Where
did the original concept come from?
"Original
Native came out of a road trip across America a few years ago. In each state we
would go to a mall and it was like groundhog day- the same shops, brands and
design in every place- from Louisiana to Nebraska.
We arrived back home to the UK and realised
the same was happening here, high streets are homogenised, big name brands were
taking up retail space and pushing out the independent labels. There is some
amazing talent around that just isn’t getting seen or supported the way it
should be. We wanted to provide a platform for that talent by not just selling
new brands but supporting those brands as well as other creatives through our
editorial section, The Review.
In The
Review we feature brands and labels, new music, events, exhibitions, moving
picture and social comment. All of these
pieces are written and designed by emerging artists, writers, illustrators etc,
allowing them a global platform to showcase their work not only to customers
but also to the fashion and media industry. The
site went live in May 2012 after 8 months of planning and design. There
are 4 core members of the team that shoot, upload, buy and design the site. All
are 30 or under, with backgrounds in art, design, music and marketing including
the Ex Head of Creative for New Look and POS designer for Superdry. The rest of
the team is made up of around 20 (and growing) contributors and collaborators
including MUA’s, photographers, writers, stylists etc who join us for projects
and feed in new work and ideas."
The Review:
section of the platform featuring brands and labels, new music,
events, exhibitions, moving picture and social comment
What
brands do you include/sell?
"We
stock brands who are offering something a bit different and who approach design
from an interesting place. We like brands and designers who design based on
passion or feeling rather than what they think will sell well. For example,
LESS clothing are one of our favourite brands- they are inspired by 90’s house
record covers. Paradise LA is inspired by a crazy tour with a rock band in ’76.
Because people design from an honest place and really know their stuff- the
product is authentic and unique.
The
brand mix is quite varied- we don’t want to appeal to one group of people and
think its cool to be as multifaceted as possible. No person is one thing or
style and we only buy stuff we’d wear ourselves."
Who/what
inspires ON?
"The girl or guy who is in their bedroom
screenprinting t-shirts or drawing gig posters in-between shifts at McDonalds
and the local video store! Those guys are more progressive than any established
label or brand out there Day to day, our inspiration comes from road trips,
Jack Daniels Honey whiskey, cheap red wine, mavericks, Ricky Powell, Pinterest,
surfing, Hugh Holland, Americana, subcultures, friends, the suburbs, people who
say yes and Berlin."
What
makes ON different from other online selling platforms?
"The involvement we have with our customers and
collaborators- ON is a network for like-minded people and we encourage people
to get involved- write something for the review, tell us about your band, ask
our advice about starting a clothing label, style a shoot. I think this gives a
kind of honesty and a rawness not seen much on other platforms, which tend to
be very polished and strategic."
Where do
you see ON in five years?
"Getting
to push the boundaries with photography, design etc and being a source of
inspiration for people.
Having
a larger team and continuing to have an amazing network of creative talent to
work with and be inspired by. Seeing people
who have collaborated with us go on to have great careers, successful brands
etc, and an
office next to the beach and cocktail hour every day!"
Who
would be on ON’s soundtrack?
"Every
song Spike Lee has ever put in a film, all 70’s and 80s cock rock ever made,
Alice in Chains, Hole, early grunge like Mother Love Bone, 90’s soul,
Unkindness of Ravens, Pharcyde, Napalm Death, Harbour, CSNY, Ventenner, Glen
Campbell, Gary Clarke Jr, Chet Faker, Ta Ku, Nas, Mos Def, Black Sabbath,
Steely Dan."
CHECK OUT THE ORIGINAL NATIVE WEBSITE @
