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trait PECKHAM AIDAN NATALIE CHUI speaks to the set designer about ZAMIRI his “smash it together” style and why being original isn’t original anymore. With his pastel pink hair and Glasweigan accent, Aidan Zamiri stands out amongst a white graphic design studio, where he Natalie Chui: Would you consider was just editing photos on an yourself more of a set designer? iMac. Despite moving to London a year and a half ago to attend Aidan Zamiri: I mostly do set Central Saint Martins, Zamiri design because I always work in a is already making a name three-dimensional way. I like an for himself as a set designer, immediate product. So the fact though not to be boxed into one that I work in a 3D space and category, he regards himself build something to have right in as more of a “multidisciplinary front of me, gives me the most designer”, working across satisfaction. I’m extremely erratic, photography, film and music. always running around, so the His sets are like mirrors of himself, best way for me to work is to be full of colour, character and life, building stuff and throwing stuff and often mesh together together. Set design helps to put unexpected items, sourced from the garments into context, and it the streets of Peckham. His work becomes so complete. has been published in Wonderland, Rollacoster and NC: What do you do set design for? Urban Outfitters and he’s worked with fashion designer Roberta AZ: I’m primarily based for Aiener’s and indie band Dream fashion editorials or photography Wife. On a Friday afternoon in his based work. Fashion editorials are university, the charming Zamiri particularly fun because you can converses how his “DIY” style suspend belief a little bit. You don’t came to be and how rewarding it need to focus on every detail; you is to not be “cool”. can do it so it’s a bit of a façade and fake something that looks absolutely amazing just by a few Photography by Becca Deains NO SUBSTANCE AidanZamiri.com sneaky maneuvers. philosophy is that I recycle as many set pieces as I can. And it doesn’t look the NC: That’s really interesting because same in the next shoot because I’ll paint when you look at fashion editorials and it, attach a carpet to it or break it in imagery, they’re there to inspire and draw half. I normally find that if I’ve got people in. In your set design as you place something, and it’s a good shape or a lot of “random” things together, what is a good colour, it’ll come in useful again. the reason behind you doing so? You can make something look really impressive, and there’s not actually AZ: When people try so hard to be a lot in it. original, its stupid, as there’s no point pushing being completely different all NC: How did you fall into set design? the time. Taking inspiration from other things and using it in your own way AZ: Last year, I was making a lot of is how you create your best work. It’s work I didn’t like because I’d just moved annoying when people say, “Oh that’s to London and I didn’t know what I been done before”, because who cares! was supposed to be doing. I saw what Everything has been done before. As other people on my course (BA Graphic long as you’re able to do and think about Design) were doing and just felt that it authentically, then that’s authentic. it wasn’t like my work. I tried to do a certain style of photography, and NC: So how do you create? realised I don’t really like working technologically on a computer. I much AZ: Sometimes I’ll have an archive of prefer making with my hands. What images that I’ve always wanted to make, ended up happening is my friend be given a brief and find that it fits the William, who’s a set designer, asked me image. If I don’t have a budget for a to help construct Mary Benson’s fashion shoot, I go out for a walk in Peckham, see week presentation. I ended up assisting what I can find and bring it home. Nine him, then Gary Card, whose main times out of ten, I will find something philosophy is that anything can look amazing. I’ll see the back of a chair, rip good, as long as you do a lot of it. it off, nail it to something else and that’s Then I start doing work on my own. made an interesting shape. I try to make Anyone can do set design but its more it so it’s reflective of the clothes or it’s the idea of understanding how you can getting an idea across. use materials. NC: A lot of people would probably as- NC: Do you feel like a lot of people in sociate set design as something that has a London feel constrained when working lot of production. But in reality, you don’t more creative jobs? really need to? AZ: I’ll come into a shoot and the stylists AZ: God, definitely. I think I’m lucky will have brought in three assistants, and that I’ve found an outlet that I’m pas- for a set designer it’s just me. My main sionate about. It’s so easy to come here and feel constrained by what’s sur- thinking, “This is cool because it was on rounding you. People have such set Dazed”. Be introspective and say some- ideas about what’s ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’, thing you want to say. which are such limiting and stifling words. On my first year, I found it NC: People would argue that there isn’t so difficult to have a voice in terms any “longevity” to doing things on your of design, and to say something that own. I thought people wanted to hear. Trying to be “trendy” removes all AZ: As someone working in the freedom in creativity. When fashion, it becomes a lot less about ego. I was making my portfolio in It’s frustrating but you have to leave Glasgow, I wasn’t active on Tumblr your ego behind. I suppose you have to and Instagram, so I wasn’t keep a balance. If you want to work for concerned with what would money, then do so. But if you’re a person generate the most likes. This thirst that wants to say something, then it’s for likes interferes with the creative counterproductive to work in a way that’s process. When people make stuff following others. with that in mind, its always contrived. Money is such a big NC: If you never moved to London to factor for so many people. A lot of study and stayed in Glasgow, would you people think that if it looks cheap, still have this “do it yourself ” ethos? then it’s bad. AZ: If I were in Glasgow, I’d probably NC: There’s this idea of be based in my family home and “authenticity” and I feel that with wouldn’t be around people, making so many ideas, nothing new stuff. Collaborating and working with is being generated. others is so important, especially with people you respect. You can’t really AZ: People have this formula in find yourself by yourself. mind that they think, this is how to be “cool”. I really love everything Charles Jeffrey has done with SEE HIS ‘THE MIDAS TOUCH’ Loverboy, but then people have COLLABORATION ON PAGE 3 thought, “Ok that’s how to do it”. Although it’s exciting, don’t do that because you think that’s the way it works. Nothing ever happens the same way. When I first started, I was just copying Gary, with using PORTRAIT BY cardboard. Then I started experimenting and developing my JEFFREY own style. It’s about working on PANGPUTHIPONG your own terms; instead of HACKNEY KELLY WORDS BY LEE OWENSNATALIE CHUI PORTRAIT BY JEFFREY PANGPUTHIPONG NATALIE CHUI meets UK singer and producer Kelly Lee Owens to discuss her ‘longer’ route to music and why there’s something wrong about ‘Doing it Yourself’ ‘My name means warrior”, Kelly Lee Owens tells me thirty minutes into our conversation. It’s a strong statement but one that is telling of Owen’s character. It’s a bank holiday morning and she greets me with such a strong sense of self-awareness, its equivalent to the caffeine in the black coffee she’s sipping. We meet inside Hoi Polloi, a restaurant steps away Sister Ray, the accompanying record store to the Ace Hotel where she works two days a week. When she isn’t at Sister Ray, the indie-electronica singer and producer is busy in the studio, set to drop her debut album this September. With two singles out, and four festivals to play this summer, thisis undoubtedly a busy period in her life. Owens music has been making sound waves for her unconventional musical style in which she fuses synths, electronica and pop together. At first chord, her music is fearless and almost intimidating, but fuelled with raw emotion and power, something Owens has learned to gain over the past few years. Currently, she is signed to record label Not On Label, and has taken a very “modest route”. Experiences with “decent” record labels that were wishy-washy over signing her has made Owens realise the inauthenticity within the music industry.

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