EWOL Interview - Blending The Boundaries
Meet Angela Lowe one of Australia's most intriguing, and emerging designers. Angela is creative force behind the EWOL label. This talented and exciting designer has blended the boundaries of streetwear and high fashion to create wearable art.
EWOL is for individuals who want to standout and be unique; a movement against the norm. The likes of Willow Beats, NGAIIRE, and Vera Blue have all donned the EWOL Design.
We had a chat to Angela about fashion, EWOL, music, and how she curated Vera Blue's outfit for Splendour In The Grass.
(All photos courteously provided by EWOL)
Futuremag Music: How did you enter the fashion scene initially?
EWOL: I actually was doing a couple of jobs before going to university. Uni was something I never really thought would be beneficial, if that makes sense? I was working in sales, so I was in a high paying job in Sydney and I realised I actually hated it.
One thing I noticed is that I enjoyed making my own clothes, because I didn’t necessarily like what was out on the market. I’m a little bit different, I’m a bit of a tomboy, but at the same time I’m quite flamboyant like my clothes. I guess I wanted to make something different.
I went on a trip to Europe for a about a year then decided that I should be designing. I applied for the design course at uni, and was able to get straight in without an interview or anything which was great. It was the best thing I could’ve ever done for myself. It might’ve not been great financially great for myself, but in the terms of what I want to do with my life, it has definitely helped me get to that point. It’s been such a fun ride for me, to get people to see what it is you create, and them to actually like it, that’s a great thing as well.
Futuremag Music: How’d you start with the EWOL project?
EWOL: Basically, with the previous release, as uni was ending, which was last year. I was top seven of my school, so therefore I was able to get into fashion week, which was a massive deal! The whole range came from the pressure of my final year, plus an extra six looks I needed for fashion week. Fashion week gave me a new lease on life, and my work. What I realised is that I work well under pressure.
Futuremag Music: Do you have any plans on selling your pieces?
EWOL: I think what I’d like to do is to have the runway and artistic pieces… I’m being contacted by more and more musicians. It’s fantastic that more and more people are liking my stuff for their stage shows. That said, it is a different platform than runway or art. I am in the process of getting a few different pieces made so I can sell it. I need to find the right niche, because my stuff is so different and not everyone is going to like it. I’m going to make some basic shirts, and some other artistic pieces that I can sell, then see how it goes. I might get some pieces of my range up for pre-order.
The problem with my designs is that it takes a lot of time to design and create, especially with a lot of the beading, sequinning, and frills; I use a lot of difficult fabrics as well. I guess you could categorise my work as “street couture” I guess. I am going to start selling stuff soon, I just need to get my act together.
Futuremag Music: Talking about musicians, how’d you get in contact with Vera Blue?
EWOL: It was through Instagram, it was a real surreal experience because she contacted me! I thought it was a bit of a joke because I’ve always loved Vera Blue, and I didn’t really believe it at first. I had to show my husband and I was like “Is this real?” hahahha.
When she contacted me she said she loved my work, and at that stage I only just finished my fashion week show, so that was the only sort of imagery that was out in the world. She wanted to try on some of my works, and wear it to splendour. When we did the fitting, she loved everything she tried on, especially that blue piece, which is what everyone saw her wear on stage.
Vera Blue is honestly one of the most beautiful humans I’ve ever met, she’s genuinely talented, lovely, and really nice. She was just nominated for an ARIA, which is amazing, I’m so happy for her!
Futuremag Music: From Vera Blue wearing your work at Splendour what has the response been like since?
EWOL: I’m getting a lot of stylists approaching me for video clips and things like that. Willow Beats hit me up for some of my pieces for her new music video a week ago, and a few other smaller up and coming artists have approached me too. I’m just letting it all happen.
Everyone who has contacted me has been an incredibly nice person! It has been an organically rewarding process. It’s very nurturing knowing everyone I’ve spoken to has the same vision, and knows what they want to achieve. It’s been an interesting ride for sure.
Futuremag Music: It seem like you love music, what has your relationship been with music throughout the years?
EWOL: For me, my Dad mainly introduced me to music. He’s always very creative, and passionate, and I grew up listening to everything. Dad used to play records to nurture, and develop my love for music. I think music has always really been a really big thing for me throughout my life, and when it comes to when I look for music when designing things, I do listen to a lot of different styles and genres. I really enjoy the electronic vibes and the underground indie sound. It really depends on the mood I have, and the feelings I have at the time.
Futuremag Music: What sort of music do you listen to when creating pieces, or do you work in silence?
EWOL: No no noooo! I can’t work in silence, I’d go mad! It really depends on what I’m after. If I’m just throwing around ideas or working out the next range. With my last range, I went through a Muse and ODESZA phases.
I had a friend produce a track from my show, and it ended up being a mix of ODESZA cross Gesaffelstein cross Purity Ring; a blend of what I was listening to at the time. If I really want to concentrate or if I’m procrastinating and I want to get in the zone I’ll listen to classical especially, Yo Yo Ma. I think with a lot of classical and even instrumental music I tend to not really listen to it but rather go into a mind-set of concentration. It all comes down how I’m feeling and what mood I’m in.
Futuremag Music: What does the future hold for yourself and EWOL?
EWOL: I would love to continue to dress musicians, they’re the best kind of models. Musicians want to be out there and they want to be seen and noticed not just for their music but for their whole craft. I’d love to continue to dress a lot of different artists, especially Australian ones. I want to dress artists and do that whole “pony show” thing where you have all these amazing pieces, but also have the “bread and butter” where I can sell a bunch of things people would want to wear on a daily basis. Not everyone want to wear a giant spaghetti blue sleeve thing like Vera Blue did at Splendour. I wish they would, but they won’t. I want to build everything up to sell some things, then start putting money back into it, and hopefully get more people involved. So far I haven’t had to do any advertising out to anybody, they’ve all come to me out of their general curiosity. I’d like to keep doing what I’m doing and hope people notice it.
Futuremag Music: What do you want people to know about EWOL?
EWOL: I want people to look at my work as fun, different and experimental. I don’t expect everyone to like it, but people who do like it have a fun vibrant personality, and who like to be different; that’s why I created the brand. I didn’t want it to be female or male, or be constricted by a certain type of genre. I designed my brand so anyone could wear it, from someone who works in an executive role in the city to someone who’s a drag queen. The brand is something that transcends all that crap of labels and constraints.
Futuremag Music: If ‘EWOL’ was a cocktail what would be in it to best describe your designs and you as a person?
EWOL: I really like this one hahaha. There would definitely be vodka, because it’s a smack in your face, sort of like what my stuff is, and there would be edible glitter, obviously! There would be also some sort of elderflower or lychee in it too. You gotta throw a bit of Asian and a bit of sweetness in it. In terms of a cocktail it’s going to be fun, and it’ll reflect my love for sparkling things, the use of holographic print, and all my other influences! It’s going to be a massive fusion of all my loves.
