Designer Profile: Matthew Kingdom

Taking the big step from student to business enthusiast is a scary and tricky affair.  Many fashion graduates dream of setting up their own clothing label, but are often unaware of the reality of developing a brand and getting yourself noticed.

I spoke to Matt Kingdom, a 24 year old former student of Nottingham Trent University, who has spent the last two years setting up his own street wear label Mr 3.  He talks about the highs and lows of starting up a business in today’s economic climate and what lies ahead in the future for his brand.

What is the idea behind Mr 3?

Mr 3 is a social reflection on what is going on in the world and how I interpret life around me.  My inspiration comes from music, contemporary art, history, art movements, people, friends and family.  If a song hits me in a certain way, I’ll put that lyric in my design.  Every print that I create starts off with a complete concept regardless of cost restrictions, I just let my imagination flow without thinking too much about the cost to begin with.  Of course I have to adapt to costs as the design develops.  The name Mr 3 comes from three different genres of menswear, street, skate and urban.  I decided that the logo should be green because green is a positive colour, it is a go colour.  

Who is Mr 3 aimed at?

At the moment Mr 3 is mostly marketed at young men between the ages of 16-28, although I have made a few women’s t shirts to order.  In the future I hope to launch Miss 3, an all female version of the brand. 

Where is Mr 3 currently stocked?

Up to December 2009 I was in five different stores and had my Facebook page up and running.  When stock didn’t appear to be selling well in one outlet I would ask the stockist of another store whether I could transfer stock into their premises, it was only by chance that they were fine with that.  So it all got mixed around then it went down from 5 shops to 3 shops, and when that sold out it went down to 2 shops.  At the moment I only have stock in Nottingham stores.

How much would I be expected to pay for a Mr 3 t-shirt?

In store you would pay between £20-£25.

As well as selling in stores can people buy your garments online?

I wish.  We tried opening an ebay shop, but nothing sold! This was frustrating because we had put the garments online at a cheaper price than in-store.  My interpretation of shopping as a bloke, is you go into a store and try something on, you buy it if you like it, I don’t like online shopping and I think most guys think the same.  Shopping for men is more impulsive and unplanned, guys don’t want to sit at a computer for hours searching for clothes, they just don’t.

In the art and fashion world, who do you take inspiration from?

Because I’ve studied art and design for a good 15 years, I’ve always been interested in the freedom of the canvas.  I respect all artists hands down no matter what, even if it’s Jake & Dino Chapman, who are f***ed up.  From them to Andy Warhol the whole spectrum is incredible, one huge inspiration for me is Roy Lichtenstein.  I was in the Tate gallery on a college trip, and in one room there was one huge Roy Lichtenstein piece, called “Whaam!”  I stood about an inch away from it, and I thought if he can do it, I can do it.  Graffiti artist Banksy is also someone I could talk about all day.

What do you like about Banksy so much? I know he’s popular with a lot of art lovers.

I can’t talk for everyone, but I think there is something appealing about guerrilla advertising, and art with anti government, anti social messages.

What has been the biggest struggle in running your own business?

Definitely lack of money.  The recession has made it harder to expand the business, at the moment I can’t afford new promotion, so I’m relying on people who have brought my products, to promote Mr3 to their friends.  I don’t think word of mouth is good enough for a business to grow, but at the moment it’ll have to do.

What highs and lows have you experienced whilst setting up your own label?

The highs would definitely be the feeling of satisfaction when you see your designs on a garment.  I love what I do, so just being able to channel my creativity is a massive high for me.  There have been too many Lows, mostly including lack of money.  You don’t realise how much money you need to set up a business.  It seems like every day there’s something else you have to pay for.  On top of all this I lost £2,000 because of bad advice from my ex-business partner, he was unreliable in many ways, which is why he’s my EX partner [laughs]. 

Can you expand on that a little bit more?

I don’t want to talk about him too much, but he ran out on me at a critical stage in the business.  I lost my full time job round about the same time he decided to disappear, and because we shared a flat, when he left I couldn’t afford to pay the rent, so I lost the flat and ended up sleeping on my friend’s settee.  In a way, it was a blessing in disguise, it taught me to be more cautious in business, especially with my money.  And now that I have full control over the business I’m a lot happier, I get to decide how I want things done and business is starting to pick up again.

What’s in store for Mr 3 in the future?

T shirts are very versatile garments so it made sense to start off with t shirts, until Mr 3 became established.  Plans for my second range include expanding into hooded jackets with all over print designs.  The big plan for the future, in about five years, is to open a shop in Nottingham with its own in-house printing facility.  I’m already in talks with local designs Bantum and Mimm, and I’m in negotiation with Nottingham Nise skate crew, who I’m hoping to do some freelance design work for. 

The genius part is anything that can go on a t-shirt can go on any other garment or canvas, which leaves room for marketing any merchandise.

I’m considering going on a Prince’s Trust course to get some funding and gain more business experience, which will help Mr3  expand.

What advice would you give someone who’s just starting their own clothing company?

Keep on top of your finances, only involve people in your business that you can trust, don’t compromise quality to cut costs, from the beginning you want to create a good reputation with your customers.  Finally, build a good relationship with stockists, if you make a good impression from the start you’ll keep those contacts for life.   

Underwear as Outerwear

As the heat of summer slowly starts to creep up on us, staying cool and looking good in the process is a must.  It’s time to put your chunky knitwear back into storage and show some skin.  Smalls are big this season, so dare to bare and expose your underwear.

Photo: www.thisislondon.co.uk

It might sound daunting but the underwear as outerwear trend is proving to be extremely popular amongst young celebrities.  Amongst the brave are Sienna Miller, Lily Allen (who single-handedly popularised suspender tights) and Lady Gaga.

As expected, there is the danger of resembling a prostitute, if you decide to leave nothing to the imagination that is.  But if done correctly and modestly, underwear as outerwear can be subtle and very feminine.

And sorry boys but this is a very gender specific trend, y-fronts just aren’t sexy enough to pull this trend off. 

Dolce and Gabanna, Marc Jacobs and Prada are just a few designers toying with the trend on the catwalk.  In stark contrast, Marc Jacobs opted for a baby blue silk bra and a high-waist briefs ensemble, layered over a pastel coral chiffon blouse.  Whilst Prada opted for a femme fatale look, using black satins in classic hourglass shapes and small high cut briefs in place of bottoms.

 Jean Paul Gaultier S/S 2010

The last time lingerie caused such a stir was in the 1990s, when Jean Paul Gaultier provided Madonna with the iconic conical bra.  This year saw Jean Paul resurrect his cone peaks in jewelled coloured satins, with suspenders, French knickers and army trench coats.  His collection which graced the catwalks of Paris fashion week this year, was aptly named “G-spot”, and is a firm indication that he remains a master of corsetry.

The best way to wear the trend this summer is to avoid overtly sexy underwear in red and black.  Soft pastel colours are a better choice and draping yourself in fabrics like chiffon will prevent you from feeling over exposed.  Corsets are an obvious choice but also look out for delicate camisoles and team with a boy cut blazer for a striking contrast.

Twitch-Hiker

Photo: Scavenging.wordpress.com

Fiona Correia

Newly-wed Paul Smith, also known as the Twitch-hiker, helped to raise money for charity by travelling the world at the expense of generous strangers. 

Just three days after his wedding, 33 year old Paul Smith from Newcastle, decided to travel the world using donations from users of the social networking site Twitter. He reached out to users of the site for any freebies to help him travel to the other side of the world. Over 200 people lent a helping hand and on March 1st he packed a messenger back with three changes of clothes and his laptop then set off on his trip. He travelled 11,000 miles in 30 days, visiting places such as Holland and America and finally New Zealand. 

A number of rules were put in place for him to follow: he was forbidden from spending any money on travel or accommodation, he couldn’t arrange anything more than three days in advance, he couldn’t stay longer than two days in one place and he could only accept help from Twitter users. On completion of his journey he had raised more than £5,000 for the charity Water, which helps to provide clean, safe drinking water for underprivileged communities.

Paul Smith plans to write a book about his expedition in the near future. On reflection of his journey he had this to say: “I have been to some great places and met some great people and I am grateful to everyone who supported me. It has never been done before and what it proves is Twitter is more than just a social network site, it is a human search engine.”

St Patricks Day 2009

photo: www.timeanddate.com

Fiona Correia

  For over a thousand years St Patrick's day has been religiously celebrated worldwide. For many it is a day to hit the pubs early and consume copious amounts of alcohol, for others it is a day to embrace Irish heritage.

Sheffield welcomed St Patrick’s day by holding a number of events from March 14^th to 22^nd, including family fun days, a traditional Irish mass with musicians and an Irish crafts film night. On Tuesday 17^th St Patricks day, a large white tent in the city centre served Guinness as Irish music played through the streets. An Irish market full of traditional goods and wares also occupied the area for the day.

In the evening Walkabout hosted a charity event to raise money for Sheffield’s children’s hospital. Up and coming acts from First Base Entertainment performed on the dance floor in front of a graffitied dj box. RnB girl duo I.Candi sang for the crowd, followed by several MC’s and breakdance crew The Fugitives. With drinks flowing all night, the entertainment received huge applause from a student based crowd.

Katie Lloyd (left) a psychology student from Sheffield University was impressed with the nights lineup: “The music and entertainment has been really good tonight and it’s brilliant to know that it’s going to a children’s hospital. I think raising money for charity is a great way to celebrate St Patrick’s day.”

"2, 4, 6, 8, we don't want no station gates!"

By Fiona Correia

 

Crowds of people gathered outside Sheffield City Hall, to protest against the installation of automatic ticket barriers in Sheffield train station.

The protest march took place at 3.45pm on Friday 27th February from Barkers Pool in the city centre. Men, women, children and the elderly assembled in front of the City Hall steps, armed with placards and posters all opposing East Midlands Trains barrier plan.

East Midlands trains are proposing to install ticket barriers inside the station to catch out anybody trying to use the trains without a valid ticket. Unfortunately for many Sheffield residents, the barriers will prevent easy access through the train station, to the city centre or the tram stop and footbridge located at the back of the station. For many people the footbridge is a safe and well lit walkway between the City Centre and the Park Hill and Norfolk Park areas. The barriers would obstruct their convenient root and force pedestrians to take a longer journey around the station.

Leader of Sheffield City Council, Councillor Paul Scriven disputed against East Midlands Trains argument for the barriers: “Their telling us there’s no other solutions. Well what about putting extra inspectors on the trains. There are solutions, if we can put men on the moon we can come up with a solution, which means we can keep our footbridge open.”

Margaret Smith a local Sheffield resident and member of the Green Party had this to say: “I use the trams because I live at Middlewoods, so I use the trams quite regularly. If they put gates across, it’ll make it very difficult for me, it’s very inconvenient for me and everyone else.”

London Fashion Week 2009: Fairtrade Fashion

Photos: londonfashionweek.co.uk

By Fiona Correia

The British Fashion Council (BFC) launched its sixth season of Estethica at London Fashion week (LFW) this February. From February 21 to 24 the infamous LFW brought glitz and glamour to the capital once again, and for its sixth season running paid homage to the eco friendly side of designer fashion with its resident ethical group Estethica.



Estethica is dedicated to launching new designers, who are committed to using organic, fair trade or recycled materials, processes of manufacture, distribution and even disposal. Thirty seven ethical designers showcased their environmentally sustainable clothing on the catwalk last week. Danish label Noir was notably the most popular eco friendly designer at the event.



Peter Ingwersen the founder of Noir and Bllack Noir, their sister label, swears that the Swiss factories he uses to dye his clothes in, filter the used water so thoroughly, that by the end of the filtration process the water can be drank. The beauty of Noir is not only in Ingwersen’s eco-friendly conscience, but in the designs themselves. Unlike many predecessors of fair trade clothing, Noir is sharp, sexy and very on trend, worlds away from the tye-dyed ponchos usually associated with ethical fashion.


On the catwalk Noir’s models strutted in high buckled platforms with sleek hair and dark smokey eyes. The clothing varied from skinny tailored trousers, velvet box jackets and high waisted leather pencil skirts, to draped chiffon tops and billowing strapless silk dresses. The colour palette was predominately dark, with lots of seductive black leather, liquid satins and organic cottons.

“We all look to inspire the industry and consumers that sexiness, luxury, fashion, corporate social responsibility and ethics can work in harmony together without compromising look and style,” Ingwersen explained backstage at LFW last week.

Designer labels like Noir show the growing trend in fair trade fashion, with worries about global warming the world is now opening its eyes to more sustainable means of living, from the food we eat, the transport we take and even the clothes we wear.

Getting Frank

Photo: news.injuryboard.com

Fiona Correia

Talk to Frank's new television advert targets young cannabis users following a class upgrade from a C drug to a B drug.

If you switch on your television you may come across FRANK, surprisingly FRANK is not a man but a drug support network, that you can access online and by telephone or text. FRANK offers honest advice and support for anybody who might be curious about drugs or already using. Since FRANK’S arrival they have produced numerous television advertisements directed towards young people. Their latest advert focuses on the adverse effects of smoking cannabis, it shows a teenager splitting into various personalities, each one displaying different symptoms of the drug, some positive, many negative. The advert is aimed at people as young as 11 years old, who are considered to be the most vulnerable to drug peer pressure.

So what is cannabis? There are many slang names for the drug, such as marijuana, weed, pot, ganja and bud. The drug is grown from a plant known as Cannabis sativa, which contains tetrahydracannibonol (THC), THC is a chemical in the plant that creates the “high” users experience. The flower buds of the plant are picked and dried out then ground up and usually rolled into a spliff and smoked or smoked in a pipe or bong.

It can also be cooked and eaten, culinary users often add the drug to brownie or cake mixtures for a taster intake, slower drug release (an hour or so) and a longer high, these creations are informally known as space cakes. Because the high takes longer to take full effect when consumed, users will often grow impatient and assume that the drug is not working. As a result they will continue to eat more and then it is highly likely that they will overdose or have a bad experience. Short term effects of smoking cannabis include memory loss, paranoia and panic attacks. Long term effects include an increased risk of infertility in men and women, damaged lungs and mental illnesses. 

The reason cannabis has come to the forefront of anti-drug advertising, is because of the presence of a stronger strain of marijuana known as skunk. Skunk is currently dominating the UK market, 80% of all cannabis available on the streets is actually skunk, compared to a mere 30% in 2002. Extensive research links cannabis use with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses and young people are the most at risk as their brains are not fully developed until their mid twenties. This evidence amongst other factors has pushed forward the decision to change the laws surrounding cannabis.

In January 2009 the Government decided to reclassify cannabis from class C to B, in response to a review carried out by the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). The Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) jointly developed a three step system of warning, fining and arrest. If you are caught possessing cannabis as a first offence you will be given a warning. For a second offence you would receive an on the spot fine of £80. A third offence could lead to conviction and a criminal record. The penalties for possession have also increased from two to five years imprisonment, and penalties for supply, dealing, production and trafficking of cannabis are up to a maximum of 14 years imprisonment. The reclassification means that penalties are harsher and tolerance is lowered in the hope that frequent users and curious first-timers are discouraged from taking the drug.

 When I asked a cannabis user what they thought about the new advert, they said: “I watched it when I was stoned and it really freaked me out, but if I’m honest it wouldn’t put me off smoking weed, I’ve been doing it for too long.”

If you need any help or advice on drugs visit www.talktofrank.com