We had a chat with designer Katie Eary about Yeezy, being inspired by Irvine Welsh and her IKEA collection backstage after her SS17 show.
Do you have a method or routine when you’re making a start on a new collection?
I used to, but I travel so much now that my new technique is to buy a book at an airport, and deciding that’s what will be my inspiration because I have no time to get creative. So this season I was like, fuck it, that’ll do, plus I love Irvine Welsh, so it was a no brainer really.
Your collaboration with IKEA has recently been revealed. How was it working with them and doing homewares for a change?
Well I’ll be honest I didn’t really do homewares. They wanted prints, they were very specific with what they wanted and so I made one in colour season stuff, blue stuff, and for me even two seasons ago I can’t look at it anymore, so they were digging up stuff from 2009 and I was trying to think how I could make that work. We did the shoot and I loved doing that. Most things aren’t what they seem, it was so different and that’s what I liked about it.
What has been your favourite collection so far and why?
I’d probably say this one, because if I didn’t that would be really bad [laughs]. I love the colours. I always love colour, but I really love high-vis, and will probably be bringing that into AW17.
You recently designed coats for Kanye West’s Yeezy AW16 collection. In the media it seemed like Kanye got all the credit. Do you think it’s fair for big names to act this way, or is it just a media miscommunication?
That’s a difficult question that I couldn’t really answer without getting in trouble! I just think that’s life, life isn’t fair. At the end of the day I did it for him, so it’s his to do with as he pleases, so I can’t complain.
What advice would you give to students or young designers who want to start their own brand?
Don’t become a fucking designer! I used to be all about that but now I think, unless you really think you’re offering something please don’t even bother because they’ll get taken for a complete ride. Like having a stall at fashion week costs you thousands and you won’t start making money for years, if at all. I just feel like the industry has changed so much and I often think that if I graduated now I would do it so differently. I just don’t think you need that stress, and you need to do it for the right reasons. So many kids do it because they want to be famous, but it should be about the work because the industry is so over saturated at the moment. So sadly, I’d say go and get a job and enjoy your life! I wish I’d done that for a bit [laughs].
See Katie Eary SS17 Collection HERE!
See Katie Eary SS17 Backstage HERE!
