meant to frame you
rather than be framed by you.

Don't miss out guys, Khyeli is fierce.

Featured Feed: REO Jewels

 Meet Rebecca Ellis Onyett, better known as the creative behind REO Jewels. A 27 year old british gal spreading her badass jewels amongst East Londoners.

Tell us a bit about yourself (brand/ creative director). Where are you from? How old are you?

My name is Rebecca Ellis Onyett which is where REO comes from. I am 27 years old  born and bred in England. Studied my degree in silver and goldsmithing at UCA Rochester Kent.

When was “REO Jewels”, the brand, born? What drove you to start?

I always knew I wanted to be my own boss.

After my degree finished in 2012, I began working for the jeweller Shaun Leane; who taught me a lot about running your own business. In my spare time, I was still making and doing the “odd road-show” here and there. Sometime in 2015 I felt I was ready to take the plunge and I became self-employed. I have never looked back.

Where do you get your inspirations for your designs?  

Nature is my biggest inspiration, I love organic shapes and textures.

Having said that, I do get inspired by anything.The first thing I look at when I meet someone is how they wear jewelry, how its arranged and placed on their body. I also love antique jewelry and going to antique fairs or museums to look at pieces that have survived the age of time. I’d like to think one day maybe one of my works might end up in a museum.

How would you explain the style/ motto of your designs/ collections? Is there a specific personality that fits best in your designs?

I like my pieces to have a vintage feel and for them to be timeless. I really love how nature is beautiful but also deadly, kind of like a women not to be reckoned with, this idea plays in some of my woodland collection with the rose thorns and brambles.

I also love the idea of adorning pieces that mean something personal to the wearer. Different bones or teeth from various animals depict certain feelings or emotions for different people. It’s like wearing your spirit animal, which again goes back to our tribal ancestors who would wear jewellery as a way of showing their status. 

What’s the hottest item this season?
Definitely the new sea urchin and opal ring! Part of the new beach collection, ta-dah 😊

In your opinion, what works best to make a brand like yours more successful? 

You must be super driven and super passionate about it. I literally live and breathe my work. It’s a huge part of who I am. My pieces are like my babies that I’ve nurtured, watch grow and flourish. 

We know that you showcase your pieces at Broadway Market on Saturdays and WE LOVE it. What’s next? What are your future plans for the brand?

Broadway market is so great and for now I am super happy just selling via there and online. However, I do now live in Margate and would love to have a summer pop up shop here and in the future a permanent spot.