An Interview With Sophie Stephens

RIP YSL by Sophie Stephens

When I contacted the artist Sophie Stephens for an interview I was a little nervous. It was sort of a random email from a stranger and I had no idea what response I would get. Thankfully Sophie proved to be as nice as she is talented and she enthusiastically agreed to be interviewed by me and even offered to provide the above original artwork (which is so cool I almost wept when I opened it).

Below is the interview, enjoy!

1. You are probably best know for providing the illustrations for House of Holland's latest T-shirt range. What was it like to work with Henry? He seems like an incredibly nice man.

He is a very nice man, I like his idea's as they're fun and irreverent, I liked him as a designer before I ever met him and used his work as an example in my final project at art school. I don't think fashion always has to have great matter and be contextualized within an inch of its life, sometimes it just needs to be a cool look to go dancing in and thats what henry does brilliantly.


2. Have you had any responses from the designers/models that you have illustrated for the range? The Karl one is definitely my fave and I often wonder what Karl himself makes of it (You have made him look quite fit so I would imagine that he is extremely chuffed!).

Karl is fit! He's a god so he had to have the torso to match, even though all the torsos are actually mine and my boyfriend's, just skinnied or podged up a bit with a bit of creative license. I have no idea what any of the subjects think, I hope they like them.


3. Your drawings have a unique aesthetic and humour to them, how does a typical illustration begin life?

I used to keep sketchbooks but have gotten out of that habit which is a shame, they begin and finish in one day, from a thought or a saying or an image in my head or a play on words. i've just started a blog myself, hopefully showing the development of idea's although no-one has even ever looked at it I don't think, I want to use it to show progress, and keep it as a reminder for myself of idea's I have, as I'll be able to access it wherever I am, and most of my work is done on scraps of paper, so it will record everything, I'm at http://blackpendiaries.blogspot.com/


4. Your 'No More Heroes' campaign at Topshop was a stroke of genius. At any point did you fear the wrath of Topshop staff or Sir Phillip Green himself?

Every day that week the posters were taken down in the changing rooms, just for me to flyposter them again, I felt bad for the shop assistants who had to scrape them off, and now I feel sorry for myself, as, ironically I would love my designs to be in Topshop, the buying ladies who work there are lovely and helpful but have said quite firmly that they will not stock any designs under my own name. Weird! Topshop is a proper British institution for people our age, I feel sad that Phillip Green is now going to whore it out to other countries, even though its really only in NYC it's another step towards every original and successful idea being over used and worn out until its lost any of its original charm, nothing is special anymore, its just a potential commodity, it won't be long before there are Topshops everywhere and the whole world will be the same old high street.


5. What does fashion mean to you?

Nothing and everything.


6. The fashion world can be a bitchy place. Do you have any advice for those trying to break into it?

Gawd no - I could use some myself!

Custom Keds 2

These are my new custom Keds based on my illustration Face/Space.

They can be purchased here

Bin There

Designed in collaboration with The Design Museum and Beefeater24. I only found out after photographing it that it was designed by Paul Smith although it did seem very familiar to me at the time. I think that it is based on the smaller vinyl rabbits that I saw in his Borough Market shop.

I absolutely love this bin. I think Southwark Council should hire him to beautify Bermondsey.

Oh and the ears flash when you through rubbish in!

Trying a Little too Hard

Thanks to Britain's propensity for rain and a million-zillion outdoor music festivals Hunter Wellington boots have become 'down with the kids' shall we say.

But this new design (available at Urban Outfitters) and aptly named 'The Festival Wellie' is perhaps killing the new found cool factor of the brand.

It's a very a nice wellie but I don't know part of the fun of getting dressed for events is the unexpected and there is nothing unexpected about wearing 'The Festival Wellie' to a festival.

Oh and it's £145 so I think we all know that these were primarily designed for the talentless but seemingly omnipresent children of washed-up celebrities and the people who wish to emulate them (whatever the cost).

Urban Outfitters when did your accessories department grow up?