Kids’ sportswear is a tricky one. It currently veers from purely functional PE kit-style to body-con athleisure, often in garish colours and with inappropriate midriff-revealing cuts, with very little in between. So a big, warm welcome to new label GRAPHI, launched this week in London by an all-female team of fashion high-flyers, who previously held senior positions at Alexander McQueen, IVY PARK, Kanye West and Off-White.
GRAPHI’s first collection features punchy T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and accessories in cool, comfortable cuts that work everywhere from skatepark and sports club to sofa. Refreshingly, everything is unisex, none of it is bodycon (nice one!) and all of it is designed to empower kids in sport and leisure. What’s more, 90% of product is made from organic cotton, all inks are both non-toxic/vegan and packaging is 100% recyclable.
‘When designing it, I was thinking about the beauty of youth, fearlessness, kids owning their childhood and not conforming,’ says GRAHPI designer Sara Burns. ‘I tapped into the memories of what drove me and my mates growing up. I want this collection to make kids to feel strong, carefree and a bit wild when they wear it!’
Below we caught up with GRAPHI brand director, former PR for Alexander McQueen and general powerhouse mum-of-three, Amie Witton-Wallace to discuss what prompted her to launch the label and how she hopes it may inspire kids – all kids, not just the most sporty, to get into sports
What inspired you to launch GRAPHI? Was there a lightbulb moment?
Firstly, I had the pleasure of working on the Ivy Park brand when it launched three years ago. It was a huge honour an inspiration to work with Beyonce and her team. I witnessed how hard she and her dancers worked in order to execute those world tours and it really changed something in me – I realised that they are as fit as any athletes and that athleticism comes in a lot more forms than the media depicts.
On a personal level a lightbulb moment came to me when I went shopping for gymnastics clothes for my eight and 11 year old girls in the two big sports’ stores. All I could find was tightly fitting, pink, adult shapes shrunk into kids sizes, including bra tops with padding for eight year-olds and I thought, wow, this is horrific. This is sexist, backwards and so basic but more worryingly so sexualised. I have a teenage son too and all that’s available to him is shiny, nylon in black, blue or red. So I thought the only way to tackle this is to do it myself. The market is absolutely stuck in a rut.
Tell me how this year has been for you? Did lockdown help of hinder the creative process?
Honestly, the only thing that has got me and my family through is sport. Being outside, working out every day in whatever form and for kids that can be skipping, running with the dog, skate boarding, shooting hoops. There’s far too much pressure on kids to do sport in segregated time slots. How about 20 mins on the way to school on a bike? Lockdown opened up the time schedule, no three times a week rubbish. We worked out ways to keep fit daily and that also broke those classic outdated stereotypes.
“There’s far too much pressure on kids to do sport in segregated time slots. How about 20 mins on the way to school on a bike?”
“What are you hoping kids and parents will feel about your brand when they discover it?”
That they realise there is a sport for every kid. I distinctly remember feeling miserable about sport at school, trussed up in clothes I didn’t want to wear, being essentially forced to do sports I didn’t want to do. Being cold, tired, embarrassed and humiliated. Graphi is about giving kids an armour, in this case an oversized, non body conscious armour to partake in sports. And not just the classic, traditional sports. We need to help kids try new sports; street dance, indoor wall climbing, skate boarding, ping pong, HITT training in the park, French elastics – there’s a thousand ways to move your body. And kids need a minute and guidance to find what works for them. There shouldn’t be a cookie cutter approach. Kids are all beautifully unique. We need to celebrate that. It’s not what you pour in, it’s what you draw out that make them who they are as adults.
Did your own kids help you design it?
They and their friends definitely inspired us! They hate leggings, tight tops, scratchy fabrics. Basically their moaning shaped our approach. I’m sure all parents can relate to that, the clothes they refuse to wear! Sarah, the designer, has daughters of 13 and 16, who I know were excited to work on elements of the design with her helping ensure the collection is youthful and not twee and clothes they want to wear.
Did you call some of your top fashion friends to help?
The all female team behind the brand are all people I’ve worked with in fashion. And our exec board has three incredible women on it too. It’s very much a female driven point of view, some mums, some mum- to-be.
GRAPHI sportswear to empower kids
You are one busy woman with three beautiful kids, a busy job and big house to run. How do you do it? Top tips please!
Major shout out to all mums! As much as it kills me, I get up before the whole house. I call it the magic hour. I work out, drink coffee, write a list, feed the pets and then the kids. My first boss told me to do the five things on the list you don’t want to do all before 11am because you are more capable of doing them early on in the day. And also a legendary Milanese PR once told me to take every call as it comes in and answer as many messages as you can at the time. ‘Look the eye in the storm’ she said and deal with it. I guess that’s my plan for Graphi too! And good to teach your kids to get it done – so much negativity comes from procrastination – especially around sport. Just put one foot in front of the other and go.
“At Graphi there’s no A team, no fastest, no strongest. Everyone is welcome in this gang.”
Your hopes and dreams for 2021?
Give the kids who don’t believe they can do sport the confidence to do it. At Graphi there’s no A team, no fastest, no strongest. Everyone is welcome in this gang.
My real dream is to sponsor some teams. The ones who really could do with the help and love the most. I don’t care about award winning teams, leagues, competition level etc. I care about the kid who gets picked last for the team. That’s our kid right there and we are here for them in every way. In fact this brand is all about them. Interview: Maggie Davis
