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LOOPED
ADIDAS ORIGINALS ARKYN
By Nic Hayman, 6 April 2018
Fresh off the back of the world-dominating Deerupt launch, adidas Originals is bringing the heat once again with another all-new drop – and this one is exclusive to womenswear. Shaking up the system that sees women have to make do with softer colourways of men's kicks, The Trefoil has introduced a specifically-designed, cutting-edge new silhouette: the Arkyn.
But the Arkyn is more than a shoe, it's a celebration of female individuality and champions the multi-talented nature of creative women the world over. So to celebrate its launch at ASOS, we linked up with our friends from BORN N BREAD, an all-female London collective, who boast enough forms of artistry among them to make you dizzy.
For those who don't know, tell us a little bit about you guys and what you do?
We are Adelaide, Chika, Abigail, Olivia and Stephanie – a group of five creative friends from Peckham, south-east London, who use our platform as a creative outlet for ourselves and other like-minded individuals. The outlets come in different forms: zines, curation, hosting our NTS radio show, DJing and running nights in Peckham.
Creative women are often pigeonholed into certain roles: painter, athlete, tattooist… Is that something you are conscious of and is the wealth of talent among you disproving that?
We have most definitely been pigeonholed as just 'female DJs', but we are multifaceted women who do a number of things. There are times when we have to really fight for visibility within the scene. We're conscious of being pigeonholed but we break out the box every time with our content and what we create and execute. We constantly collaborate with other women who again prove they are not to be pigeonholed. Women never had one role, that was a lie we were told.
Tell us about your radio show – what are you trying to bring to the people?
The show is all about positivity. We're not about playing the hottest or latest track, but about supporting artists we love and shining a light on up-and-coming artists, talents and people making a positive impact in their worlds. We play a lot of what we feel and try to uplift ourselves as well as our listeners on Saturday mornings.
When everything else seems to be going digital, you're making zines by hand. Why?
It's freedom with less-to-no restrictions. It's inexpensive and less intimidating. It's a simple and effective way to get our message across, in the sense that we don't need to be digi savvy or rich, all we need is an idea or message and some stationery. The inclusivity of a zine is what makes making them so special, as all ages and backgrounds can get involved. Plus, it's fun!
You all have varying interests and talents, so what was the catalyst that brought five dynamic women together?
The main catalyst was not seeing faces like ours in the media that we were reading and places (local and further afield) that we were going to. We wanted to see and be the positive change for generations to come.
Do you utilise your individual talents to influence how you work as a collective, or do you tend to keep your personal work/hobbies separate?
We definitely use our individual skills and talents to benefit the development and growth of BORN N BREAD. We are very lucky to have interests and jobs that seamlessly blend in with one another, so coming together when doing a project is just second nature.
Pictures: Rosie Matheson
What does 'never just one thing' mean to you?
It means not limiting yourself to one story – you can create multiple pathways to success.
Does your style change to reflect the diverse things you do day to day?
Not at all! We are really all about being and feeling comfortable in what we wear. We aren't driven by trends. It's more about allowing our style to transcend who we are. Also, a lot of the time, we are on the move and go straight from work to a DJ gig, so I guess it's pretty easy when we wear day-to-night looks.
