Author: Jake Archer

PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!

The London in-store draw is now CLOSED

To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on. 

In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.

Puma team up with Australian brand ‘Perks & Mini’ taking inspiration from the Brazilian Amazon with a BIO/VERSE theme. The collection has everything from apparel to footwear with tones of green, lavender, copper and purple each applying itself to the outdoors. P.A.M has remixed classic silhouettes to create unisex attire.

The BIO/VERSE theme merges the real-world environment with experimental designs transforming things such as Puma’s Nano rider into a hiking silhouette. With over 20 styles there’s various pieces each continuing the Brazilian Amazon vibe mixing urban sports wear technology and ecology, between nature and culture.

As you are all aware by now, Frequent Players is our music division within Footpatrol. Our way of exploring the world of music and bringing the community closer to those emerging within the scene.

For our latest Frequent Players feature, we’ve teamed up with Sons of Craft, a design lab who claim ‘craft is their religion’. They too have started to explore the world of music with thanks to their record label Sounds of Craft. This felt like the perfect opportunity to explore our two worlds and explore their world and their artists.

First up, we speak with Smokey.T to learn more about his connection with Sounds of Craft, his love of music and his first release, ‘Eclipse’.

Footpatrol: Mr. smokey.t! We have heard MANY good things about you from the team at Sounds of Craft! How are you? 

Smokey.T: I’m all good thanks, been pretty busy lately as I’ve just moved house and have also been sorting out some exciting stuff with the guys at Sounds Of Craft. 

FP: Let’s bring things right to the very beginning. Could you give the Footpatrol community a bit of insight into who you are?

Smokey.T: My names Teddy Chapple aka smokey.t and I’m a Music Producer & DJ based in London. I’ve always found it hard to pin down what music I make because I love playing all sorts of sounds. Whether it’s Breaks, Techno, Jungle or Hardcore I love it all. I’ve always been drawn to the underground, with its raw and gritty set up, there’s no nonsense. 

FP: Where did the love of music start?

Smokey.T: My love for music started by jamming with my mates from a young age. Whether it was drums, guitar or piano I wanted to do it all. At school, music & drama were the only subjects that I was truly interested in, possibly because I didn’t need to write anything down! Growing up in a rural part of the countryside meant that I was largely detached from any form of an underground music scene. 

I would discover new music from my brother who was living in London at the time and then spend hours searching for similar tracks. I then started DJing for all my mates’ parties as well as building up my own PA system,  which my dad would kindly drive around to all the party’s because I was too young to drive. Since then I’ve moved to London and had a multitude of great opportunities to play at some amazing events. 

FP: How did you find your sounds as an artist? 

Smokey.T: If I’m honest, I’m still searching. All my music varies from genre to genre and I love it that way. It’s exiting. One night I might be making an aggressive, German EBM track and the next I’ll be sampling Alan partridge for a conceptual techno track about farmers. However, with that being said, some of my favourite Producers include: Aphex twin, Objekt, Acid Arab and Squarepusher, just to name a few… 

FP: Tell us a bit about your new release Eclipse.

Smokey.T: So the inspiration for Eclipse came about when we got set a production analysis essay on the producer  ‘Burial’ at uni. After extensively listening to the album ‘Untrue’ I decided I wanted to create a song that was less club focused like my others, but rather something that would be played when you’re coming back from the club. I used my Analog synths to create sweeping, airy soundscapes that play throughout the whole track as well as using them to create the main synths. 

FP: Sounds of Craft has been throwing some seriously good parties recently. What do you think it is about them that brings such a strong positive and fun loving atmosphere? 

Smokey.T: Sounds of Craft parties are not ones to miss. Packed out multi genre boat parties that take you on a journey through underground sonics, ranging from Amapiano to Jungle with some of London’s best DJs. As well as throwing basement parties in interesting venues across the city, these guys know how to run a banging event. Sounds Of Craft has always been about Community, Art and Culture. Which is why the diverse crowds of creatives create such a unique and unitive atmosphere at these events. 

FP: Smokey, thank you so so much for being a part of this Sons of Craft x Footpatrol Frequent Players residency. We can’t wait to share your sound to the Footpatrol family. Before we let you go, we like to give all our interviewees the chance to sign off the interview with anything they’d like to share or a message of positivity. So by all means take it away! 

Smokey.T: Thanks for having me! I’ll end by saying, support your local. Not just the pub but venues, musicians, artists etc… we’re in a really tough time for the music scene in the UK. Multiple clubs and venues are getting shut down every week, so make sure you show your love and support to all these amazing people and places so they can carry on doing what they do best! 

A story about Bior Elliott could be told through the unfinished books he’s written. Although now recognised as an art director and designer, his first creative explorations came through writing words on a page. Before long, those musings became lyrics in a song, and Bior was making music with his friends as part of a collective. Without a doubt, some artists focus solely on what happens within the four walls of a booth, but for Bior, he always had an obsession with how his collective was branded, ensuring that their message was being portrayed both sonically and visually. 

“The reason I got into art direction is because I’m very into the idea of controlling every aspect of any creative project,” says Bior. Though branding his own collective was his first introduction to art direction, it set him in good stead for further down the line — even after his days as a musician came to an end and he began to assume roles within multiple creative industries.

Driven by the boundlessness of his never-ending curiosity, Bior sits between ad land and the fashion world, somewhat following the steps of some of those multi-disciplinary creatives he looks up to — Ferdinando Verderi, Terry Jones to name a few — who have done the same. Although straddling the two industries was never an intentional move from Bior, it’s just the way the cookie crumbled, allowing him to specialise in two different spaces. “They’re not too far away from each other, at the end of the day, you’re exploring ideas, making campaigns. I didn’t expect to be embraced by the fashion industry straight away, but it’s been a back and forth, and I want to keep moving back and forth,” says Bior.

With a journey that’s taken many unpredictable turns so far, there are a few things that Bior credits for informing his identity, grounding his work in a series of questioning. “[Being a black Brit] What does that look like, in terms of the future?” Bior asks, explaining that his upbringing within London as a black man informs every aspect of his work. Being raised in a Catholic household, even though he is now “somewhat the opposite” shapes his work, the same way an unfinished Philosophy degree does. Whilst he might not have graduated in Philosophy, some learnings and concepts have transcended the two years spent studying Psychology, now permanent parts of his methodologies and approaches. “My brand, s_.ein, is named after a concept I learnt while studying Philosophy, it means ‘being’, it pursues the idea of a thing thinking about itself,” says Bior

Thus, to define s_.ein would be a disservice. As a concept that is constantly in the act of ‘being’, it is also constantly evolving, becoming many different things. Initially starting as his final project for university, the initial idea, as Bior puts it, was “to philosophically pick apart what a brand is, in particular a clothing brand.” Beginning as an analysis that consisted of diagrams and brand guidelines, the goal was then to make a brand out of it, in a “weird circular process”. Whilst getting into full-time work after university put s_.ein on the back burner, he’d constantly find himself returning to it, exploring “different ways I [he] can express that brand.” It’s already taken multiple formats, which Bior declares was “always the goal, if I put different outputs through this brand identity, it’s seeing what comes out”. We’ve seen s_.ein not only as a clothing brand now, Bior has directed a music video and is working on a zine, and most recently released an art piece, which is on show at 180 Strand, through the lens of s_.ein.

“Design is very subjective. You make something that some people will think is amazing. And some people will think it’s sh*t. It’s important not to take things personally.” Bior is continually interrogating the way design and art are interpreted in the ad world, making things that question the norms of what is considered ‘advertising’. In the same way that Maison Margiela expertly does, and the Truman Show is known for communicating, Bior’s aims all stem from the “questioning of media and reality — it’s like looking in the mirror.”

His latest art installation at 180 Strand is a perfect example of this. Aware of the gravitas that the space holds, it’d be easy to create work that’s a visual spectacle, considered “good” by the masses. But not Bior. His piece, entitled ‘targeted_ad.s_.ein’ is a commentary on the activities and concepts of branding, and is, as Bior simply puts it, “a physical version of targeted advertising”. Sitting amongst some large and eye-catching pieces, it’s a thought-provoking installation that is a culmination of the ongoings within Bior’s head. Speaking more generally on the piece and his work in general, Bior admits: “I’ve weirdly never had much of an interest in just making something good. I want something that is both good but also questions why it is good at the same time.” With the piece (which ends up as three separate pieces) being visualisations of graphics that Bior just got onto paper, his friend, Jamie Shilvock, rendered them. 

The next step was to screen print the designs onto fabric and hang them side by side. But the experience doesn’t end there. Sat just in front of the three pieces is a plinth with a stamp sat atop and a simple instruction written on the plinth: “Please use the stamp once to mark your favourite artwork.” Now covered in multiple stamps, Bior aims to individually count the number of stamps on each of the pieces and use that to determine how they’re priced relative to one another, with the most ‘popular’ piece (the one with the most stamps) being sold at the highest price.

In another interesting curveball, the plinth the stamp sits on is also decorated with a plethora of markings, meaning it might end up being the “favourite artwork.” Unpredictable for sure, but once again, upon reflection, it makes sense to Bior, he likens it to his understanding of human interaction with products and brands. “Take the iPhone, it is simply the container for everything, it’s what we view everything through, but at the same time people have a huge reverence for Apple as a design product aesthetically,” a further reinforcement of Bior’s consideration of this piece being a commentary on targeting advertising.

Creating an ecosystem where the audience is in charge of the value associated with the art is an interesting dynamic. But when you place power in the hands of an unpredictable audience, you’ll likely get unpredictable results. So as you walk through the exhibition space, you can see the s_ein branded stamp, solely intended to be stamped onto Bior’s art pieces, stamped on pieces by other artists, who they considered their favourite. “It’s a weird thing when things go viral, you don’t really have any control over it,” says Bior. 

If you haven’t already, check out Bior’s work at 180 Strand as part of New School’s debut exhibition,  ‘MAJOR’, until November 6 2022.

Photography – @armand.dasilva
Printing – @rhysbawilliams
Words – @igweldn
Editor – @elliefmuir
Styling – @romamitchell
Design – @andycarnegiebrown
Production – @pifivy
Special thanks – @180.studios

The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% has been around now for a couple years and is often on most podiums are any race around the globe. Looking to push the boundaries even further, Nike Running have unveiled its newer, even more brightly coloured younger brother, the Alphafly NEXT% 2.

With the same ultra reactive cushioning underfoot, the recipe is much the same as the previous iteration however with an updated midsole and outsole that provides more stability and durability. The stack height is still a monster with even more ZoomX foam than ever with it’s carbon plate built within that provides the spring needed to smash those PB’s.

To finish things off and in perfect time for Halloween, the Alphafly NEXT% 2 comes in an eye-catching burst of ‘Total Orange’. Check it out online here!

For Jordan’s ‘Black Future Season’, Footpatrol, Jordan and Gauchoworld have teamed up to tell the stories of four Black individuals from the world of music, fashion, art and food. Our penultimate feature is Emmanuelle Loca, who’s traversed through London’s creative industry, unapologetically pursuing her interests. We caught up with Manu to discuss her creative journey that’s taken her to a multitude of places: Martinique, Ghana and everywhere in between.

Meet Emmanuelle Loca, or Manu as she usually goes by, who’s navigating the creative industry as she sees fit.  A multi-hyphenate director — creative, art, film, movement — her journey is one of exploration, self discovery and building connections, leading her to be a valuable contributor to increasing the profile of women within movement direction in fashion.

Falling into the industry through a behind-the-camera stint that surprisingly began before her modelling days she’s known for, Manu began assisting her best friend’s mother, an art director. Due to her lifelong interest in cinema and art direction in general, she felt at home on sets, and whilst she was still trying to figure out what aspects of the job she loved, she knew this was the space she belonged in. Till this day, it’s formed a unique role that is all-encompassing of her interests. “I’ve never liked being in a box. If I like something, I’ll try it and see where it leads me,” says Manu.

Constant trial, that Manu sometimes admits sometimes ends in error (but more importantly learning), led her to a shoot that made her consider another angle to her creative pursuits — the one she is currently flourishing in. “I’m very big on being inspired by my homies. There’s not one friend I have that doesn’t inspire me,” says Manu. After being invited down to offer her expertise on a shoot, she met movement director Yagamoto. They worked together closely, agreeing they should work together again in the near future. And so they did, collaborating on many shoots, creating opportunities for her to be seen as a capable solo movement director, too.

When working with the likes of the established Yagamoto, she’s aware she’s overlooked as a woman working behind the scenes of the fashion industry — it’s still a battle she occasionally has to fight. Rather than dwell on the negative, Manu approaches the situation positively, surrounding herself with those who share a mutual understanding with her. “I just make sure I build relationships with people who value the work and value my work,” says Manu.

And she’s not short of respectful collaborators. For every director that’s overlooked her, there’s a director like Gabriel Moses, who places utmost trust in her wealth of both research and experience. For every “what even is your role” comment, there’s a “Manu, you do you” that pushes her to continue being her most authentic self on every set. Naturally a more reserved character, she’s also continually challenging herself to project and ensure her voice is heard. “The more jobs I do, the more people and sets I experience, I’m getting better at it,” says Manu.

In addition to ensuring her voice is heard, she feels a massive part of her role is to empower models, as she’s “been there” herself, so she knows “how they feel”. An unquestionably empathetic being, Manu believes part of her job is to give models licence to express themselves, the same way a set designer, a stylist, a director is encouraged to. “It’s about giving models freedom, allowing them to be more than just a mannequin,” says Manu, which is something that translates into the way she works with the less traditional ‘model’, giving anybody who finds themselves in front of the camera the freedom to be fearless when they step into the limelight. 

Especially apparent on one of her favourite projects to date, she was the movement director behind Gabriel Moses’ shoot featuring black cowboys. Her fascination with black cowboys was complemented by her background in visual research and cinema. Due to there being a multitude of live reptiles on set, they [the cowboys] hadn’t seen them before so were a little tentative. So, as Manu always does, she took the cowboys to the side, had a general conversation and placed the reptiles on herself to make them comfortable around the animals. By the end of the day they were not only enjoying themselves on set, but they also “wouldn’t leave the reptiles alone,” says Manu. “Movement works in the same way, you’re easing into someone’s character. It’s important to challenge them but make them comfortable in what they’re doing.”

Manu is excited for her future within the world of movement, but never will put her first love, cinema, completely on the back burner. As such a humble character, who is able to amalgamate disparate ideas from all the different individuals on set, she describes her wider role as more than what can be defined by a job title: “There’s so many people to please on a set. As a movement director, I help to build that bridge.”

That bridge is ever expanding, we’re excited to see the forthcoming projects Manu will share, one of which includes a self-directed film.

Photography – @armand.dasilva

Printing – @rhysbawilliams

Words – @igweldn

Editor – @elliefmuir

Styling – @rachel.parisa 

Design – @andycarnegiebrown

Production – @pifivy

Hair & Make Up – @anushasolanki 

Now well and truly in a league of their own, Crocs continue the roll out with Salehe Bembury throughout 2022. Having already collaborated with household names within both streetwear, art and music they’re back with their next Bembury colab with the eye-catching Pollex.

With fresh new colourways of the Pollex Clog having already launched this year like the ‘Cobbler’ and ‘Tide’, the latest from this duo is dubbed ‘Kuwata’.

Crafted from foam, the fit is moulded into an unorthodox fingerprint design –  its daring exploration of form is one that is reminiscent of Salehe Bembury’s signature branding. Concaved perforations throughout continues the theme of authenticity as well as keeping things ultra-lightweight. Paired with an adjustable heel strap for added personalisation, while underfoot, the part translucent outsole unit signs off the design with supreme durability made with everyday terrain in mind.

PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!

The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!

To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on. 

In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.

Crocs and Kitchens tend to go hand in hand. A go to for those whether they’re seeking all day comfort or on their feet all day, you often find a pair of Crocs in any kitchen around the world. Taking a fun approach on this, we caught up with one of our favourite and definitely coolest London based chefs, Big Has otherwise known as Hasan Semay.

We popped over to his pop-up over in Islington called Sessions where he’ll be dishing up some absolute delights, many inspired by his Turkish-Cypriot background.

Take a closer look below at when we caught up with Hasan and shop Crocs here!

Footpatrol: Yes Hasan, great to finally meet you! Firstly, we must add an apology from the get go in case we get distracted by you whipping up some delicious grub! 

Could you perhaps give our audience a bit of a trip into your past and how you ended up where you are today?

Hasan: so I’m Hasan, aka big Has. Been a chef for 11 years. Started off as a Jamie Oliver’s fifteen student and been cooking ever since really. Today we’re in sessions a pop up I’m sharing with 2 talented chefs until early January next year.

FP: Must’ve been an insane moment and an equally insane journey being part of Jamie Oliver’s ‘15’  programme back in 2011, could you tell us a bit more about how that came about? 

Hasan: My mum basically, she saw that I wasn’t happy being a security guard. I’d spent a lot of my childhood watching cooking shows. Whilst kids were running home to watch ‘Hey Arnold’ and ‘Doug’, I was rushing back to catch Ainsley shakes his suzy salt. 

FP: We need to thank you too for delving into the world of Youtube, your ‘Sunday Sessions’ have gone down a storm and all the office team at Footpatrol tune in! 

Were these face to face walk through’s something you’ve always wanted to share? 

Hasan: I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t in the grand scheme of things. I knew I always wanted to be involved In food, I knew I was always gonna pass on what I learnt to my peoples, so I guess it’s just happened naturally. In some ways lockdown was a blessing for me and George. Everyone had consumed everything on Netflix. We’d seen our crazy cousins across the pond in tiger king, we’d watched Micheal Jordan run rings around people, and everyone had seen the pretty shit end to line of duty. So when Sunday sessions dropped it felt like the right time and it was recieved well by people. 

FP: What’s your earliest memory of home cooked food, did this spark a love of food do you think? Bless her, my mum wouldn’t ever claim to be a chef but I always remember her slaving away making bolognese for the family! 

Hasan: We were constantly around food as kids, dad on the bbq, mum cooking home cooked meals every night for dinner. I’ve got loads of food memories but the stuff mum cooked for us as kids was always great. Wether it be Turkish dishes or dad wasn’t home she would secretly cook us gammon dinners. My earliest memories change from time to time, but there’s defo significant ones. Mum making me coronation chicken on my birthday, my sister making a tart and getting it wrong and it tasted like an omelette, my dad frying prawns in the garden with scotch bonnets and spring onions. I feel like the love for food was always there I just hadn’t figured out it was my thing yet. 

FP: Your Turkish-Cypriot heritage plays a lot of inspiration when it comes to your recipes, what is it about this part of the world and it’s food that inspires you so much?

Hasan: It’s home man. It’s the food we grew up on. Cypriot food is very humble, food of necessity and we don’t really have a food scene. The best food is made in family homes and shared between the village. I found that when I started at 15 there were loads of similarities with Italian and Turkish food and then I guess I just started questioning food and looking more into heritage and culture. 

FP: Also, we must say a huge congratulations on the launch of your first book. We’ve been eager to get our hands on it since it finally launched. Is this something you’d like to follow up on whilst your influences grow?

Hassan: thank you, do you know what, I never thought I’d be a chef let alone author. I left school with 2 GCSE’s and pretty much thought only the academically privileged kids would get opportunities to write. I’m actually writing book 2 at the minute, I can’t go into major detail but I think it’s a topic that a lot will relate to and others will be educated by. But basically if I can write a book a year, travel, shoot travel docs and eat I’m living the dream. 

FP: At Footpatrol, we’re always recommending our customers or brands to local eateries close to us within our community, what would be your five go too places to eat? 

Hasan: PERILLA IS A MUST, beautiful spots I’ve been a few times, Ben is super talented and it’s great food without being intimidating. 

Popollo in Shoreditch, Jon took me under his wing when we worked at Theo Randal’s together. He’s a half Italian, half Spanish London boy and when he isn’t cooking he’s break dancing or kick boxing. One of the nicest people I’ve ever met and then there’s his pasta. Phenomenons. 

WHERE EVER ELLIOT CUNNINGHAM IS COOKING YOU MUST GO. IVE BEEN TELLING ELLIOT FOR YEARS HES A WIZARD BUT HE WONT ADMIT IT. 

Being Turkish I’m always asked “where’s the best kebab” and for me it’s mangal 1 Arcola street. Get the mix for one, spicy ezme, smoked aubergine and grilled onions. It’s no thrills, but always consistent. 

Xian impressions is another we go to a lot, diectly across the road from the arsenal stadium, I’m not the biggest fan of sczehuan but there’s soo many beautiful things on the menu. Cold chicken, wood ear fungus, dressed cucumbers and these like little panini pressed pulled Chinese pork burger things. Mental. It’s tight in there and you’ll have to que but it’s never let us down. Not once. 

FP: Since the pandemic, we’re noticing a lot more places pop back up with people doing some amazing things! Last year, we caught up with a good friend of yours and ours Elliott Cunningham. How is it from Chef to Chef, do you find people collaborating more in these times or bouncing off each other? 

Hasan: I don’t often do pop ups and I should, I get in my own head about things and convince myself I’m not good enough, I’ve got huge respect for guys like Elliot who just cook how and when they want. I’d love to do something with el, it would be great and we both share the same love for bbq. The pandemic birth loads of great things, big mommas samosa’s, lings lings, and my boy Tom who’s selling the fucking most delicious seafood boils at decatur. Honestly buy one. 

FP: So, one of the reasons we’ve come down to your kitchen at Sessions in Islington is to get you in a pair of Crocs. They’re often found within the kitchens of the world so we’re excited to get them on feet with you. They’re the perfect kitchen crep right? 

Hasan: Yeah i spent all my career in crocs, wearing them until they were leaning like uggs. Super comfy. it’s mad how they’ve become so trendy, customising them yourself or even a wu tang collab. I used to get rinsed for wearing them and being a size 14 they were almost a novelty size. Personally I feel like there’s a space for one of the leaders in the crep game to bring out a non slip steel cap ting. I’d love to be the face of it but I’ve gotta keep my cards close to my chest. 

FP: Well, thank you so much for joining us, 

Big love guys thank you x 

This Black Future Season, Footpatrol, Air Jordan and Gauchoworld have teamed up to tell the stories of four Black individuals from the world of music, fashion, art and food. Up next is Diadié Diombana, whose unwavering desire to create unique dining experiences saw him become Madonna’s live-in chef for a six month period.

Landing in the centre of Paris via Eurostar, we visited the Freddy’s Kitchen pop-up takeover of restaurant Sélune, and watched as head chef Diadié Dombana kindly interacted with passersby as they stared at his menus with intrigue. After seeing okra featured as a starter, I knew for many reasons that this visit was not one that’d leave my memory in a hurry.

We were lucky enough to get a proper taste of the Freddy’s Kitchen menu, of which I tried the okra starter, then sea bass, the most flavoursome mushroom I’ve ever tasted and a dessert that combined sweetness and saltiness to absolute perfection — if I do say so myself. It’s hard to describe flavours that completely take your taste palette to new places, finding the words to describe what I ate would do it a disservice. My advice would simply be, if Freddy’s Kitchen is ever in town, make sure you give his food a try.

Showcased for only a week in a restaurant in Châtelet, it was so successful that Diadié decided to continue it at another location to match a fraction of the demand that came his way. “It was really enjoyable and motivating to do the [first] pop up,” says Diadié. “It sold out in 24 hours. A French chef owns this restaurant [Sélune, the location of his second pop-up] and he gave it to me for two weeks, and so far it’s been amazing.”

It’s been a long road to Sélune for Diadié, and it’s by no means been easy, but cooking has been a calling he’s been answering all his life. “My mum and my grandma are really great cooks, and since I was young, I was cooking for my four younger sisters,” says Diadié, speaking on how his taste palette was constantly improving, as a result of being surrounded by a perfect blend of inspirations (and critics). 

Whilst much of Diadié’s originality does come from home, he aims to constantly put a modern twist on the food he grew up eating as a child of Malian descent, in addition to borrowing techniques and flavours from Southeast Asia to create a culture clash on a plate that satisfies souls as well as stomachs. “I need to write my background into my plate,” says Diadié on his approach to his cuisines, his dishes simply being a multi-sensory story.

Continuing to showcase his alternative style, his flavour choices blend his Parisian upbringing with his Malian heritage, whilst being inspired by Southeast Asian dishes. But as a black man in Paris, he faced doubt and disrespect from senior chefs whilst working as an apprentice, never allowing it to shape his self-identity. “I was around some chefs who wouldn’t give me opportunities, they’d just be rude to me. They were scared of people being better than them. But I’ve always said that’s not good. Respect is for everyone. This job is complicated but we have to show respect because it’s love, you know?” says Diadié. 

Instead of being spiteful about it all after working in over 30 restaurants, Diadié has used the experience to fuel the warmth that fills kitchens he’s in charge of (alongside the heat of the ovens, of course).

Once he was shown faith by his bosses, and became head chef at multiple restaurants, he began to explore his own ideas, and the mediums he’d use to share his foods — events, festivals, private dinners — building the brand of Freddy’s Kitchen, something larger than Diadié himself as a chef. Whilst working on his brand externally, he was continually pushing himself in the kitchen, as head chef of two restaurants, Chope Des Artistes and Chéri Coco. “I hadn’t made vegan cuisines before, but when they [Chéri Coco] asked me to join, I tried it and it was a challenge, but everybody was happy, saying I’m capable of doing whatever I want in the kitchen,” says Diadié.

As the challenges came, so did the opportunities. Speaking on one particular opportunity that came onto his plate quite unexpectedly, Diadié reflected on his six month stint as Madonna’s live-in chef — a gig which came after somebody he exchanged Instagrams with on a night out was asked by one of Madonna’s team for the best chef they knew. “It went from one normal day, to another, where I was now living with and cooking for Madonna,” says Diadié. The experience helped him understand the importance of being a brand, even as an individual, allowing him to connect between people with “food as the base” that has birthed many a relationship.

After being back in Paris for a while since work took him beyond the shores of France, Diadié looks to get back on a plane, to immerse himself into various cultures that’ll inform the flavours of his dishes. “I was inspired when I came from the US. I felt like I needed to have this moment where I could express myself without any limits.” Where will he go? Diadié parts with an ambiguous answer, simply responding: “We’ll see, we will see.”

Photography – @armand.dasilva

Photography Assistant – @rhysbawilliams

Words – @igweldn

Editor – @elliefmuir

Design – @andycarnegiebrown

Production – @pifivy

For the launch of the Air Max 1 ‘Denim’, we wanted to celebrate all things denim with the help of the kind folk at Blackhorse Lane Ateliers.

Speaking with founder Bilgehan Ates, we paid a visit to their East London factory where since 2016, the team have carefully been crafting ready-to-wear selvedge and organic raw denim jeans. Footpatrol being Footpatrol, we turned up with the recently launched Air Max 1 ‘Denim’ and gave it to some of the team to get their thoughts and opinions on this icon!

Shop the Air Max 1 ‘Denim’ here.

Footpatrol: Hey Guys, hope you’re doing well? Firstly its great to meet with you today. For our audience, could you give us a brief insight into Blackhorse Lane Ateliers?

BLA: Historically makers are well connected to the community whether they be a tailor/cobblers/joiners they were on the high streets and that how is the industry started actually. But in the late 80s towards 2000’s this relationship changed and gradually these local businesses lost their face and became huge productions which went offshore, especially in the garment industry.

So that created a disconnect, which is very much linked to sustainability in my opinion. When you don’t know how the garments or furniture or whatever item it might be is made, your appreciation lessens. Also, if you know that it’s also easily available at a very reasonable price you appreciate that less…in today’s world the help of fast fashion /cheap and quick bombardment of trends leads to a detachment from the makers and depreciates their work.

So, by introducing real makers and saying to people this is the person who made your clothes, in a small way that could reverse that trend. It’s not going to happen tomorrow but we could find solutions to the throw-away culture.

FP: Your brand very much celebrates it’s teams who are behind the scenes creating the products we see today. How do you feel this benefits the end consumer?

BLA: Coming back to connectivity, I think as designers we have a responsibility to connect to the end user and for me that’s vital to understand and develop that relationship. If we think back to our grandfather’s generation when they were going to a shop, they were treated like individuals, the shop assistants were what you would call “lifetime shop assistants” and they were connected to this community.

Whereas these days instead you might get an aspiring actor or a student who generally sees that job as a stepping stone to further their career. So, by giving lifetime repair guarantee what we achieve is our customers come back to us after six months, one year, sometimes seven years later and we get to understand their lifestyle and that creates a conversation and deepens our relationship with them.

For example, sometimes we receive garments which have been repaired by the customers themselves (even though we give lifetime repair guarantee), this is when we feel that we are achieving the aim because people are repairing their own clothes.

FP: We also understand you’ve also been involved within the restaurant industry, what was it that pulled you back into fashion? What did you learn during your time working in food same

BLA: One of the reasons I opened a local restaurant is because I didn’t want to travel to work, when I first started my career, I was managing factories in North East London; Harringay Manor House and Walthamstow, and within 10 years of that, I had a factory in Turkey and gradually went to the Far East.

During that time, I travelled for work 3-5 times a month, and I started to question my own values in life; is it really worth it? Am I doing it because of money or because is it the industry pushing me to do this? I think it was a combination of both, the more I went, the more I felt disconnected from the community that I lived in but most importantly from my family and my values.

So that’s when I decided to stop and come back to my neighbourhood and open a small business where I didn’t have to travel, I walked to the restaurant every day.

But of course, when I first opened Homa, I didn’t expect to be fast-tracked into a connected community; restaurants are very democratic places, and everyone can walk in, for a coffee, for lunch, etc but within one year of opening my restaurant, I started to know my neighbours, my clients, their children, their grandfathers so that was one element of reconnecting with the community that I lived in.

The other element of running a good restaurant is the philosophy of “you’re only as good as your ingredients” no cutting corners and using off-cut meats, in really good restaurants the ingredients which are used must be seasonal and fresh, if you start using cheaper quality ingredients you become a less respected restaurant.

I thought wow, that’s amazing because in the fashion industry we don’t follow that.

Generally, fashion brands cut corners; they want to use cheaper fabrics, materials, and cheaper labour and with that of course the end product is always cheap, both in value and quality.

The other element was the craft beer/gourmet burger movement which I witnessed in 2009. When I opened my restaurant, we had 4-5 brewing houses, five years later we had over 25 and that was just in Hackney not counting other London areas let alone nationwide.

So, imagine we had our Peroni’s and Heinekens but these local brewers were coming from left, right, and centre and creating these amazing recipes with double the price and people were still willing to pay for that because the quality was there. I thought, “What is the “beer” of the fashion industry?” I came to the conclusion it was jeans!

Previously whenever I looked at my jeans, I was never happy with the quality of them, outside they looked ok but whenever I looked inside, they were full of unfinished edges. As a trained tailor that was an eyesore for me.

In 2015, as I was coming towards the 5th year of my hospitality experience, I decided to come back to textiles and garment making with a very different approach.

I sold my restaurant and, that year opened Blackhorse Lane Ateliers in Walthamstow, East London. But with a different approach, because we wanted to create an open-door policy calling on my experience in having a restaurant, I decided to have a pop-up restaurant within the factory space, so that connectivity which I keep talking about was still carried over into Blackhorse Lane Ateliers, so therefore I think that creates a different vibe for us in the working space and the neighbourhood.

FP: How does this holistic approach to running a business influence the clothing line? 

BLA: That’s a very good question… in 2015 when we started producing jeans in east London there weren’t any UK brands/designers who were making jeans in London, some people were making them offshore, but the limitation with going offshore is the minimum quantities which are required.

When we started, we invited other designers to come to us as part of the design community, and people gradually started to dream about making ‘Made in London’ jeans in smaller quantities, we gave designers the chance to make 40-50 pieces at a time. But if you try to produce that offshore minimum orders are usually 300-400 pieces usually. For a small designer that is too expensive of an investment.

So, by giving that opportunity to dream about making made in London jeans lots of people started putting jeans in their range.

If I remember correctly in 2018 The New York Times, ran an article about the UK denim brands challenging the US denim market. And when I looked at the article, 5 out of the 6 brands they mentioned were made by us. So, by us opening this space we created an industry, I believe. So being in the community and given the ability and opportunity to manufacture in London, creates a different kind of collaboration.

When you collaborate with other like-minded creatives you always create stories and new ideas… going back to craft beer…imagine after 20 years of the craft beer revolution how many more master brewers we have in this country! So, I’m hoping by having that kind of community in fashion we will create so many designers who get the craft mentality approach with UK denim too.

FP: You have some great collaborative pieces already but what would be a dream collaborator? Would you be interested in creating a sneaker

BLA: When I look at our day-to-day lives, when I’m on the underground, walking on the streets of London I see a uniform, even though we express ourselves in different ways, whether through different colours, shapes, hats, coats, etc but 90% of the population have one single uniform; their jeans and sneakers. I would love to design a sneaker with our logo and our ethos.

FP: And to finish up, what are some words of wisdom you could share with our audience?

BLA: One thing which has stuck with me over the years, I’m an entrepreneur; I create projects but generally what I realise is that I create projects to experience the journey, not the end of the journey. In the journey I feel I learn so much, being proactive and creating and acting on it. In the action, there is power and magic.