Creative Business: Gemma Shiel of Lazy Oaf
Gemma Shiel: After leaving university with a degree in textile design and screen printing in 2001, I was a little bit shell-shocked about to do with my life. I was also in a state of flux about whether to be an illustrator or textile designer; or even sure what a textile designer was. Having been printing t-shirts for friends for a while, one day it dawned on me that I could actually start charging for them. So I set up a little printing press in my dad's garage using a door on two legs, began making t-shirts and selling them on a market stall in Spitalfields whilst also working two jobs.
Eventually, things just started to work out. People started buying things from my shop, and I began thinking I could make this into a business - and twelve years later, here we are! Not many people know this, but I actually started as a menswear brand printing mens t-shirts before diversifying.
Was there a moment that felt like a big break?
There have been lots of key moments. The first time I got into a shop, I walked in there with my catalogue and remember shaking and sweating. I really had to push myself to show people what I'd been working on, so getting my first stockist was a real triumph for me. Getting into Selfridges was another real achievement. Opening my shop in Soho was massive. I could go on forever.
Above left: Lazy Oaf mood board, Above right: Gemma Shiel
In reaching such milestones, has it been difficult to keep the brand true to its original playful roots?
Not really. I think that's what we do best, and we've actually done it more and more as we've grown. At the beginning, I was confined to a t-shirt panel. Now that we've expanded and are producing all kinds of garments, we can push our sense of humour in more places. It's vital to keep those original elements of oddity and humour, keeping it a little bit weird at the same time.
Are you personally behind all the illustrations and designs?
I do the majority of the illustration, although I've expanded the creative team and have two assistant designers. I've also been working with another graphic artist, John Slade, on menswear for a few seasons. Our styles really compliment each other. He has a real cartoon pop style, which I love.
Occasionally, we do small collaborations with other illustrators and artists, as well as playing around with some iconic art work. We've done a Batman collection in the past, and are just about to do a Looney Tunes range too.
Above: The Lazy Oaf office
What other artists, designers and illustrators are currently on your radar?
We've just recently worked with Anna Lomax on our Lazy Oaf lookbook, I really love her work and sculptures. I'm also great friends with Rosy Nicholas, who is amazing in her printmaking and collaborations with Fred Butler. I love Mike Perry and Andy Rementer, and have been a massive fan with David Shrigley since forever.
How do you balance the creative and business roles that your job requires?
That's the difficult bit. It's hard to be creative and then switch your business side on. I have to divide my time up. On a Monday I might be doing business, admin and human resources, and then on Tuesday through Thursday I'll work on designing. I'm also building up quite a good team, so that I can delegate as much as possible. I never, ever want to give up the creative reigns though. That's the reason Lazy Oaf was started and the bit I enjoy most.
Above: Lazy Oaf winter '13 collection
Do you and the team have a particular routine that gets you into your creative mode?
Everyone on the team does their own research before any creative meeting. We don't rely on trends or anything particularly fashion-forward. We all collect images that appeal to us personally; it could be anything from an image of Homer Simpson, to a dog dressed in a top hat or something ridiculous found on Tumblr. Something will spark an idea, and from there we build a massive mood board at the beginning of each season. That then triggers us to start developing a collection and expanding on our creative ideas.
It's like pulling things from the depths of the internet. I often like referencing the 90's, the era when I was a teenager. That's always the time that I hark back to and feel the most affinity with. Cartoons, junk food and things collected through the ages have all served their purpose in inspiring different designs along my creative travels.
What's your favorite Lazy Oaf product of the moment and how would you wear it?
fIt changes all the time; I fall in and out of love because I see them so much. Like most creative people, I normally start hating something once it's finished - and always think it could be better. The Looney Tunes stuff is my current favourite. I'm really excited about the massive Bugs Bunny jumper that sort of drowns me, as it almost comes down to my knees. If I can manage to find a pair of sweet pale pink shoes to pair it with, I'll be really happy.
Above: Lazy Oaf x Looney Tunes
How did the collaboration with Looney Tunes come about?
We worked with Warner Bros. previously when doing the Batman collection, and both of us were very pleased with how that went. Looking at what else Lazy Oaf could do with them, Looney Tunes struck a chord considering the plethora of characters and licenses they look after. It's also in keeping with the 90's nostalgia we often reference: the time when all the Warner Bros. stores were around and the peak of the Iceberg fashion sense; those denim shirts with the Looney Tunes characters stiched on them. I wanted to have a modern take on that, which isn't something I've seen anyone do in fashion. There have been takes on Disney, but there's something great about the weirdness and darkness of Looney Tunes.
You've done other collaborations with companies like Kickers and Nasty Gal. What's the most enjoyable aspect of working in this way?
The good thing about collaborations is getting to apply yourself as a brand to things you wouldn't usually do. We try and choose collaborations that reflect the brand or people we want to work with, and avoid doing anything too alien from us. It's also nice to reach different customers that normally wouldn't be introduced to your brand.
Above: Lazy Oaf Winter '13 menswear collection
What's the number one piece of advice you would give to someone dreaming of following in your footsteps?
You need to have sheer determination to succeed. You also need to be able to test your product without spending loads of money, which you can do with small online stores or by setting up a market stall as I did. This allows for meeting your customer, talking to people about the product and getting instant feedback.
Nothing is easy about running your own business and I've made a million mistakes. I've lost loads of money along the way too, and there have been several points where I wasn't feeling sure it was worth it. But if you have determination and a good product, things should go well.
