PT 4: Industrial/Vamp/Wytch

VINTAGE ROCKBAR

As a newcomer to London I have not yet become accustomed to the social scene quite yet. I don't believe it is an easy job to classify myself as belonging to any particular scene, I like what I like, I feel like a chameleon who is able to fit into a wider umbrella of scenes to some extent. A place of notoriety for me is a bar in my home town of Doncaster which I have been going to since I was thirteen or fourteen, although at the time it was to watch metal bands play or to support the bands of my friends.

 A live music venue and bar situated on St George's gate which opened in 2005, Rockbar is home to a spectrum of people with different styles, tastes and interests who bond over a mutual love of music and alcohol, of which there is a large variety.

Somewhat dilapidated indoors and dimly lit, the walls are lined with promotional posters for upcoming events and a number of collages featuring some of the most iconic names in music and inspirational films from generations gone. Perhaps vintage is not the word to describe the unadorned leather sofas or the fragmented tables painted with murals to Gorillaz and The Joker however, there is authenticity to be found amongst wooden booths and a basement setting for both local and foreign talents to play to an audience of around 100.  

With DJ sets by Loz Taylor, frontman of global metal band While She Sleeps every other day and the possibility to drink with the band and a number of other bands famous in that scene, going out is both an educational and enjoyable experience.

SKY FERREIRA

Maybe it's the blonde, maybe it's the angst behind those haunting eyes or even the melody in her gravelly, less than pitch-perfect vocals, maybe it's all three things and more; right now it is the music of 21 year old Ferreira which I consider the epitome of my style right now. Her rabbit in the headlight gaze and undernourished figure propelled her to new heights of fame as a fashion ingénue which gained Ferreira a considerable amount of notoriety as an artist after her record label pushed back the release of her début album, expected way back in 2010. Back then, when I first discovered Sky having come across her video for single 'One', Ferreira was full-faced and defined heavily by a mass of dark brown roots which ran seemlessly beyond her ears before fading into a golden mane. At the time, Sky was already well on her way to becoming an 'IT girl', having been photographed by Rankin and worked with Ryan Tedder; she wore oversized flannel with laddered hosiery and often heavy duty boots with off duty dresses more easily likened to that of Courtney Love. She was cool. I wanted to be cool too.



Fast forward two EPs, several album setbacks, seven or eight fashion weeks, a Calvin Klein ad, a Marc Jacobs show and a widely overrated 'drug scandal' and Sky has found her voice. Still seemingly awkward and with shorter, blonder hair (which she recently abandoned for brown after securing an advertising deal with a haircare brand), Sky has grown into her style and into her sound. Sky's debut Night Time, My Time finally took it's first breath on the 29th October 2013 and is an LP comprised of 11 anti-pop numbers more notably about personal struggles, self loathing and lifestyle posturing. There are 80s undertones in the full bodied 90s grunge but, enough electro to make it sound current. What I find so endearing about this album is that each song inspires something within me, or is reminiscent of something I too have face whether it's singing of emotional negligence on 'Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)' or coming to terms with a relationship ending on lead single 'You're Not The One'.

Sky's Debut 'Night Time, My Time'

What I should probably point out, a recurring theme if you shall, is darker undertones. Take my favourite song from the LP, the title track Night Time, My Time. With a video directed by Grant Singer, emotions are explored through colours and through characters over a crack of ghostly murmurs which vacillate between self loathing and sadomasochism and manifolds frustration. Sky plays Lolita gone Russian serial killer in this pulpfiction-esque ode to all the men in her life who have screwed her over.

Disturbia by Robbie Spencer for Dazed & Confused

PT 4 Interview: Thomas Tait

Androgyny seems to be a recurring theme within your collections, is this something you consider whilst you create or is it a subconscious decision?

I don't really focus on androgyny. I think my idea of femininity might differ from the standard or commercial norm but the focus is never to blur the gender boundaries.

You tend to design in muted colour palettes and accent in bolder hues, is there a particular reason for this?

No not really, I tend to choose colours on gut instinct. What feels right in the moment and what suits the collection.

I find your collections are rather futuristic, when viewing your a/w13 and s/s14 collections I envision these powerful women descending from space craft, what were your intentions in producing these clothes?

I'm always interested in things that feel modern and new rather than things that are literally futuristic. I like creating things that feel close enough to reality and familiarity but that are also far enough into the near future to feel new.

Would you say that you design for a specific woman/belonging to a specific subculture?

No not at all. I don't ever have a specific woman in mind, or a "muse". I sell to stores in various countries, the focus of my work and brand development is not focused on one specific culture.

Do you design according to your own visual aesthetic/to fit your own taste and would you ever wear your own designs?

No I do not design based on my own aesthetic. (I wear jeans and t-shirts most days) I do on occasion wear one of my own coats to keep warm but that's about as far as it goes.

Hope that's ok.

Thomas