Louise Thompson is no stranger to the spotlight. The star of E4’s Made in Chelsea and a self confessed fashionista, it was only a matter of time before she teamed up with her friend Edward Page to create her own fashion line.
The pint-sized brunette and fellow Edinburgh graduate have now embarked on their own unique fashion journey, and their brand is going from strength to strength along the way. “We are living within the generation that has been encouraged to pursue dreams,” they explain, “it was down to wanting to forge a path and a concept that was ours from the off.”
Cue Pocket London, a luxury clothing brand offering an escape from anything ordinary. The brand provides a range of garments and features screen, sublimation and digital printing to make each one pop. The idea behind the brand was to create a lifestyle that transcends the generations and represents zeitgeist ideals, appealing to a generation of young people who get carried along by the traffic jam of life and offering them an alternative route, Page explains: “We are essentially here to offer them a far more interesting side road to drive down.”
Inspired by the Pocket of People living in London and using this spirit as fuel for their visual identity, the headstrong duo have teamed up with artist Maya Finkelstein Amrani to bring their expressive prints to life. They explain early on that bridging the gap between fashion and art was an important part of the development of Pocket London. “It is important to us as this is what the brand is about,” they elaborate, “we love talent and she has it in abundance”. Amrani is clearly a key clog in the design wheel yet Louise and Edward stress they are all heavily involved in the process of design to implementation. “Maya is not just with us for art, but also experience and helps with every aspect of the brand,” Page goes on, “her art also has a completely unique and distinctive character which we love.”
Their SS15 collection is certainly a vision of artistic brilliance. Combining a vibrant colour palette with quirky design details, it is full of energy, contemporary flair and it definitely makes a statement. – think printed jeans, bomber jackets and lycra dresses with a little street style sass added to the mix. Their prints break through the city cycle and offer an exciting contrast to everyday life. Each garment illuminates freedom through interwoven sketches of urban scenes and in essence, offers a trend savvy approach to surface design and a solid solution to wearable art. So what was the inspiration behind such a graphically bold collection? “Graffiti and expression, and combining the two to make art that can be enjoyed and worn at the same time,”
Louise explains.
While their collection oozes a modernistic touch, it has been creatively nurtured to appeal to not just one set of fashionable people, but rather a collective. Both Edward and Louise insist that there is no ‘typical’ Pocket London customer. “The word typical is something we stay clear of,” they explain, “we are open for business with all walks of life, anyone can fall under the heading of #pocketpeople.” With a solid creative team behind the brand, and a realistic approach to the luxury fashion process, it is no wonder that quality and value is a key element of their success. Edward agrees that staying focused with quality and being true to yourself is a strong influence. “Don’t start designing things because others are,” he says.
If you love powerful prints, quality craftsmanship and the creative buzz of London city, then you may be one of Louise and Edwards Pocket people. Their individuality is admirable, and what better way to wear your heart on your sleeve that through clothing that really encompasses the Spirit of London.
