Author: Bradley Martinez
Continuing our Footpatrol Discussions series, we take a look at the specialised craft of ceramics. Something we’ve looked at throughout our time at Footpatrol from the Air Force 1 ‘Sculpt’ with Freya Bramble-Carter through to our very own Footpatrol Gasmask Incense Chamber, the world of ceramics spans far and wide.
Someone who has spread their love of ceramics throughout London are Nam Tran and Susi Huang of Cernamic. Now situated over in Stoke Newington, East London this duo have had numerous locations over their time bringing communities together for the love of creating.
From personal commissions as individual artists, the duo host affordable workshops in all areas of ceramics as a hope of getting more people involved in this delicate yet playful craft.
Whilst paying them a visit, we sat down with Nam to learn more about them, Cernamic and how he got to where he is today.
Footpatrol: Hi Nam, thank you for making time for us to visit the studio! Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and the world of ‘Cernamic’
Nam Tran: A kid of Bow, East London, growing up in the east end and finding the passion for art when I was 16 and being able to express myself in the medium of clay, being able to create anything I like or how I felt really opened my mind. I carried on learning and educating myself in ceramics and found out that my passion was in teaching and expressing to others that there’s so much potential in us that can be conveyed through clay. The world of Cernamic is basically make what you feel like and just take it easy and relax, an escapism from the real world at times.
FP: looking around the studio there are many things that remind me of my childhood, What is it about pop culture that works so well with your traditional pottery techniques?
NT: Pottery is a very traditionalist subject where there are rules and history. I like to think myself as a rule breaker and try to bring in a new era of generation that grew up with pop culture and place that within an old technique like ceramic. I’m all about the craftsmanship, I like to show what I’m about and what people will think of me. When I pass on and leave all these pieces of ceramic behind, just like in super smash bros these pieces I make are mini trophy’s I collect and make along the way of my ceramic career and life.
FP: Your studio seems to have cultivated a real sense of community, how does this feed into your personal work?
NT: Iron sharpens iron, something I learnt during my MMA days. A strong gym will have like minded people who will help develop and push one another, this is the method I have tried to bring into my studio. Each member we have are well skilled but also super relaxed and we all inspire and educate each other through our ceramics making us all Evolve.
FP: You have quite a variety of skills sets, from BMX to cage fighting. What first attracted you to pottery? If you weren’t a ceramicist, what would you be doing?
NT: If I weren’t a ceramist I would be a street artist, maybe I’m just trying to do something that is personal and I can show people, like tagging on walls or trains, something to remind the world that there’s more that plain walls and Barriers. Doing something that gets people Inspired but also disappearing over time like a ghost.
FP: As soon as we walked in the studio was so peaceful and welcoming, How does pottery help with managing mental health and stress management?
NT: I suffer from ADHD and dyslexia so the calming effects really help me focus. I like to make stuff so I don’t have to sit down all day and panic if I spelt something wrong or be ashamed and feel laughed at. My studio is like my safe place, the moment you walk through those gates the world is forgotten and the tardis of a pottery world appears.
FP: How has the transition been from student of craft to teaching newcomers?
NT: Teaching makes me better and more humble as I know where I started and how hard it was. I never consider myself a master or become beheaded, I act like that kid who people look pass and assume I’m fairly rubbish until I touch the clay. My goal is to help people through the process so they can develop and realise that they can then make what ever they want and feel relax and calm and not worry about how good you need to be but rather everything is a step and each one takes time.
FP: You have an open house coming up in November, why do you think it’s important to open up your studio to the public in such a way?
NT: My studio isn’t like many studios where we’re great at advertising and social media as me and my partner are both makers and rubbish at admin and online SEO stuff. It’s sad as many people don’t know my studio exists so every year we do an open day to show what we’re making and to support a good cause. This helps make people aware we exist and that there’s a place to come, just like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, we open that one time a year to show you the magic and the creations of what lies inside the studio.
FP: Finally, What words of wisdom would you like to impart on the next generation of potters?
NT: Keep on chasing Phantoms
The upcoming Footpatrol exhibition is a visual documentation of Footpatrol within the world of sneakers. Collaborations, community and culture, we’ve been at the heart of it now for 20 years and long may it continue!
Wanting to expand on this for years to come, we want to highlight people within the community who are pushing the boundaries within their work. For the upcoming exhibition, we begin by highlight Lorenz.OG. A creator who specialises in colour and design, Lorenzo works on ‘Patented Colour Schemes’ and adorns them across some of our favourite and sometimes, most sought after pairs creating the most unique one-of-ones.
To celebrate his skills and passion for sneakers, we commissioned Lorenzo to create 6 bespoke New Balance 2002R’s which will be on display at the Footpatrol Exhibition 10th – 11th September!
Stay tuned for more information coming soon.
Footpatrol: Mr.OG, we have finally pinned you down! How are you?
Lorenz.OG: I’m well, its great to have you and the team in the Lab! Usually nobody gets to see behind the curtain.
FP: I would normally ask to offer a bit of insight into who you are and what you do. But I feel people know you, and if they didn’t know you, they will most definitely know your work. So rather than ask that, tell me about what ‘Patented Colour Schemes’ and what it means to Lorenz.OG?
L: Its hard to define concisely. Last year I had just been connected with Virgil and I was so keen to show him everything I was working on, I sent him a few new sample colourways I was working on and he simply replied “PATENTED COLORSCHEMES®”.
Immediately I loved it, it showed how much he understood everything I was about in just two words, completely impromptu. It was so him, and it encapsulated my work so perfectly
I now use the term “Patented Colorschemes” to refer to the colourways I create and reuse across different silhouettes and mediums.
I always made an effort to take risks and jump into the unknown, utilising dyes to create a new colourway on my favourite pairs. It took some learn the finesse of how to control colour in a considered and subtle way but eventually I found my style which I have been running with ever since. I feel strongly about the style and design process I have created and ” PATENTED COLORSCHEMES” sums it up perfectly.
Though my work on sneakers has become watered down with the amount of creators and brands replicating the aesthetic, I give myself the credit of having a huge impact on current sneaker design and trends. Not everyone will know where the subtle gradient fades and originate from but Virgil understood the vision and gave me all I validation I’ll ever need.
FP: What about your starting point, how did everything get to where it is now?
L: I’d say the real starting point was just being a young teenager in London and being obsessed with sneakers, this is where I learnt everything I use today.
But the idea to really take action and create came to me when I was at Nike, interning at EHQ in Hilversum. I was working as a buying intern so I got to see alot of cool stuff, but from the sidelines. I struggled with the analytical side of the job, all I wanted to do was add value but being passionate couldn’t help me with an excel spreadsheet.
That’s when I realised that my passion is for product, specifically colour. Being able to recognise that became quite a big deal for me. I left at the time Covid struck. So I found myself with all this time to explore. I had never been or seen myself as a creative as such. Dyeing shoes however, was something that appealed to me. It wasn’t something I saw a lot of people doing other than A Cold Wall. With that time, I used it to practice. Dying my shoes, my friends shoes and sooner or later I developed my own aesthetic and processes that was mine. My inspirations for colourways is usually found in nature as I like to pay homage to and a focus to God’s creation.
The first pair that really started everything was on a pair of Air Force 1s using my *Genesis* Colorscheme, the OG colourway. I knew I’d created something special as I’d never seen a pair comparable to it, using soft subtle hues fading into the next.
Slowly but surely I have come up with ways to direct the colour on specific parts of the shoe, and use colourblocking. As confidence grew, I then started trying it on more sought after pairs like AJ4 OW, CDG 95s, this definitely helped get more visibility and I’ll continue to explore new mediums.
FP: Naturally many people would call what you do customisation, but to an extent I would disagree I think what you do offers more than that. How would you describe your work?
L: As I mentioned, I wanted to be a colour designer whilst at Nike but hadn’t had any previous experience or education in the field. I can’t draw and I’m not technical on digital either. I had no idea where to start, and I wanted to replicate what I saw working on the industry. So I began using dye as my means of designing samples. This worked well for me as I could keep adding to samples to get them right and that practice gave me skills I never intended on learning.
For me, a customiser is someone you approach asking for a service. Whereas my currency is in ideas and providing a finished product that has been through sampling stages. I am selling my concept and unique ideas rather than the service itself.
FP: How do you see what you do growing?
L: It’s a tough one… I am not one to give myself a solid plan as I like to move freely. When I started I never had the plan take it to this level, I just wanted to make an impact and work with product I feel passionate about. Though I dreamed it, I never thought any of this was achievable. By going with the flow it naturally ended up here.
Now I feel the opposite, I’ve witness my work impact brands on all levels, from sportswear to high fashion. And social media trends. Now I believe in my ideas and know if the opportunites don’t arise I’ll make them for myself.
The dream is still to have a real product collaboration with a brand I believe in. I would also like to carry on with consultation roles that I have been picking up.
It would be great to work with a brand that allows me to follow my design approach but with infrastructure to really scale it on a commercial level. Creating dye friendly prototypes for myself to work on, then I can come up with the colour ideas in my way. This was an idea I planned with Virgil that he came up with.
FP: The fact some pairs you have done have been seen so well received is amazing. So much so, artists like Drake and Lil Yatchy own pairs. What were your first thoughts when these conversations first became a reality?
L: It’s crazy because Drake was probably the first commision I ever took, about 2 months after I started. It was the moment I started to take it seriously. When that first happened, I was so excited. But, just because someone high profile wears your stuff, doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to be an overnight success however it gave me alot of self belief, something I really needed in the beginning.
Yachty was amazing too, he was always someone I wanted to work with, because he is genuinely obsessed with sneakers, like he has high sneaker IQ he doesn’t just cop anything. I was fortunate enough to link up with him when he came to London last August and not only did he buy all 6 pairs I came to show him. He got them all out, analyzed them, tried them on and was so gassed. It was amazing to give someone who has so much heat that reaction.
FP: Do you feel that sneakerheads do?
L: I do! Obviously not everyone will like my work and that’s okay, but for the most part it’s the proper sneaker obsessed who are my biggest supporters.
I spoke about Yachty, but people like DJ Clark Kent, Joe La Puma and Madgi from Archive DNA are just a few of those I feel great satisfaction knowing my work resonates with them as they’ve seen it all.
FP: You spoke about him early in our conversation but I want to bring back the conversations you had with the late Virgil Abloh (may he rest in peace). I know he had a part to play in helping you find the right direction and not only that even loved your work. Is there any advice that he shared with you that has stuck?
L: The thing I took away from Virgil was his approach to think outside the norms of what you can do. He suggested that I do a collab on Off White heels and handbags. Suggesting something like that made me realise the potential one idea can have on multiple different things, which initially I never thought about. That thought of ‘Why stay in one lane’ really stuck with me. Don’t get me wrong, I want to work in sneakers but that doesn’t mean it stops there. By showing my aesthetic on other things I wouldn’t normally think about, was a gateway for me to grow.
At the time one of the big brand approached me for a collaboration, and naturally I was excited and we got underway creating the concept and CADs for the design.
At some point tho, I started to have second thoughts and being honest, I feel the shoe was me. Having just connected with Virgil and regularly recieving advice from him gave me the confidence to walk away without having the “what if” feeling and doubts I made a mistake.
FP: Finishing up on a slightly different note. Besides your backstory, there are other reasons as to why we have you here! Footpatrol’s 20th Anniversary Exhibition is soon upon us and we have been fortunate to work alongside you on a series of commissioned pieces on the New Balance 2002. Could you give us a bit of insight into your design approach with these pairs?
L: Firstly, this has been such a great opportunity to showcase my work properly for the first time in London in a real life setting. With these 6 pairs, I wanted to recreate some previous colour ways that I have done before that were a success. 5 out of the 6 were colourways I can produce again and again that I have developed. The last pair however, I am looking to take a few more risks. The colour initially didn’t take as well as the others, but it’s lined up for me to produce another colourway that I don’t do very often.
Sometimes things change as I am going through the process. Which makes things more exciting within the design process!
FP: Well Lorenzo, I can only thank you for your time and wanting to help support Footpatrol during this big year for us. Before we let you go, we like to sign off every interview with the opportunity for you to gas yourself up or even spread a message of positivity. So please take it away…..
L: I want to thank the team at Footpatrol for thinking of me for this project. It’s something I have always dreamed of doing, especially a store like FP, that has been embedded within the culture for 20 years. Footpatrol was one of those stores growing up that I would always visit when I came into cental.
London as a city has so many amazing creatives and untapped potential and for Footpatrol to be supporting me is really nice to see. I would encourage all brands, stores and media agencies to work more with those creatives and bring them up to help them grow.
FP: Well Lorenzo, I can only thank you for your time and wanting to help support Footpatrol during this big year for us. Before we let you go, we like to sign off every interview with the opportunity for you to gas yourself up or even spread a message of positivity. So please take it away…..
L: I want to thank the team at Footpatrol for thinking of me for this project. It’s something I have always dreamed of doing, especially a store like FP, that has been embedded within the culture for 20 years. Footpatrol was one of those stores growing up that I would always visit when I came to London.
London as a city has so many amazing creatives and untapped potential and for Footpatrol to be supporting me is really nice to see. I would encourage all brands, stores and media agencies to work more with those creatives and bring them up to help them grow.
Not only did the Bone Soda Phonox residency deliver memories of some unforgettable nights out, it also offered inspiration for our latest apparel collection. Some of you may remember those crazy line up assets we’ve been sharing over the last few weeks, bold, eye-catching and all the rest, we tap into the mind of Joe Melhuish for our Utopia collection.
Working in animation and graphic illustration, Joe reworked the iconic Footpatrol gas mask and bar logo for his very own unique take which see’s his 3D visuals take charge.
We sit down with Joe as he takes us through his inspirations, his love of music and gives us a demonstration of how he goes about creating his artwork.
Footpatrol: Hey Joseph! We start off all of our interviews here at Footpatrol with the simple question of how are you?
Joe Melhuish: Great – exhausted. I have a habit of accepting far too much work but equally refusing to concede on social plans, it’s something I’m trying to get better at.
FP: For people who don’t know who you are, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
JM: I’m a digital artist, illustrator and animation director based here in London. I’ve made work for clients like Nike, Apple, Island Records, Adult Swim, Spotify and The New York Times. I use a VR headset to made all my work in 3d and I’d describe my work as acid soaked blown-out characters that works around themes of fashion, pop culture and self expression.
FP: So when did your love for DJing all start for you?
JM: Probably around age 18 I began learning but I was in bands as a drummer before then so I just considered it another way to be playing music I loved.
FP: You also have your own monthly appearance on Hackney’s own Subtle Radio, how did this opportunity come about?
JM: I had a mix series I’d been running already and was looking for someone who’d host a radio version, I hit them up and they said go for it.
FP: We have also seen your ‘Return to the Dance’ mixes on soundcloud, how do you think that your music you play reflects your own identity?
JM: I try to play a mix of music that, whilst it sits firmly on the dancefloor, has a strangeness, or a playfulness to it. There is a music scene in Lisbon that originates in Angola, they make music called Kuduro, Tarraxinha and Tarraxho, I play lots of this on the show – particularly from the label Príncipe in Lisbon there is a very experimental sound to it. I love the way it’s highly percussive but the beats roll out of control, slipping into feeling off beat or like it’s collapsing, it’s usually underproduced in a way that has a lot of energy, and it can be extremely melodic or brutally minimal. I did a record cover for a compilation this year with 99 Ginger, featuring one of my favourite artists from Príncipe; Dj Lycox. Worth listening to, in my humble opinion.
All this to say; I love music that feels loose, rhythmic, playful, colourful – and I think those are qualities in my work too.
FP: Let’s get into the artistic side of things, when did you first get into animation?
JM: Easily around age 10-11? I used to make animations on Powerpoint with my friends, eventually my dad bought me an educational copy of Flash Mx for I think around £90 and I spent the next 5 years or so making animations on that.
FP: What is it about VR that makes it so different to other art forms?
JM: It’s a great tool, it lets me draw in 3D as I would in my sketchbook. You can be really loose and free without having to think about any of the limitations of 3d.
FP: If there is any, who is the main inspiration when it comes to your visual artwork?
JM: Probably too many to mention, I don’t have a singular main inspiration and of course it shifts over the years but I take photos of things I see around all the time, I love going to art museums and getting inspired by people I never heard of. I’ve sampled ideas from everything from hieronymus bosch, insects I saw running around in mexico, little statues of horses in cultural heritage museums to old fashion magazines, Dark souls games, the countryside where I grew up in Wiltshire. I just try to join dots between things and keep an open mind.
FP: You worked on the flyer artwork for our Bone Soda events at Phonox London, could you talk us through the creative process behind this piece?
JM: Sure. I had some back and forth with the Bone Soda guys on a few different ideas, I was looking a lot at medieval images of demons, and strangely enough motorbike stunts, so we sort of combined the two. For the main poster I referenced a very old painting I saw of the devil in a Mexican art gallery with an open mouth. From there I model everything in VR before moving to cinema 4d for animation and texturing. There was a lot of intense sculpting on this project but in particular I’m very happy with how the main poster came out.
FP: For our younger audience here at Footpatrol, what advice would you give to individuals trying to make it in the creative industry?
JM: Keep making work, don’t lose motivation. Honestly if you keep pushing stuff out and seeking opportunities eventually something will work, I’ve made hundreds and hundreds of works, whilst I was at art school and in the 5 years following I was nearly constantly making and uploading work without much in the way of success. Persistence is the only guarantee of anything I guess, but also look after yourself and don’t be too hard on yourself, a lot of stuff just isn’t in your control, I can’t tell you how many things “almost” happened for me only to fall apart at the last minute.
FP: To finish off we would like to thank you so much for the interview. Is there anything you would like to share with the Footpatrol friends and family? That could be anything from getting people excited about something, a message of positivity, whatever you like.
JM: Look after your health and make art that you enjoy creating!
Recently, we teamed up with Vault By Vans for a celebration of World Photography Day. We hope with our rollouts at Footpatrol there is a clear display of love for photography and the craft and the level of detail that comes with capturing the perfect image. To offer all you budding photographers out there a chance to show us your skills, ourselves and Vault By Vans want you to ‘Capture Your City’
Using the hashtag ‘VANSFPCAPTURE’, head out into your cities and capture what makes that city so special to you. This could be the architecture, a favourite spot that reminds you of your childhood, your friends, a viewpoint… anything! Share this on social media using the above hashtag and we’ll choose three winners to win some amazing prizes!
Entries close 19.09.22 and winners will be contacted via @Footpatrol_LDN only!
Look forward to seeing what you share!
The YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 ‘SLATE’ features an upper composed of two-toned re-engineered PRIMEKNIT. The midsole utilises adidas innovative BOOST technology whilst a semi-transparent TPU cage wraps the BOOST and adds a distinct design element to the iconic model. The YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 ‘SLATE’ is made with a series of recycled materials, and at least 50% of the upper features recycled content, this product represents just one of our solutions to help end plastic waste.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!
All online draws are now housed over on the Footpatrol Launches App, CLICK HERE to download!
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.
To sign up to the Online draw, you will need to download the Footpatrol Launches app and complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until raffle completion. Those successful will have their win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The draw is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
2022 has proven to be a year full of anniversaries. Whether thats sneakers celebrating their birthdays or stores like ourselves, there is a lot going on to celebrate within the sneaker, streetwear scene.
As you’re all aware, 2022 signals 20 years of Footpatrol but not only that, it also shines a light on our friendly Soho neighbours Dukes Cupboard who find themselves celebrating 10 years.
To celebrate these two milestones, we popped round to Dukes Cupboard with the latest offering from Reebok, the LX8500. We tasked them with no only what they do best, sourcing and piecing together two outfits that would do the shoe justice but also, bring the Reebok and outfits to live…
CREATIVITY IS THE ENEMY
When it comes down to collaborations, the Tom Sachs NikeCraft colabs are built on the foundations of usability and innovation. Whether it’s from the Mars Yards that utilise years of studying and testing including the shape, weight and colours before getting anywhere near the public domain.
For their latest efforts, they release the ‘General Purpose’ shoe. A sneaker that is made to be worn on peoples feet day in, day out. Delving into the archive, Sachs takes what works, wore it and saw what needed revising before ending at this final product.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!
All online draws are now housed over on the Footpatrol Launches App, CLICK HERE to download!
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.
To sign up to the Online draw, you will need to download the Footpatrol Launches app and complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until raffle completion. Those successful will have their win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The draw is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
We’re here, sadly, this week is the last week of Bone Sodas Phonox London August residency. It’s been great and has definitely created some memorable nights.
For this week, we’re highlighting Charisse C. NTS Resident, DJ, and the founder of Abantu over on No Signal radio, Charisse C draws on her unique admiration for the soulful and bass-heavy options with a sprinkle of playfulness that makes a DJ memorable.
Take a listen below and make sure to get yourselves down to Phonox this Friday to catch the final night of these 4 eventful evenings.
We continue our long list of 20 year anniversary celebrations this year at our authentic sneaker fraternity here at Footpatrol by enlisting the help of London based 3D artist and animator Joseph Melhuish – creating his own distinctive take on our signature gas mask design.
Donning a fluid artistic flair with and presenting an all new conceptual lane through his witty tone that transcends through his artwork. Melhuish utilises his digital canvas through an array of exaggerated designs that builds a compelling scene for those who witness it. Working with the likes of Cheerios, Adult Swim, Spotify and Vice – just to name a few, we believe he would be the perfect fit for our latest commissioned communi-T series.
Remastering our signature branding, the dual T-shirt design includes the respective Footpatrol bar logo branding debossed to the front with an eclectic graphic coating the reverse. With the other tee, arriving with a graphic adorned to the front, accompanied with a small gasmask insignia that signs off the design with a dose of FP heritage.
The Utopia t-shirt collection is now available in-store and online here.
Think it’s safe to say, the Crocs Clog is in a league of its own, a league which has seen household names within streetwear and art take their own spin to this eye-catching offering. Standalone when it comes to style, divided when it comes to opinions, you can’t deny that the Salehe Bembury offering has caused quite the stir!
Well now, the Pollex Clog is back in a new colourway dubbed ‘Cobbler’.
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.
