SS: Did you call your label “I Dream of Wires” after Gary Numan’s song of the same name?
Lou: Yes, well spotted! I just love that song title – it’s pretentious – and funny! ?
SS: To what extent does music influence your label?
Lou: Um..not consciously. I’m influenced by random things, past and present, that appeal to me. I love 80’s and 90’s pop & rave culture – the clothes, the sounds, the graphics. I have a whopping collection of 80s pop 7ins & early rave 12ins. I rage against beige – I love clashing prints & colours that don’t ‘match’ – matching is overrated. ?
SS: Why did you chose to launch your own label? And how does your label differ from the vin-retro clothing you source to sell?
Lou: We sourced a lot of vintage fabrics when we had our shop. We started to make stuff from kids curtains & bedspreads, Edd the Duck harem Pants, Hello Kitty playsuits and the Mickey Mouse Dungarees that Marina And The Diamonds has been wearing EVERYWHERE! We sold these from our shop. We started to make up pieces from new fabric – and the I Dream Of Wires label evolved from there. The vintage clothing we now sell on our website has the same aesthetic as our label – lashings of gold, sexy sex & crazy prints & colours. Our next collection has a kind of Rockabilly 80’s tennis theme. Tennis shorts & skirts in bright Hawaiian prints, African print mini dungarees & shocking pink zebra print harem suits. ?
SS: How long has the label been on its feet?
Lou: We had the boutique for 2 years, the label is about 18 months old. ?
SS: How long do you think our current vintage-retro-modern trend will last?
Lou: People will always love the way you can make a statement with vintage clothes. It’s the best way to find unique pieces on a budget. ?
SS: Amongst the vintage clothes, accessories, home ware and toys, tell us what’s the strangest item you’ve sold.
Lou: Not so strange, but we did sell the leather trousers belonging to the Bass player from Kagagoogoo. We still have his shiny pink tie with gold chains on it for sale on our website.
SS: Who do you lend out props and clothing to?
Lou: We mostly lend out for fashion shoots. I still work as a freelance stylist so I get to put my own stuff in shoots I do for Nylon magazine and 125. Super hip shop Machine-A in Soho stocks our label. Lady Gaga bought our silver & gold ‘Borat’ catsuit from there. ?
SS: Aside from wires, what else do you dream of?
Lou: Last night I dreamt an escaped tiger got into my house. ?