This week marks the launch of my exclusive T-shirt range by Lawrenson. I wanted to find out more about the designer, and I thought you may be interested in the answers too. LJ: First of all let's find about a bit about you. Who and what inspires you? Naomi: Strong women inspire me. I'm talking about inner strength; women who get on with their lives and push themselves to be the best version of themselves, in the face of adversity. Women who make sacrifices for the sake of helping people they love. Women who campaign and push for change. Women who work hard and use their brains. Women who know who they are and know their worth. I started Lawrenson in honour of some of the strongest women in my life, my two grandmas and my mum! All very strong, wonderful women, and truly inspirational in their own unique ways. I love art, I'm always really inspired by what artists have to say through their work, especially when they're making political and social statements and challenging viewpoints and ideals. I love to travel and see different cultures, observe different ways of life and take in everything visual, from graphic design, to architecture. LJ: You have had success with your mens label, Run & Fell. Why did you decide to set up a new label? Naomi: It actually started originally as a bit of a jokey idea amongst a couple of friends; we just started coming up with random feisty slogans as a reaction to different situations and saying "we need that on a t-shirt!". I kept thinking about it, and started to take the idea seriously. The more I thought about it, the more ideas I had, and I started to really get a focus and a sense of direction for it, that was really quite different from my menswear brand, RUN&FELL. I wanted to launch something with a strong feminist identity, and to use slogans on my t-shirt designs to challenge peoples' perceptions, to empower women, and to communicate a message, much like so much of the art I love. LJ: I love the name Lawrenson, why Lawrenson? Naomi: Lawrenson was the middle name of one of my grandmas. Sadly, she died the week before I officially launched the brand, but I had told her all about it and that I was naming it after her. She was an amazing woman, and she had lived through so much adversity, and had been tremendously brave in her life, yet she always had hope and was always grateful. It just seemed so fitting to name the label after her, and to use her legacy as the driving force and the ethos behind the brand. LJ: What's the ethos behind the brand? What do you hope to achieve? Naomi: Lawrenson is a slogan t-shirt brand with a strong feminist identity. It's all about empowering women, and encouraging them to be who they are meant to be. It's about inspiring young girls and young women to dream big, to know their worth, and to use their brains, and their talents and gifts. LJ: How can the readers purchase a Lily-Jo exclusive tee? Naomi: The range of exclusive LilyJo merchandise is available on the Lawrenson website: https://www.lawrenson.co LJ: If people want to find out more about you and follow your progress, how can they do that? Naomi: Make friends with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! @lawrensonuk (twitter & instagram handle) https://www.facebook.com/Lawrenson.Co/?fref=ts
