1/ Tell everyone what you do.
As two recent graduates from Grays School of Art, Robert Gordon University, we set up Elkbi. Elkbi is a Scottish fashion label with a focus on locally and ethically produced and locally inspired fashion that is hand screen printed and hand dyed. Elkbi was created to stand up against the swash of plain high street fashion garments. We stand for individuality and the art of producing one of a kind or limited run clothing editions.
2/ What prompted you to design clothes and why ‘Elkbi’?
We see creating clothing as an extension of producing art. We are living our dreams through our passion for exciting fashion prints. ‘Elkbi’ is an amalgamation of our owners names, ELK coming from Co-Owner Emma’s initials and BI a shortened version of Bison which exists in the surname of the other co-owner Michael Harbison (both pictured below). Also elks and bisons were two powerful animals that lived during the ice age in Scotland. This unique name goes well with our brand ethos of bringing something new to the market.
3/ Talk us through your first collection and share your future plans?
Our first collection was our humble beginning, testing the waters with what we like in fashion and seeing if others liked our take on the market. Thankfully it’s gone down better than anticipated so it’s all go for the future. Our first collection launched in Spring of this year with featuring hand illustrated Scottish nature, flora and fauna. Moving on from this we have created a set of designs which are due to launch on the 8th June. These designs are a lot more elaborate and graphic with a strong emphasis on trends and a striking monochrome series for summer.
4/ What are the best and worst things about working as a duo?
Best: Two minds are better than one, especially two creative ones. Worst: Narrowing down the huge wealth of good ideas a team can create and running with the best ones.
5/ What’s the most pressing challenge facing new Scottish designers?
Besides the obvious economic downturn in the UK as a whole the availability of assistance and start up help, particularly in more rural spots such as ours in Dumfries & Galloway, is a huge difficulty. We have been lucky to find a few helpful hands but it has been a fight to get out there and known.
6/ Which designer do you most admire and what would you ask them over dinner?
Vivienne Westwood. She has become an icon and a true fashion innovator by keeping Scottish fashion alive. She proactively uses traditional Scottish textiles and combined with her unique eye and passion she creates something very memorable. If we had the chance to talk we would love to ask her what makes her so passionate about fashion and at what point in her career did she finally realise she had ‘made it’.
7/ Tell us about your biggest fashion disaster and how it shaped your personal style?
I’m a bit of a walking clothes hanger and am often found wearing too much charity shop vintage at once. I think my friends will definitely agree with this. I think it is important to stick to your own style though. I Iike to adapt trends to my own style, collate and combine my own pieces. Fashion is such a personal thing.
8/ What’s your biggest pet peeve?
People who jump on our success. We have been approached by many people who would like to use our hard work for their own gain. We really appreciate what we have because we have worked hard to get here. We believe people should use their own initiative not ours – “A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to.” – Banksy
9/ What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Our friends and family have been amazing, and have really supported us. We can’t thank them enough for this and we certainly wouldn’t of made it this far without them. “Life is what you make it, be different.”
10/ Share something most people don’t know about you?
Even though we met at university most people don’t know that we grew up only 5 miles apart. However it took 200 miles to Aberdeen for us to actually find each other and cross paths again.
For more information about Elkbi visit www.elkbi.com, www.facebook.com/elkbi or email info@elkbi.com
frocktrade 