Blacksmith Q&A

The Blacksmith AW15 collection includes printed tees, hoodies, sweats, pullovers, embroided caps and beanies, as well as a few pieces designed on Dickies and Champion gear.

To find out more about the brand and what inspired the new collection, Mixmag spoke with owner and designer Tom.

What initially inspired you to create Blacksmith?

The idea came from a lack of diversity in the UK and in particular London's retail offerings. Although there are obviously loads of amazing stores in London, so many brands cross over and are almost too readily available. A lot of the stuff I wanted to buy as a consumer was either only available overseas or too new to be recognised by some of the bigger retailers. I wanted to create a platform for people to browse and shop products by brands and individuals who weren't getting the exposure they deserved in the UK.

The brand has a strong skateboarding aesthetic; did you have this in mind whilst creating the brand?

The brand has always had strong ties to skateboarding as we were producing decks and hardware for several years before we started the store. Everyone involved in the design, photography and production elements of Blacksmith met through skateboarding so it's something we will always hold dear and owe a lot to.

What do you think sets London skate style apart from other skaters around the world?

I think the main difference between London skaters when compared with people who grew up skating in mainland Europe or even the States is the style that comes with skating rough, unforgiving ground. We've never really been blessed with an abundance of the smooth pavements and streets that you might find overseas, it's something that becomes instantly obvious when you see an outsider skate London for the first time. Our perception of skateable terrain is leagues apart from other cities.

What thought process goes into creating a new collection?

To be honest I tend to make products based simply on what I and the people around me want to be wearing. The in-house brand was started to cater for the people who I spend time with and I continue to make products for that reason, luckily other people seem into it so it works well for us. I think it's this focus which helps to maintain some consistency between collections.

The current collection was shot by London-based photographer Vicky Grout, what drew you to her style of photography?

Vicky has shot a few collections for us, I've been a huge fan of her work for while and there are very few people I trust shooting for Blacksmith. She has always got what we're about with little to no direction and has the ability to capture our aesthetic perfectly.

What sets your current collection apart from other streetwear collections?

The main thing which separates Blacksmith from other brands is the fact that every aspect of our output is closely linked back to us on a personal level. Every detail from the screenprinting and embroidery down to design and illustration is done by friends. It's a real luxury to be able to work with such likeminded people and I like to think that it shows in what we put out.

We see you also stock other brands on the website, can we expect any collaborations with these brands in the near future?

We have a lot planned for the new year, some of which involves working with our brands on exclusive collaborations as well as expanding on in-house product. I can't share too much at the moment but there are some very exciting developments on the way.

What advice would you give to others starting their own brand?

Do what comes naturally, don't try and force it because it's obvious and you can only keep that up for so long. Don't overthink it and don't reference Drake.

To shop the collection, visit the Blacksmith website.