This week PAUSE talked to London-based, street style brand Empiyah Clothing about their inspirations driving their vision. Here is an exclusive interview about what they had to say…
So tell us how it all began – what gave you the drive to launch a fashion clothing brand?
Neither of us have a background in fashion or design but we both have a personal interest in streetwear and an innate entrepreneurial spirit, which ultimately drove us to create our own brand. Coming from such a diverse university like the SOAS (where we met) we were exposed to so many different cultures and histories and we felt that there weren’t many clothing brands out there that captured this.
Empiyah is inspired by historical and cultural influences from around the world. Which favourite moment or locations would you say has had the most impact on your designs?
It is difficult to single out one place or moment in time that has inspired us more than others but as a brand we are particularly keen to capture the diversity of different cultures and histories that have influenced people over time. Our first collection was heavily inspired by the art and architecture of Luxor in Eygpt and the Alhambra, in Granada. We are also inspired by people whose styles we admire, such as Va$htie Kola, Nick Wooster, Melo X and Nina Sky.
Where do you see Empiyah in the next ten years, and what hopes and aspirations do you have for the brand?
We hope Empiyah will continue to grow as we do. With every new experience, we learn something new about the world and we want Empiyah to reflect that. In ten years time, we want to feel proud that we’ve built a brand which has integrity and continues to be something people can relate to.
For more information on Empiyah:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/empiyahclothing
Twitter: www.twitter.com/empiyah
Tumblr: http://empiyah.tumblr.com/
Instagram: @Empiyah
Written by Yvonne Jay.
Edited by Charlotte Haggart.
