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The Leeds nightlife is famously buzzing: favourite nights/Leed’s based artists – other than yourselves (obviously)?

Luke: Mixtape project at HiFi, that place plays the best music. You’ll come out soaking with sweat and you’ll always feel sad when they turn the lights on and it’s finished.
Leeds has the best music scene right now, there are amazing shows on every day at the week. You’re literally spoilt for choice. To name a few of our favourite local bands: Post War Glamour Girls, Vitamin, Krrum, Forever Cult, King No-one….

How did you guys first get together?

Kat: We met in college working on a project. Luke contacted me through a mutual ‘musicy’ friend and asked if I would help him with putting some vocals on a song. To give you an idea…it’s something we still laugh about today. It was rushed and messy but we had fun doing it. After that we starting making music in our own time. 4 years later, we live together and we make music nearly every day.

Where does the name come from: car, sport, mint, brand or none of the above?

Luke: I have a bit of an obsession with branding, but more specifically, band names. I have hundreds of ideas saved in my phone. Polo was my favourite name on the list, and it still is. I once said to Kat, “I’m not sure what Polo sound like, but that’s how I want to sound, because that sounds like a great band”.

I think a band name really introduces you, more so that your typical brand or company.

You’ve played recently with Bipolar Sunshine and Charlotte OC…tell us about that.

Kat: To be part of a show with artists who share similar genres was really eye opening. I learnt a lot as a performer and found myself being more comfortable and expressive on stage. I had listened to both artists before gigging with them, so it was definitely a confidence boost so be on the same bill as them.

Biggest musical influences for each of you?

Luke: Nils Frahm, Jeff Buckley, Cat Stevens, Grimes…

Kat: I mostly sway towards female artists if I was to talk about influence, Amy Winehouse being my biggest. Modern artists being BANKS, Lianne La Havas and The Weeknd.

What’s ‘Visions of Fortune’ about? Tell us about the process behind that track.

Luke & Kat: The name ‘Visions Of Fortune’ comes from when people look at something or someone, and envision how they can profit and exploit it/them, irrespective of the consequences.
The lyrics are based on an interaction between a woman and man, the latter harbouring his own ‘Vision Of Fortune’. He sees her at face value, and makes assumptions and comments based on that. ‘He’ is an idiot, and she knows that! 

You’ve got a video on the way: what can we expect from that?

Luke & Kat: The video has been produced by Orillo Productions, who have made all of our (award winning!) music videos previously. It touches upon the themes of the song without being too literal. It’s a simple, but beautiful video.

What’s next in the pipeline after the single goes live etc.?

Luke & Kat: The next single, which we’re massively excited about. We’re exploring ourselves as artists more with each song, and we’re really finding out what we can get away with. People are responding to it too, which is very encouraging. Also, we’re starting to fill up our gig calendar too, which always makes the future more exciting.

What does success mean to you…? Platinum discs on the wall or something less commercial?

Kat: Haha well I can’t dispute that I wouldn’t feel successful having platinum disks on the wall. I think success for me would be where we are in a position where our music is self sufficient and we are influencing and inspiring people. Not to say that we’re not aiming big, were after those platinum disks still.

Talk us through an average day for you – in the studio or otherwise…

Luke: I like to get up early, and make lists of everything we need to do. I’m pretty organised, but I need to be because I work and Kat studies Law. We spend a lot of time writing, and then record any good ideas later in the week. In the evening we practice with the Dan, our drummer, in a studio around the corner. It’s nice because now we’re getting things done so efficiently.

Kat: My routine is slightly more sporadic than Luke’s, I can’t lie and say I’m as organised. I’m constantly juggling uni, band and social commitments but I like keeping busy!

Polo’s debut single is released 4th March

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Kedr Livanskiy’s story isn’t exactly commonplace. She’s an alternative electronic artists from Moscow who was born in 1990 at a dramatically transitional time for Russia – the end of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Russian Federation. Fast forward to young adulthood and a displaced-feeling Kedr joined the directing department of the Moscow school of New Cinema whilst maintaining an interest in music that led her to forming a DIY music group with like-minded creatives called John’s Kingdom.

They’ve since kept a buzzing and raw scene thriving in Moscow and Kedr herself is due to release a debut EP on 2MR early this year – she has already made waves with the excellent and chillingly unique track, ‘Sgoreat’. Keeping all this in mind, we understandably jumped at the opportunity to get to talk with Kedr about the liminal joys of Moscow’s border country, the importance of being an individual and why music is all about raising a middle finger to “objective reality”.

Your story is very unusual: can you tell us a little bit more about it?

I lived in Moscow, wrote music, played shows, filmed music videos, developed gradually… In general, engaged in the development of Russian electronic scene with a group of like-minded people. Then, on a wonderful day I received an email. It was Adam from the label 2MR. It was funny because at first I thought that it was a group of swindlers and speculators, because of my poor English I have not correctly translated some terms of the contract that they offered me. Also the label was brand new, I did not find any information on it, and in my mind it was advanced online fraud. So I lied that I have some major Russian label and did not respond to emails for a month or two. But Adam was persistent and there was such a curiosity from him that I came around and everything turned out well. Now we have a great working relationship together.

How would you go about describing your sound, it’s so unique?

I do not think about the people and about the nature. I think about the sound. I think about how to synthesize the sound to get the mind into the right state, how it feels inside, to get as close as possible to capturing the sound and not compromising on that. Of course, experience, nature, surroundings, people – all those things are recycled within, but I feel this occurs on a subconscious level. They transform into feelings and images that are then reflected in the song. But they still are not so tangible that they can be explained. And in general, if they could explain why, then why make the song? If a person is listening and he/she was born some way, he/she fantasizes under this persona and they will interpret it their way. Anyway I just do this the way I do it! Music should be divorced from objective reality, fuck off the reality. So my music is not about reality.

Does Moscow still seem like home / what do you love about it?

I am not inspired by the historical center – the beautiful areas with repaired roads and neat embankments. As a citizen those things suit me, the city has become comfortable and clean and that is good, but my inspiration lies entirely outside the city center. I’m interested in the border area, most often around train stations, outside flea markets, dilapidated garages built in the late 80s and some deserted spots on the outskirts. I like the places where the town transitions into countryside, the forest boundary, the border of ordinary reality which you have created for yourself. The question is, what do you want to see and what do you subconsciously ignore? My Moscow is clearly not a tourist brochure. it can be seen in my videos, I try to capture that feeling there. BORDER MOSCOW.

In terms of musical inspiration, who do you look to as your favourite artists?

Now is a very interesting time for music, it seems only a couple of years ago I could still adhere to some sort of stylistic framework in the choice of music, where I could count my favorite artists on my hands and also my favorite periods and styles. Now, everything is so blurred, the boundaries and sheer amount of music is staggering. I think in this age of information technology people like tracks more than artists and certain styles of contemporary electronic music can quickly become boring. If we talk about older, established artists that I think create music that has much stronger ties to their personal reality, some of my favorites I still love to listen to are Spacemen 3, Mazzy Star, Angelo Badalamenti, Sonic Youth, Afrika Bambaataa and many many others. On the other hand, I feel electronic music is based on other principles and criteria and perception of a different type, therefore I should probably talk about the tracks for the most part but I will name some artists anyway: Boards of Canada, Autechre, Leonardo Martelli, Legowelt, Patricia, Florian Kupfer and Inga Copeland. I really like dub and old school jungle, electro and etc. And much love to the music from Russian labels GOST and Johns Kingdom!

Cinema is obviously a passion of yours: who are some of the directors/the films you admire?

Cinema inspires me to make music, the same if not more than the music itself. In different periods I like different films. I like American cinema very much, some favorites are The Last Picture Show (it’s like if J.D. Salinger was shooting the movie!), Two-Lane Blacktop, Donnie Darko and all David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick films. Generally I feel closest to Russian and American cinema, not so much French cinema, although I really love Leos Carax. My favorite Russian directors are Tarkovsky, Kira Muratova and Aleksey German.

Have you decided on music as your path, or is making films still something you’re interested in?

I really want to make a movie. But it is a very time-consuming process that requires communication with a surprising number of people, it requires an incredible amount of teamwork and clarity of vision. As a director, you also need to possess certain leadership qualities to lead this large group of people, to have talent is not enough. Especially if you’re shooting a movie in Russia, where all through they ask for rigidity and great strength! Right now it is too much for me, but I’ll build myself up to it and am always working on it. I hope by the time I’m 30 years old I’ll feel ready, but now I want to focus only on music. Music for me is the most convenient and enjoyable way of expressing besides film, I do everything myself and do not need to communicate with anyone. Nevertheless, I shoot my own video clips, I produce them myself and I have at least 5 completely recreating the image, the reality of Lebanese cedar which is in my mind both musically and visually. Maybe I’m just an individualist and I’m not easy to work in team…

What can we expect from the upcoming EP?

You will like it

After the EP, what’s next for you…an album?

Yes.

Where would you like to be in five years/the future?

I prefer not to think about the future. Trying not to be pretentious here, but it’s true to my style. I believe that if you focus wholeheartedly IN THE NOW everything will come to you, even things you do not expect.

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We first met Jemma Beech at the H&M design awards a few weeks ago, and were won over by her innovative use of colour, and her near-obsession with fringing and tassels – which made for a collection that buzzed with movement and energy. Initially applying for Architecture, before securing her place at Central Saint Martins, Beech’s use of structure and silhouette is apparent throughout the collection. It’s her use of tassels, weaving and fringing however that really caught our eye – especially a colourful pair of flared trousers, with long fringing that had an irresistible Studio 54 vibe, making us want to channel a colourful Edie Sedgwick forever. We’re all about supporting new talent here at Wonderland, and we hunted her down post show to get to know the collection and Beech herself a little bit better.

What is your earliest fashion memory?

At school I was always doodling around, drawing people and clothes – I guess fashion has stemmed from there for me.

When did you start designing, what drew you to fashion design?

I’d always really been into art and initially I was torn between fashion and architecture. So I applied for both and had actually accepted a place for a BA in architecture before finding out I’d got into Saint Martins for a foundation year. I had a friend at school who’s sister had done costume design at CSM and then ended up working on the sets for the musical lion king, I thought that sounded pretty awesome and reading more about CSM I kind of set my heart on going there, so when I found out I had got in it was a done deal.

I initially did a foundation year, trialing several pathways from fashion to jewelry and after that year it confirmed I wanted to do fashion, but after dipping my toes in the many different options within fashion I wasn’t sure what to specialise in. So, I took a few years out, went and worked at Harrods on the floor and in the buying department, whilst juggling internships at Mary Katrantzou along with a few others, and decided to apply for knitwear in the end; initially a bit of a random choice for me, but whilst developing my portfolio I experimented with knit and loved how versatile it was.

How did your time at CSM inform and impact your work?

CSM teaches you to push your boundaries and to experiment. You have to be highly motivated and there is also a competitive atmosphere, which worked well for me. I think a key part of Saint Martins, is being inspired by other students. When everyone’s work is so different, it’s interesting to watch their projects develop as well as your own, as you then get ideas of how you can push your designs further. You are taught to question your work and think about what you are trying to get out of it.

How did you find your time there?

Once I started CSM, I was overwhelmed I’m not gonna lie. You’re surrounded by all these amazingly talented and creative people and I felt that coming from my retail background, I was rather simple in comparison. But you are thrown into projects and the more you do, the bolder you become. We had some great collaboration projects along the way, not only with the external tutors but also with other fashion pathways such as menswear, fashion communication and print. All of these project taught you something new, and reminded you that you were in such a great establishment, so why not utalise all that’s around you.

How does London influence your designs?

I’m from the country, literally the middle of a field in Shropshire, on the borders between England and North wales. Inspiration was pretty limited, so as soon as I finished school I was like I need to go somewhere that is the polar opposite, I wanted to be surrounded by buildings and people, in the hustle of it all.

London has influenced me in so many ways, not only with the people I’ve met, but the opportunities I’ve had. If you want to do fashion, it’s hard to do that from anywhere else but London. There is so much inspiration here, its endless.

Have you worked for anyone else on your journey?

I have interned for several brands. Mary Katrantzou back in 2010 when her label was still pretty new. I’ve also interned at Stella McCartney in their Press Office, as I wanted to gain a broader understanding of the fashion industry, not just the design element and most recently I did a six month design placement at Dior, in the Knitwear department. That was a great experience and I learned so much working with the design team, seeing the collections develop from the initial research stages to the final product.

How did it feel to be selected for the H&M Design award finalists? What did you learn from the process?

Amazing! When I got to the semi finals and saw everybody’s collections in the room it was pretty nerve wracking, as there were so many talented designers, so to be picked for the finals was pretty great as the competition was tough.

At the finals, each of the eight finalists had the chance to show four of our looks at the Orangery in Kensington Palace in front of some of the key figures in the fashion industry, including Nick Knight and Olivier Rousting. I had the chance to show my work amongst some of the best graduates from all over the world and it was great to see the difference in collections and portfolios, as we all had such different styles.

I learnt a lot from the experience, firstly that there are some great people and companies out there who are really trying to help new designers, by giving us opportunities like this on an international level. The H&M awards are such a great platform for emerging talent, so to be able to have that opportunity was great. 

Talk us through the use of colour in your collection?

I’ve always been rather hesitant when using colour in my work, but for my final collection I wanted to go bold. The colour palette was based around Morocco and when I went there a couple of summers ago the first thing I was struck by was the vibrant colours of Marrakesh and I really wanted to capture this in my collection. I took inspiration for the rich, deep colours from within the Majorelle gardens whilst using flashes of brighter colours like yellow, light blue and pink to contrast and uplift the collection.

Where did the tassle motif stem from? What were the inspirations behind this collection?

The initial focus was Orientalism in 19th century art and after a trip to Morocco I was fascinated by Jemaa el Fna and the vivid dye pots of Fez. I wanted the tassels to look like they had just been dipped into the dye pots and then woven straight into the garments.

For my textiles I looked into cultural craftsmanships; exploring tapestries, weaves and embroidery. I wanted to make a rich collection with an eclectic combination of textures, in a refined silhouette. I embroidered scenes from Morocco and drew inspiration from Arabic letters for the seam placements on the garments, making the letters curve and flow around the body creating these beautiful shapes.

What’s your aim as a designer?

To make garments that the more you look at, the more depth you notice within them.

Do you have someone in mind when you design?

To begin with no, as I find this limits me. I like to be inspired by my research and samples before I start thinking of silhouettes, when I get to that stage then yes I guess I’m drawn to designing feminine shapes. I wouldn’t say I have someone in mind exactly, but I do design pieces to be worn by someone who’s confident, as they are quite sassy pieces.

Can you talk us through your creative process?

I begin by researching a theme; research is key to me – the more depth, the more inspiration. Then I start sampling textiles from knits to embroidery, experimenting with yarns and techniques and sketching ideas as to how these can be developed into garments. I am constantly looking at my research, for not only textile ideas but also silhouettes. I am always reworking my concepts, as your initial idea can always be developed and once I start experimenting, I find it hard to stop but I find most things end up coming together in the final moments.

Tell us what has become a signature element you?

I have a heavy focus on creating feminine silhouettes but also heavily textured pieces. I like to build upon things, be that weaving elements on my knitwear or embroidering over prints…or all of the above.

What does the future hold for Jemma Beech?

Right now I’m just working to save up some money and then hopefully move to back to Paris! I would like to go work in luxury fashion for a few years first, get a bit more experience behind me before maybe trying to set up my own label.

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The British Fashion Council have just announced their NEWGEN Men recipients for AW16. The award, sponsored by Topman, gives sponsorship to up-and-coming designers for a catwalk show, a presentation or an installation, as well as providing financial support and business mentoring to help their brands develop.

This year the committee, which includes Jason Griffiths, the Marketing Director of Topman, and Sam Lobban of menswear-kings Mr Porter, have chosen Liam Hodges to join the esteemed list of designers who NEWGEN Men has already helped to change the face of British menswear. Hodges, who you may remember invited street-poet Hector Aponysus to perform during his last show for MAN, has been gaining considerable momentum in recent years for his DIY-streetwear aesthetic, so it’s no surprise he is being recognized for his talents by NEWGEN.

He will certainly be in good company, as the list of other designers currently receiving NEWGEN support reads like a who’s-who of cutting edge British talent: London Collections: Men mainstays like Agi & Sam and Astrid Andersen are up there, so are the masters of the high-end tracksuit, Cottweiler, not to mention Craig Green, whose samurai-inflected designs have found a fan in no less than Drake (when he’s in his tough guy mode rather than his dorky-dancing one). Previous designers who have benefited from the award include Christopher Shannon and the one and only J.W. Anderson – see, we weren’t kidding when we said NEWGEN support is a big deal.

To mark the occasion, NEWGEN have released a short video featuring the chosen designers throwing out rapid fire buzz-words. It’s pretty much everything you would expect from an award which fosters the famously eccentric and underground world of British design. As if we needed another reason to get excited about LC:M next season.

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The candy man has nothing on Gabriella Sardena. Her ultra-feminine BA Graduate Collection ‘Sugar’ was brought on by a full-on candy craze, boasting bright pink pleats, floral prints, candy graphics and layered lace. The Manchester School of Art womenswear graduate is one of this year’s British Fashion Council’s MA Scholarship recipients, with her sweet inspired garments earning her a place on Central Saint Martins prestigious MA in Fashion Textiles. Gabriella’s collection has had us buzzing around the Wonderland office’s on a total sugar high and if we needed one more good reason to bring Summer back – it’s her candy shop-fashion frenzy of pom-poms and playful textiles.

Wonderland traded some penny sweets with Gabriella in return for an insight into her sugar-coated world.

What drew you to study fashion?

I have always loved drawing and sketching. What drew me to fashion was being able to express your imagination and creativity through clothing, where you can create a 2-dimensional drawing and bring it to life in a 3-dimensional piece of wearable art.

What were some valuable lessons learned during your BA?

Time management and working under pressure towards a deadline. Working on multiple projects at a time is something that will constantly happen when working in the fast pace industry.

Can you tell me more about your work experience and what designers you have assisted?

My last placement took place in San Francisco last summer. I interned with GAP Inc’s Old Navy brand. It was a great experience. I learnt a lot about production from the start to finish.

Surrounded by the Californian environment I was filled with inspiration, and it was where my initial research began for my graduate collection.

Can you elaborate on what inspired your BA Graduate Collection?

My final collection was inspired by the innocence of femininity in contrast to the obsessive compulsion with everything sickly sweet. After exploring every sweetshop in San Francisco and a crazy sugar rush, I was inspired to create a narrative as the starting point to my research. This lead to sweet covered face prints, sweet bag pockets and icing-like dripped jackets.

I was also sponsored by Sophie Hallette lace. Working with the lace was great and really brought out the innocent feminine side to my collection. Alongside the pleats that replicate cupcake cases, trapping pom-poms into the lace created a beautiful texture and volume to the fabric, it gave my collection movement and fluidity.

Do you design for yourself or who do you have in mind?

The woman I design for is youthful, playful, eccentric yet sophisticated.

You received a lot of praise for your footwear in your final show. How was it working on accessories?

Working on accessories was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed creating the footwear as when I was designing I constantly had the whole look in mind.

Is this a direction you would like to continue to explore?

Accessories are something I would definitely be interested in as a collaborative project. Collaboration is so important as it allows various creative people to share and bounce ideas of one another to create something pretty spectacular.

What do you hope to achieve by completing the MA Fashion Textiles course at CSM?

I am really happy to have been awarded the scholarship by the British Fashion Council. It will be a huge help towards me MA. I am super excited to start at CSM.

I hope to continue developing as a designer, especially now specialising on textiles and strengthening this pathway. I am excited and want to push myself, and explore all the areas and new ideas with surface textures and silhouettes. I hope to achieve a collection that reflects who I am as a designer with a strong aesthetic.

What are some common threads that run through everything you create?

I always base my research on a narrative, or some sort of backstory. This helps me go into depth with my research and dig deep into the meaning behind it. It is also a great way to link the odd or random influences that may come across.

What are your favourite materials and fabrics to work with?

I love working with silks, lace and various transparent fabrics. I find it so beautiful to work with and there is so much you can do with then to alter the fabric with out it getting to bulky or heavy.

What are you plans after you graduate?

After I graduate from my MA I would like to work in the high end industry for a few years, gain experience and try my best to work my way up the ladder. Ultimately, I would like to create my own label.

What are your aspirations?

My aspirations are to continue working hard towards the goal of becoming a successful womenswear designer. I want to make clothes that put a smile on peoples’ faces and that reflect my personality. Clothes where women feel quirky and confident when they wear them. 

Words: Janine Leah Bartels

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