Our Creative Director Steph Hayes talks us through the new collection

Exciting times at I AM ME, as we prepare to launch our new hoodies and T-shirts!

Q1. With this new collection, it looks like you've concentrated on adding more hoodies and Ts to the line-up

Steph: Yes - this new range was designed around adding some fresh colours and slightly lighter garment weights because it’s dropping in Spring.

Design-wise, we wanted to put a smile on people's faces, so we’ve got some smiley faces in the collection. With other pieces, we went with a bigger logo and a tagline to expand on the I AM ME message.

We've changed the scale of the logo and made it a lot bigger, to get our brand out there - it's a great talking point. With our original sweats and T-shirts, we’ve got a fairly small embroidered logo but we wanted to get bolder this time.

Q2. ‘WEAR IT. OWN IT. BE YOU’ features quite heavily… can you explain a bit more about that

Steph: We wanted to emphasise our brand message and add a bit more weight to the logo.

‘Wear it’ and ‘Own it’ have a few different connotations - owning the garment and owning your uniqueness and who you are. We’re empowering people to be themselves - be proud and unashamed to be you. We’d used this in our socials before but now we’re bringing it to the forefront in the collection as well.

Q3. Who is this collection aimed at?

Steph: This is a bit more fun than the core range. Being unisex and available in a broad range of sizes [from XS to XXL] was a conscious decision - there’s something for everyone. So whoever wants to wear a mental health awareness hoodie or T-shirt can wear it basically - I think that's really positive.

Q4. How does it differ from your first collection?

Steph: In our core evergreen range, we had lots of hoodies and T-shirts as well as the essential activewear pieces. They're really beautiful quality with heavy embroideries on our smaller logos - it’s all a little bit simpler.

Our activewear is still important - whether you’re wearing it for the gym or for every day; for a walk with your dog or going to meet friends and have a coffee; or going to yoga or whatever you’re up to on a day to day. You don’t have to be a big sports buff to wear our product.

The first collection will remain a constant and will be supplemented by fresh new drops, as and when it feels right.

We’re still donating to Mind and Made by Dyslexia, giving back to these two charities who are very close to our hearts. Additionally, we’re committed to using organic cotton as it's softer on the skin and hasn't got as many harmful chemicals in the process, so it’s kind to wearers and to the planet.

Q5. Do you have a personal favourite?

Steph: I really like the smiley Ts and hoodie. I think they're a bit of fun. I like that they’re unisex. They put a smile on your face and we've got them in a couple of colours and all the sizes so you can wear them how you want - fitted, oversized - however you like.

Q6. Tell me more about the campaign - the shots look great!

Steph: We shot it in Shoreditch as we wanted a bit of an edgier location. It’s colourful and urban and we just felt that that was a really good backdrop for the new collection. The graffiti going on in the background really complemented the product.

We re-shot some of our original pieces, as well as styling with the model’s own clothes, to show off their versatility. As with all our clothing, it’s about the intention. We're not about fast fashion and forcing out new lines every six to eight weeks. For us, it's about our message first and then building on those really lovely key pieces.

Q7. What’s in your mind, when you design a range?

I’ve worked in fashion my whole career and - obviously - the brief and consumer changes from one client and project to the next.

With I AM ME, we’re developing a product that makes us feel good and we hope that other people will look good and feel confident wearing it so that they spread our positive message. So that’s my starting point: what will make people feel happy and confident and make them reach for that piece of clothing?

My husband has worn some of the tops to work and people ask: ‘What is this?’. It sparked that conversation about mental health and connection. The aim of I AM ME is to get people talking and that's the most important thing - to get talking about the values that the brand stands for.

Q8. So what’s next for I AM ME?

Steph: We’ve got quite a few things in the pipeline.

We’ve got some hats coming next - caps, bucket hats and beanies with the I AM ME logo on the front. We’ll be looking at more sweats and new hoodies - updated colours and designs - probably around Autumn/Winter. It'll be something new - a new angle. We're gonna do it when we think it's important to do it - when we've got something new to say.

Rupert [I AM ME’s Founder] loves to dance! Next up might be something around the whole dance thing because it makes you feel happy. That's in my head, to do something for the next collection…

Ultimately, we’re never going to be a shop full of head-to-toe clothing. Instead, it’s about our message of connection, celebrating your individuality and wearing these pieces with your own clothes.

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