Author: Bradley Martinez
The YEEZY Slide features injected EVA foam for lightweight durability, whilst the soft top layer in the footbed offers immediate step in comfort. The outsole utilises strategically mapped grooves for optimal comfort and traction.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The London in-store draw is now closed!
The ONLINE draw is live 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 completion of the draw. 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.
Design comes in many different forms. Whether it’s within footwear design, architecture, painting, essentially everything started off as a concept and slowly grew into a reality.
The Air Force 1 ‘Sculpt’ is without a doubt one of those creations. For this release though we wanted to approach it in a slightly different way, looking into an industry we felt was one of the lesser spoken about/lesser known skill sets behind design and sculpting.
We took a trip over to West Hampstead to meet father and daughter duo Chirs Bramble and Freya Bramble-Carter and asked them to give us a little bit of insight into the world of ceramics and pottery and some of the history behind the industry alongside what they do as experienced and well respected creatives within their field.
Read the full interview and feature below and shop the Nike Air Force 1 ‘Sculpt’ here!
Footpatrol: I always start every interview with whoever we interview with a simple question of how are you ?
Chris: Feeling good
Freya: Yeah feeling good, revamping everything, everything is fresh at the moment, I am re-doing my home. I feel like it is quite a fresh time for me which is nice, I just came back from a trip.
FP: For those people that haven’t had the opportunity to meet you guys or have seen your work, could you give us a bit of an introduction on what you do and who you are?
Chris: My name is Chris Bramble, I am a tutor and a ceramic pottery and sculptor. I work in London, North West, I make products and I teach.
Freya: I call myself an artist, I teach pottery, I share the studio with my father and I like to make work in my own space as well and we sell and exhibit together and separately. We do lots of work playing around with the community and internationality, that’s the practice.
FP: Where did it all begin for you both?
Chris: Well for me it began at college. I was doing an exhibition design course and I was allowed to use all the materials. I fell in love with clay and dropped everything else overnight and did clay until I could get a portfolio together and luckily enough, through an invite I was able to go to the Glasgow School of Art to do my BA Honours degree. I enjoyed it so much I stayed there for 10 years. I took 2 years out and went to Zimbabwe and I taught in Zimbabwe and was an exhibition officer in the national gallery for 2 years.
Freya: I studied fine art and there was a ceramics studio there, I was in the studio working with clay a lot and I thought, I am doing all these different art forms but clay was the one thing I kept going back to. I was fluent in it and that’s because I’ve had past experiences growing up in my dad’s studio, helping teach and stuff like that as a child. After university, I felt it was a natural calling, it’s always what I’ve wanted to do to be honest. I kind of had a moment when I fell out of love with the art industry and when I started to be creative again it was the only thing I wanted to put my hands to. I asked my dad, can I help you out in the studio for a little bit if you give me some pocket money. I started teaching kids classes. Then the ball just started rolling to just teaching everyday. I learnt the practice inside out really.
Chris: I totally agree. She got her degree at Chelsea!
FP: Did you ever think you would follow in your dad’s footsteps in this kind of line of work?
Freya: No , I didn’t think I would follow, I didn’t plan it all. I think probably as a kid I thought it wasn’t really a thing for me. Naturally we both knew my twin sister didn’t want to follow what our parents did. That is only because it is natural you see how difficult it is at home. Maybe for one reason they were really looking after us as kids, we felt their stress. In our minds we were thinking whatever they are doing we’re not going to do. People even ask me oh you ‘re going to do pottery, no, no, no. But you know what, I wouldn’t do anything else, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I think the best advice you gave was to follow what I enjoy and since I’ve made that decision more so now, everything else just went out of the window really.
FP: Chris, from your perspective, what is it like seeing your daughter following in your footsteps?
Chris: It is a lovely recognition to be working with your daughter. I’ve worked with loads of different people over the years and I found working with my daughter is the safest, you got somebody watching your back. Your kids are away from you for a longer time whether it is at school or university, they disappear. It is nice that her and her twin sister have come back and that we have worked together and we are able to push the business much further than I could have done myself.
FP: Sounds like wholesome content if you ask me. I’ve told you guys briefly, I have discovered you guys through the vogue article, and honestly when I saw some of the pieces of work surrounded by both of you, that was when I was like yep. Coincidentally, Nike asked us to do a project the same week on the shoot , being on the Sculpt Air Force 1’s, so that is the direction we wanted to go in. Could you tell us a bit about your own respective styles and would you say they differ completely or is there a lot of similarities between the two?
Chris: The similarity between the two of us is that we can both throw large wear , which isn’t a problem for us. When Freya does her large wear she uses it as a canvas , I think she falls back on her painting a bit with the use of colours when she went to Chelsea School of Arts. I was lucky I had two different tutors at the beginning, a sculptor and a thrower. I was able to put human elements in my work. That’s why you see heads on top of pots or hands coming out of handles as it is quite figurative. Human elements, I like human elements because I feel like everyone can really communicate with that.
FP: And yourself Freya?
Freya: I suppose I like human elements as well, I kind of incorporate them into the forms of lots of vessels. I think I have spent more than a couple of years doing vases and kind of sculptural domestic wear. Slightly leaning more into interior design, whereas he does what he does really well, it’s kind of got a bit floral and femiminine, my market really appreciated it. I really enjoy making that work, I am really into technical glazing and all of that is really exciting to me. In the future I have got plans to do other styles of work, to move on and expand in other directions and I also work with my sister who also does theatre. We are kind of expanding and exploring with different kinds of mediums , we got projects like community projects that we might be working on next year, and a lot of exciting things that involve the community.
FP: Where do you guys see your brand and studio going ? Did you plan to expand, any ideas to take over the world or did you want to keep local, small and family-focused?
Freya: I think we can do both.
Chris: The most important thing is that we can carry on enjoying it and be able to make it grow honestly. Without it turning into a mass production thing, we believe that we put a bit of our spirit in our work, it’s a bit of us and when you go too wide, then sometimes you see the colleagues lose a bit when they get too satisfied . We hope to keep that together but carry on growing like we have been doing in the last few years.
Freya: I think that it is special to have the close knit community and have the family vibe and most importantly above everything it is about care. People value the care that we give and they give in exchange. It is really important , I think, for this type of work for people who really put their life and soul into what they make, we treat them with utmost respect and help them. I feel like we would be contradicting ourselves and our integrity as people and artists if we work in mass production, it goes against the whole point really , but we do want to expand in a way where we just want to have more people that can help us do that really. Personally, I would love to go more internationally as well. I think I am in a time in my life now that I am ready to travel. It would be nice to open studios abroad or work with other artists, just be open in that sort of way. There are definitely ideas in that way.
FP: This question is mainly down to my naivety of the industry. When you guys were getting into pottery, besides having each other’s backs, were there any other influences or artists that you had, that helped as a catalyst wanting to work in this industry?
Chris & Freya: No
Freya: My only inspiration was the work that I saw in my home and living lounge was his work. To be honest, no other ceramics inspired me in the same way, as there are loads of people that work with clay, but not really. When I started studying it , I was pulling out different types of sculptors like Alan Peascod. I like expressive people like that .
Chris: All I can say is that my original teacher told me to drop my exhibition in, Anthony Bennett was really important because I could see what could be done with clay. When I went up to the V&A, I was told Anthony Benett originally did the ‘d’andfour man’ and he was able to every line in his lip , every crease at the side of the eye, every hair on his face and he did it all in clay. He was my true inspiration. Through him I was able to understand and express my feelings through clay and be able to manipulate it into any form or shape, whether it was a toilet or whether it was bricks for a house or cups, sourcers etc. Through him I understood that it was a matter of doing it. Just do it and that’s it.
FP: I love the example, the first one the toilet, a class little anecdote!
Freya: I had to make a toilet once it was awful.
FP: May I ask why you had to make a toilet?
Freya: I forgot to make the rim and the toilet water splashed out of the bowl onto the person.
Chris: Have you ever seen pottery throwdown? Have you ever heard of it ?
FP : No
Pottery Throwdown is a series on television once a year, where they get 10 amateur potters, it is like British Bake off, it is run by the same company, sold by the same company the Love Productions. So Freya was on that and the day she got thrown out, is that day she forgot to put the rim on the toilet, so when they pulled the chain it all came out and trenched the judge. They loved it, they kept it there because it was fun. This programme was built for people to show what they can do and it’s entertaining.
FP: I wanted to go into a little bit of detail just to talk about the different types of clay, purely because I feel for a lot of people it is a new bit of insight to the industry. Could you give us a brief example of the different types of clay and the different effect it can have on the final result.
Chris: Well, London is built on clay so when you get a hot summer and the ground dries up, you get a lot of subsidence in London. London is built on red earthwear , that’s why it is full of pottery and we have large smoke stacks in London. If you use that clay in the ground, dig up the ground anywhere in London you’ll get a sticky yellowy brown stuff and that’s called red earthwear. That red earthwear is used to make cider jars, slits in roofs, bricks and gardening pots. Now, the red earthwear gardening pots, everyone should recognise them because they are kind of red/ browny , they are very porous so they half fire them, so it drains water out of them. London is rich with it. Porcelain is completely up the high end , the red earth would be fired to 1000 to 1040 whereas porcelain will be fired right up to 1,400 degree. Porcelain is translucent, some porcelain is see-through, at 1,400 degrees the porcelain clay turns into glass, but that originally comes from China. A natural happening thing in China, however, earlier on in the century, we found out that we can replicate it rather than buy it as imports from China. You can find most of them clays down in Cornwall and to give it’s translucent ability, bone has to be added and the bone burns out and makes it whiter and adds calcium. It is called bone china because it has got bone in it, people don’t release it has bone in it.
Now the other kind of main clay is stoneware and that came about in the mid 50 and 60s where their studio pottery had a revolution. It started with a guy named Hamada from Japan and a guy called Bernard Leach , they are the Godfathers of studio pottery. Studio pottery means that you have a small company making things by hand, which was opposed to the Industrial Revolution in 1910, where we had machines mass making things that was the beginning. Large cotton weaving up North and industrially made ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent. Stoke-on-Trent had five pottery towns together that actually produced together to create pottery for the whole country. Now those companies are slowly dying. I will list a couple of reasons for that because we have companies like Habitat and IKEA to mass produce things and people like cleaner cut things these days. So they like mould made things rather than hand painted and handmade. The other thing which is quite unusual, up to the 70’s everybody got married. Once you got married, you always got at least a 150 piece tea set for your wedding present. Some people have two or three, if you ask somebody mature they will say I’ve still got one of those tea sets upstairs. People also used to have large racks on the walls for these things. Another reason is that Americans used to come over and buy whole sets of Derby wear, Dembi, Worcester and all these other sets.
Freya: The clay we use is stoneware in the studio and we have a light grey to dark grey black stoneware. A lot of Chris’s work is like grogged play, which means that it is really gritty, so a lot of the sculptural stuff will have a stronger grogged play and you will see a grainier texture on the surface compared to smoother and coarser plays.
Chris: The revolution of the industrial and handmade things and it’s happening now again, the kickback against people sitting in front of computers all the time instead of feeding information into computers, people are getting bits of clay now and expressing themselves.
Freya: Yeah, now it is like people like really wonky stuff, not clean stuff as it is more raw.
People are expressing themselves when they are at dinner parties,it doesn’t matter if you are man or woman, the artist is out there giving out their dinner and it is a conversation, like ‘oh did you make that.’ Did you make that platter? Who made these mugs? Ah, I made them. It is another string to people’s bow and its way of expressing yourself and it is accessible from the age of 2 to the age of 105. Which is so great about clay, when you come along and do your little event thing, you’ll see.
FP: I am excited for it if I am completely honest with you! Just before I let you free, we like to leave everybody with an opportunity. If there is anything you would like to share, whether that be a message of positivity, something you want to get people excited for, how would you like to sign everything off?
Chris: Just get your fingers in and have a go!
Freya: I would like to say come see us and have fun and before that relax and follow your joy.
After dipping our toes into the esports world by partnering with the Call of Duty League (CDL) and Raven for our Soho pop-up, we knew it was time for us to try something new. It has been a long time coming, but we are finally ready to share our exciting foray into the world of gaming.
We have teamed up with ASTRO Gaming for a collaboration that we cannot wait to share. First up is a duo of bespoke ASTRO A40 Headsets dressed and designed by the Footpatrol team to help you show the world how much gaming means to you. To complement the launch, we have also got a selection of apparel pieces.
This project features two headsets: one yellow, one black, with custom Speaker Tags for further customization. Additionally, we have created a T-Shirt that portrays the traditional Footpatrol Gas Mask logo into something harder-hitting alongside the addition of two regional exclusives, split between our London and Paris stores. If you are keen on those, you will need to come down to the store to grab them. Once they are gone, they are gone!
Since it was founded, ASTRO Gaming has designed several stunning pieces of gaming tech, like award-winning headsets and mics. ASTRO Gaming is a company that has promoted a more inclusive gaming lifestyle, bringing the community together while creating products for hardcore enthusiasts, pros, and streamers.
Our journey with ASTRO Gaming ultimately began on a trip at the start of 2020, having been invited to see the London Royal Ravens’ home series at the Call of Duty League. We were blown away at the event’s size and scope. We felt it was only natural for us to come together and create something that transcends the footwear scene. Now that we’ve joined forces, it really does feel like anything is possible.
If you’re looking to get your hands on the ASTRO Gaming x Footpatrol collaboration, you had better act fast. Unlike the bond forged between both companies, these pieces aren’t going to last long…
Both headsets will be launching on NTWRK on Thursday 9th December at 6PM GMT. Please make sure to download the NTWRK app ahead of the launch.
The T-shirt will be available in two ways. An online raffle is currently live over on the Footpatrol Launches App however, if you happen to live close to our London and Paris stores, the T-shirt will be launching on a first come first serve basis. This will be available on Saturday 11th December. Those who purchase in-store will also receive a second t-shirt which are regional exclusives to our two stores. Designed with the gamer in mind, a map on the back of both depicts our stores within a gaming world.
Atlanta-based boutique Ma Maniere is notably the standout Air Jordan 1 collaborative this winter season,sporting a clean “Sail/ Burgundy” iteration of the Air Jordan 1’s. A Ma Maniere X Air Jordan 1 High OG is the newest remodel of the OG silhouette boasting a high top suede in sail combined with suede overlays and contrasting burgundy tones on the upper. While the stand out feature is the reptilian texture finishes in Burgundy Crush that embellishes the collars and signature Swooshes on its sides panels.
Added quilted lining , perforated in co-branded tongues and a quote from the b-ball legend Michael Jordan himself under the ankle flap which reads: “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” Further flattered by a sail midsole, a burgundy rubber outsole and an elaborate tag on the insole that reads. “Airness by A Ma Maniere for Air Jordan”, that rounds up the whole aesthetic of the sneaker.
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.
Rasharn Powell is the man of the moment. An emerging R&B star pioneering his own adaptation of R&B, soul, alternative, Hip-Hop and jooks of rhythm.
Still in the early stages of his career, Rasharn Powell has been making his mark on the music scene through his soul inspired beats and conscious wordplay as an honest depiction of his life.
Celebrating this year’s success with the R&B EP ‘Dusk & Dawn’ garnering over 2 million streams, we reached out to Rasharn to talk about all things music, positivity and how style has inspired his musical journey.
Read the interview below!
Footpatrol: Rasharn before we get into everything! How are you?
Rasharn Powell: I’m a good man, I’m blessed. How are you?
FP: I’m good, thank you!
Tell us a bit about yourself and how your upbringing was. Did the place where you grew up shape who you are and how your music is voiced?
RP: I am Rasharn Powell, 26 years of age originally from Redbridge. Some might call it East London, others may say Essex, It’s just IG4 to me haha!
Single parent household, I was raised with my sister by my mum and a lot of strong females within my family, my aunties, cousins and my grandparents. I would definitely say where I am from helped shape me into who I am today. I have lived in a lot of places in my life and I think the knock on effect of being in those spaces and the people I have met have helped shape me. So in answer to your question, yes.
FP: Would you say that’s down to the diversity of the areas you’ve been to or more to do with the people you have immersed yourself around?
RP: I would say more so the people. For the most part, when I am in certain areas I try to take in everything around me, but it’s the people that you come into contact with that help push you in those directions. For me it’s mostly the people that I have connected with that have helped shape me into the man I am today.
FP: At what age (or how early) did you realize that you had “that voice” – was it a family member, a friend, a stranger or just self proclaimed?
RP: When I was in school I used to love playing rugby but I also used to love singing. In school if you didn’t know my name they would just call me singer boy or the kid that dances haha! In year 7 I was singing in school assemblies, it’s always been one of my main passions. I found sport though, specifically rugby – as a positive outlet especially for things like mental health. I remember being 16 ready to go to college thinking, am I going to pursue rugby or am going to dive in with singing and which made me feel the most alive when I did it. It turned out to be music. I couldn’t do both as no one would want to see a battered face sing to them. I decided from that point to really hone in on singing.
My mum really helped along the way – and prior for that matter – to put me in singing lessons or with different people that she knew who knew more about singing and the industry itself. She used to say that she knew I was talented but needed to hear it from an unbiased view to make sure that I was as talented as she thought. Those different people help me get to where I am now. I feel it was mainly my mum and myself that really gave me that push to go for it.
FP: Were you classically trained when it came to singing lessons?
RP: No. Mainly for me I didn’t want to eradicate the feeling that came across when I was singing. I wanted to make sure I knew how to control that. When it came to singing, it was more focused on breath control and being able to project your voice without doing any harm to it. I was trained by people who were classically trained but I didn’t want it to be as strict as that. For me if you attach something so strict to something so emotive like singing it then becomes almost feelingless. That’s not the case for everyone but it was so for me.
FP: Who were your musical influences growing up? Was it a mix of older generations to the current artists/groups at the time and has that changed over the years?
RP: Growing up I was raised in a very musical household. Not that anyone played themselves but, when I would go to my grandparents they used to love throwing parties. They had a sound system that would run through the whole crib, so when it came to birthdays or whatever we would just be out in the garden setting music alight! Artists like Gregory Isaacs, Feris Hammond, Marica Griffiths would just play throughout the house. In terms of reggae being Jamaican it was something I was already very rooted in. At home though it was more those pop/r&b centred artists that my mum and my dad play all the time. Being at home with her, she would be playing the Brandys, Usher, even people like Westlife and Blue! My Dad on the other hand would play artists like your John Legends. I would have my ear like an applaurer of music. Once I grew up and started going to college and uni I made friends that introduced me to genres like Afrobeat and artists like Fela Kuti, Arctic Monkey, Ben Howard, Banks, Coldplay – essentially artists that are more focused by melodies or song writing. The focus is all about storytelling. With that I loved r&b but just wanted to make sure I was saying something within my music and construct it so that it tells a story or in a way that was clever.
FP: When writing a song/s, do you have someone in mind or do you tell it from someone else’s perspective? Is it based on past experiences or do you like to create and tell a story?
RP: I would definitely say that everything that I have written is based on past experiences. Everything that is on ‘Dusk till Dawn’ are my own stories, anything from past relationships, my view on the world and people that I have been in touch with who have affected me in some way. There are times when making music that hasn’t made it out, where I want to talk from another perspective. Those are the things that I develop a story around someone’s experiences in some way. But for the most part it is a depiction of my own life.
FP: Are you the type of person to write your lyrics in a notebook?
RP: I don’t write my lyrics in books but I do journal. In terms of my thought process and what helps me have a cathartic moment everyday, that is something that allows my thoughts, worries, great ideas or things to reach towards come out. When I’m in the studio though I need something quick so that’s when I usually just use my notes on my phone or anything I can just get things down quickly on. Sometimes though when we are jamming I need to hear it back and write down the lyrics and piece them together so that they make more sense.
FP: Congratulations on 2 Million streams on not just one but two tracks off your mixtape ‘Dusk & Dawn’ (Smithereens and Warm In These Blue Jeans – the latter which was a single from 2019). Did you know that songs like these would take off or do you just create it and let the songs take their course?
RP: I wish I could have said yeah I know this one will take off. I don’t feel like you ever know, you get a bit of an incline but that may well be down to it being a special track for you. Sometimes the tracks that I get gassed about aren’t always received well instantly by people. That’s just how it is. I am just grateful regardless. The music that I put out I’m very intentional with what it is I am saying and releasing to the world. So whatever one it is that takes off, I am just grateful as it still represents a part of me. At that point it’s just allowing whatever takes off to take off.
FP: When choosing the right beats to lay your creativity on, is there a certain instrument or chord that catches your attention? Your versatility is evident on songs like Warm In These Blue Blue Jeans which is a groovy take with baselines and spotty synths to Smithereens and Joyride which are more of a slower pace but head-bobbing side of things.
RP: Not really to be honest. What I go for is that feeling that when you play a beat makes me want to write. If it doesn’t make me want to write straight away, then it’s not right. Music to me should be easy. Of course writing and enveloping the story and all these things can be tough, trying to get out what you are trying to say. But, in terms of melody and what I am searching I expect it to just come like that! *click*
FP: With some of the lyrics you have already pre written then what is it about the beat that helps you match it together with the lyrics?
RP: I always say, I am going to create because I have an urge and intention to create. Any time I go into the studio I have that same intention, so when I hear something that makes me feel inspired then I am going to attach whatever it is to sit on that. It doesn’t matter if I have used it on something else that was never released. It’s about getting the best out of what you are trying to say. That could be however many takes it needs to be as long as you’re happy with it. The song is before the beat for me, it’s the thing that comes first, I want to be able to sing it completely acapella and make sure everyone else can do so also. If that isn’t happening then to me it’s not a great song. It’s the excitement that comes with it, if Sam or Niel play me something or any of the producers that I have worked with play me something and it gets me excited then I just feel like I need to share something and it just happens.
FP: I hear that, if the moments right , the moments right.
RP: Exactly. For example when we played you some of the new stuff I wrote that – Niel what was it like 30mins?
Niels: More like 30 seconds!
RP: Other songs though I sometimes need to come back to. I could have written one part or the main aspect but need to return to complete it fully. Sometimes you need to take yourself away from the situation to come back with fresh ears and go again. Imagine all the ideas that just die.
FP: Just left them to do nothing.
RP: Yeah and they weren’t inspired enough to want to do anything with it. In comparison to the amount of songs that are constantly coming out which is like 60,000 songs coming onto spotify everyday. It’s endless.
FP: Do you have any artists that you would like to collaborate with?
RP: Andre 3000!
FP: Let’s take a little side step into your style and interest for trainers. Do you think your style was inspired by your musical journey or has it been something you have tried to immerse yourself of your own accord?
RP: Definitely my general interests, where I’ve been and what I have been affected by. I feel that people in general for the most part, if you are going to tap into that side of your brain. You are always going to be trying to search for inspiration in some way. That’s just what I am like. Anything that I decide to wear on a day to day basis is based on the reference points that I have collated in my mind. That’s why I chose these Asics besides the fact they are curated by Kiko. I knew it was the type of shoe I would want to wear based on my style already. That attention to detail is what plays in every single part of my life, whether that be my interior design interests, music I make or clothes that I wear. That is something that I think is very intentional, at the same time by chance too. You never really know what you’re going to end up falling into! My whole family dresses in a different way to how I dress. They always say that they never thought I would have dressed like this, but I wear it proudly knowing that this is who I am. You don’t feel like what you dress is weird until you’re in a situation where other people are wearing the same thing as you, that’s when you start to think that standing out is weird to some people. Just own it!
FP: Before we let you go! Rasharn we like to ask our guests if they have anything they would like to share with the Footpatrol community and readers. Whether that’s something to get people gassed about or just a general message of positivity it’s up to you?
RP: I would just say go after what it is you’re inspired by and what makes your heart, mind and body feel alive. If you’re young and have no responsibilities go after what it is you want to do and if you’re older and have responsibilities still go after what it is you want to do.
There is also a lot of new music coming soon to watch out for! Otherwise, I am Rasharn Powell and that’s it!
With the upcoming launch of our Footpatrol Gasmask Incense Chamber, we sat down with Julien from Batch.Works who helped us create the first part of the puzzle for the chamber. Julien sat us down to talk us through the unique processes of 3D printing and the challenges that came with turning the iconic 2D Footpatrol Gasmask into a 3D object.
Footpatrol: Julien we are super excited to be here! How are you?
Julien: I’m great thank you! Super excited to finally launch this collab! But also pretty tired as it’s the busiest time of year for Batch.Works and we are opening a new fabrication hub in Amsterdam this month…
Footpatrol: What you guys do is something I must say I don’t know a lot about. Can we get a little insight into Batch.Works, yourself and what got you into creating such an individualistic fabrication process?
Julien: I was trained as an architect but I’ve always been passionate about making and fabrication processes. I’ve been fascinated about the possibilities of 3D printing for about a decade and I’m still amazed about the versatility and power of this technology.
I created Batch.works in 2018 with the mission to utilise 3D printing to enable a sustainable and speedy alternative to traditional product development and production.
We are also proud to be using exclusively 100% recycled material from our partner Reflow in Amsterdam.
Footpatrol: Were there any creatives that inspired you into following this path?
Julien: I’ve been inspired by many creatives along the way starting with Architects then followed by furniture designers. Bold Design, a french duo, was the first design studio I discovered to push the limit of 3D printing and make absolutely amazing pieces like the Hairy Vase. We are now working together on many projects and are part of the Batch.Works catalogue.
Footpatrol: In terms of concepting design ideas, how do you and the team go about that?
Julien: We have different approaches depending on the request but as we are a manufacturer, we have a strong focus on production and practicality on how we are going to make the end product so when a brief comes to us we quickly dive into design for manufacturing with the client.
Footpatrol: It must be such a great feeling seeing these designs come to life in the way that they do?
Julien: YES! That’s the beauty of 3D printing, bringing amazing pieces of digital product or art to life. Especially in this collab, starting from a 2D logo to a full model was very incredible.
Footpatrol: I know you guys have worked with all sorts of places from the Tate to WHSmith. Could you tell us a bit about what these projects entailed and how they came into fruition?
Julien: We’ve been involved with quite a few project recently! The Tate is part of the Tate edit selection, they have shortlisted a number of London based creatives to sell their project and we are really excited to be part of it!
With WHSmith, we recently received a grant from the Mayor of London to work closely with them to turn their waste into a collection of product which will be released early next year!
We also have other exciting project with BENE, a furniture brand and the opening of our Amsterdam Hub which will allow us to produce in the EU as Brexit has been a big hit for us.
Footpatrol: Of course we are here to talk about our project together! How has it been piecing it all together?
Julien: It has been a long but amazing journey, the project started over 2 years ago! The global pandemic gave time for the project to take shape and mature. In March/April 2019, Asheeba and John came to me with a brief to bring the Footpatrol logo into an incense chamber. As a 3D printing company, everything is possible! We quickly realised the complexity of bringing a 2D logo into 3D shape would be challenging. Thanks to the previous collaboration Footpatrol did with Duffy for the ring, it really helped us to make up the part of the logo that doesn’t exist. After many iterations and prototypes we finally managed to bring the perfect model to life.
Footpatrol: Is it your first time creating an incense chamber?
Julien: Definitely yes, this is not something that comes through the door very often! It’s also why we got very excited about this challenge and project.
Footpatrol: Were there any unexpected challenges in the design and manufacturing process?
Julien: The biggest challenge was to produce the pieces. It was actually meant to be 3D printed in ceramic but with Covid hitting globally this was not an option anymore. We managed to partner with two wonderful young graduated ceramicists from Stoke-on-trent, Yunji Shin and Nicole Waefler. Many established professionals would not work on this piece due to the complexity of the model but Nicole and Yunji took on the challenge and the result is astonishing…
Footpatrol: Julien we really appreciate you letting us come down to the studio to see the behind scenes of the brand. Before we let you go, is there anything you would like to share to the Footpatrol reader and followers?
Julien: Thank you for coming down! Great pleasure to have you here and finally release this product! We’ve just opened Batch.Space in East London, next to Broadway market above a bus depot. It’s a place where people can make and connect with other creatives across many disciplines. It’s also Batch.Works home so anyone is welcome to come for a tour!
Limited to 100 pieces, the Footpatrol Gasmask Incense Chamber will be launching in-store and online on Saturday 4th December priced at £100.
With the launch of the Saucony Shadow 6000 ‘Destination Unknown’ pack, we teamed up with a trio of local photographers who bring their own unique approach to this latest release.
At the heart of this latest pack are the dreamers who are constantly on the pursuit of discovering something new, finding new territories in the aid of producing individualistic, interesting work. With that in mind, we caught up with Tyler Little, Aaron Hettey and Alice Holland, three creative photographers at a London train station and provided them with a train ticket (Including a return of course). With each of them having a pair of the Saucony’s on foot and with their destination unknown, we sent them on their way. With bright colours to provide a pop against the muted tones, giving a traditional yet cosmopolitan utilitarian feel, they were challenged with documenting the local area and the culture trying to tell the story of each respected location.
Take a closer look at Alice who ended up visiting Southend.
Footpatrol: Let’s take it from the top and start off with about you to give the Footpatrol community a bit of insight into who you are?
Alice Holland: I am a student/photographer studying in London. I would say I’ve been photographing for about eight years and shooting on film for five.
FP: What got you into photography, I know that you have been doing it for quite a while but what was the catalyst?
AH: I remember the first roll of film I had ever shot, I didn’t really know how to load my camera and when I started shooting I had no clue how it was going to work out. I remember when I developed the images though and how I felt in the darkroom when I saw my film for the first time. I fell in love with the whole process and haven’t stopped since then.
FP: Could you give us a bit of insight into your shoot style? Do you have a preference when it comes to photography or are you fairly open dependent on the project?
AH: I think that whenever I photograph I will always try and have my style come across in the photographs. How I choose to shoot will depend on the size of the film that is in my camera, shooting with larger film I take more time with the images and framing which is definitely reflected in the shot.
FP: Let’s talk a bit about this project, how it was shooting in Southend. Did you find it easy to work around the area with your shoot style, was it easy enough to get into the flow of things once you started?
AH: I am actually working on a photo series at the moment where I am photographing English seaside towns…Southend being one of them I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my day.
FP: Alice, thank you again for being here with us and really appreciate you coming down. Before we let you go is there anything you would like to share to the Footpatrol readers and followers?
AH: If you are just starting to take photographs, remember “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst”.
With the launch of the Saucony Shadow 6000 ‘Destination Unknown’ pack, we teamed up with a trio of local photographers who bring their own unique approach to this latest release.
At the heart of this latest pack are the dreamers who are constantly on the pursuit of discovering something new, finding new territories in the aid of producing individualistic, interesting work. With that in mind, we caught up with Tyler Little, Aaron Hettey and Alice Holland, three creative photographers at a London train station and provided them with a train ticket (Including a return of course). With each of them having a pair of the Saucony’s on foot and with their destination unknown, we sent them on their way. With bright colours to provide a pop against the muted tones, giving a traditional yet cosmopolitan utilitarian feel, they were challenged with documenting the local area and the culture trying to tell the story of each respected location.
Take a closer look at Tyler who ended up visiting Cambridge.
Footpatrol: Tyler! Long-time no see, how are you?
Tyler Little: Yes yes been a minute. I’m doing well, taking a moment to enjoy life and cut out the noise whilst rediscovering my creative productivity after a few months in limbo.
FP: Let’s take it from the top and start off with about you to give the Footpatrol community a bit of insight into who you are?
TL: Of course. I’m Tyler Little, a multi-disciplinary creative originally from Devon but coming on 5 years in London now. My core skill set and passion is in photography however I never like to limit myself to one role and I’m constantly looking for new avenues to explore my creative vision, working as a stylist, graphic designer, art director and recently I’ve just ventured into directing and shooting music videos.
FP: What got you into photography, I know that you have been doing it for quite a while but what was the catalyst?
TL: I’ve always been creative and even before I picked up a camera, I knew I wanted to go into art. I genuinely don’t remember the moment I decided photography was going to be the main thing I pursued but I think what I have always loved about it is the industries I get to work in, the incredibly talented artists and people I get to meet and work with and just the ability to tell a story and create a world and feeling through my images.
FP: I know you have been shooting all sorts from editorials to music videos. Do you have a preference when it comes to that or are you fairly open dependent on the project?
TL: I don’t think I have a particular preference; I just enjoy finding new ways to tell a story. With that said I’m really excited to continue working on music videos as the potential of that medium is really captivating, I’ve got so many ideas that I can’t wait to be able to produce.
FP: Let’s talk a bit about this project, how it was shooting the architecture of Cambridge. I know it’s not your normal shoot style but was it easy enough to get into the flow of things once you started?
TL: So it was my first time going to Cambridge and I was genuinely surprised by how much of a distinct feel and aesthetic the town has. Everything felt super churchy from the names of streets and parks to the literal churches popping up round every other corner. Like you said I’m usually shooting models and very controlled, staged environments so this was definitely a new way of working for me but I really wanted to apply my style to this shoot which led me to bringing a speed lite along and experimenting with how I could make my images and the Cambridge city feel dark and cinematic. I had some doubts about how it would turn out as I’d never tried anything like this before but once I got going and started seeing how the images were coming out, I was really enjoying playing around and shooting in a way I normally wouldn’t, it’s definitely got me thinking how I can refine and develop this method in future shoots.
FP: Tyler thanks so much again for being here with us and really appreciate you coming down. Before we let you go is there anything you would like to share to the Footpatrol readers and followers?
TL: It’s honestly been a pleasure and a lovely day out from London, love to everyone at Footpatrol for the opportunity. I’m taking on a creative director role with underground south London artist Virgil Hawkins and collaborating with stylist Jack Ray. I’ll be guiding the aesthetics either from a creative consultant role when he works with other creatives or more hands on; producing the majority of video and photo work to compliment Virgil’s sound and create a clear aesthetic and world that his music can sit in. So, check in with Virgil and wait to see what we come up with, the entire sound him and his friends (Kibo, Jawnino, BRBKO, JPNTN and Chamber45 to name a few) are building right now is so unique and exciting, there’s honestly nobody in the UK doing it like them right now and I’m really excited for the planned roll out.
With the launch of the Saucony Shadow 6000 ‘Destination Unknown’ pack, we teamed up with a trio of local photographers who bring their own unique approach to this latest release.
At the heart of this latest pack are the dreamers who are constantly on the pursuit of discovering something new, finding new territories in the aid of producing individualistic, interesting work. With that in mind, we caught up with Tyler Little, Aaron Hettey and Alice Holland, three creative photographers at a London train station and provided them with a train ticket (Including a return of course). With each of them having a pair of the Saucony’s on foot and with their destination unknown, we sent them on their way. With bright colours to provide a pop against the muted tones, giving a traditional yet cosmopolitan utilitarian feel, they were challenged with documenting the local area and the culture trying to tell the story of each respected location.
Take a closer look at Aaron Hettey who ended up visiting Folkestone.
Footpatrol: Aaron it’s a pleasure as always to see you, how are you?
Aaron Hettey: I’m good thank you, hope you’ve been well.
FP: Let’s take it from the top and start off with about you to give the Footpatrol community a bit of insight into who you are?
AH: I’m Aaron Hettey. I’m a photographer, advertising creative and co-founder of @fusionnetworkuk, a live performance and networking platform designed to connect ambitious creatives.
FP: What got you into photography, I know that you have been doing it for quite a while but what was the catalyst?
AH: I’ve always had a passion for photography and creative culture, but I’d say 2018 was when HetteyImages was born. My friend @lekkyfromse was shooting on film and I loved his photos and what film brought to them. I soon picked up my own point and shoot and started taking it to events and just capturing the energy of the London scene and then things just progressed from there.
FP: I know you predominantly take portraits in your work. Do you have a preference in circumstances to shoot under, do you like to keep things more editorial, events or are you fairly open dependent on the project?
AH: I’d say it depends on the project, I started in events and I still love it to this day, particularly live music. The dynamism and chaos of the pits are a real experience!
But if I had to pick I’d lean more towards portraiture. I really enjoy what you’re able to do with portraits.
FP: Let’s talk a bit about this project, how was it trying to capture the story of Folkestone through its locals. I know it’s not your normal shoot style but was it easy enough to get into the flow of things once you started?
AH: I’ve not done much photography under those conditions before so there was a little bit of an adjustment period. There were a couple “no’s” throughout the day but the locals were always warm and hospitable. It was super interesting to observe the culture of treasure hunting that exists in the Folkestone and it’s beaches. I was very intrigued by the hobby and this formed the focus of some of my images. Who knows, I may head back there soon!
FP: Aaron, thanks so much again for being here with us and really appreciate you coming down. Before we let you go is there anything you would like to share to the Footpatrol readers and followers?
AH: Yeah, man. I’d like to thank you guys at Fp for the opportunity and yeah follow me @hetteyimages & @fusionnetworkuk
Over the years at Footpatrol. We have worked on a range of accessories, from keyrings, door keys, jewellery and even homeware pieces. Our interests outside of Footpatrol span far and wide which is what brings such diversity in our projects and collaborations.
To further broaden our horizons. Footpatrol have teamed up with 3D printing specialists, Batch.Works and fragrance experts, Earl of East to bring to you a Gasmask inspired Incense chamber and special Footpatrol incense to pair alongside it.
Earl of East was founded in 2014 as a shared passion project between Niko Dafkos and Paul Firmin. Since launch it has grown into a business built around a love for fragrance. What started as 3 candles soon developed into a whole range of lifestyle and beauty products.
To best showcase the work Earl of East produce, we partnered up to produce Footpatrol scented incense composed of a balanced blend of cedarwood & jasmine essential oils. The aim was not only to create a scent that helped alleviate stress, anxiety and heighten your mood turning your home into that happy place we all like to keep tucked away in our minds.
Based in East London, Batch.Works have been pushing the realm of 3D printing by turning it into forms that fit perfectly within households. Using the latest technology Batch.Works have focused their attention on being able to produce in an eco-friendly way ensuring the materials they use are recycled and responsibly sourced either from sugarcane starch or recycled packaging.
From turning our prestigious Gasmask logo into a 3D printed item, the team at Batch.Works worked closely with Nicole and Yunji, a duo of emerging ceramicist talent who worked meticulously by hand to create a limited run of ceramic Black incense chambers using the 3D printed model as the original mould.
Simply place a lit incense cone on the base within the chamber and watch as the smoke drifts out of the openings within the Gasmask chamber.
Limited to 100 pieces, the Footpatrol Gasmask Incense Chamber and Incense Cones (sold separately) will be launching in-store and online on Saturday 4th December (Available online from 08:00AM GMT), priced between £20 – £100.
