Find out everything you need to know about our new venture label G.E.M as we delve into the home and mind of our founder Gemma Shiel.
Do what you want…
G.E.M is all about celebrating what being a girl means to me; it’s about girls who have the balls to do what everyone tells them they would never be able to do – a reflection of my own experiences running a streetwear business for over 16 years! Launching G.E.M has also allowed me to push my ideas and creativity letting things get a little bit weirder and a bit more surreal, just the way I like it.
Be who you like…
Inspired by my favourite front women, the label is all about girls doing their own fucking thing! Madonna and Bjork were muses for the collection as I love how they have never conformed and are always playing around with their identity. I like that they change up how they look and almost become a new character or persona - it’s all part of their performance.
Remember your roots…
When I was designing G.E.M, I was looking back to my roots of growing up in Soho. In the eighties, it was very dingy, dive-y and sexy but it also had this very distinct air of glamour, mystery and excitement so I wanted G.E.M to have an element of that. Whilst it was moving away punks at that time, they were still the central London icon that I associate from growing up in that area. Punk has always been something that has thread through all of my references, but in my own way. I’m not starting a revolution but I definitely believe in being rebellious and not doing what you’re told.
Treat yourself…
Pottery is my therapy, it’s amazing. I can have the shittest day and then I get to pottery class and within about 10 minutes I’m completely chilled out. I do it in a small shed in someone’s back garden and there’s about 8 of us in a class. I just make really wobbly, clumsy pots but that’s what I like. I started pottery because I wanted a creative outlet outside of Lazy Oaf, where I didn’t have to think about creating something that I had to sell. That’s important to me because a lot of my creativity is commercialised in some form, but this is just for me. I don’t want to worry about selling it, I just want to worry about having too much pottery in my flat!
This is just the beginning…
We’ve already wrapped up SS’18 G.E.M, which is an evolution from the first collection and still has the some of the same ongoing themes. It’s something we really want to grow and turn into its own label, which could eventually standalone from Lazy Oaf.
