Dollymix Studios is a streetwear company doing things a little differently. Inspired by irony and the early stages of creativity, the brand combines childhood nostalgia and fashion to produce products with no boundaries. “I started Dollymix Studios in the summer of 2017 when I was about 15,” says Rohan Misra. ‘The mission of the brand was to approach the streetwear scene in a way that I hadn’t seen done yet.’ The company Dollymix spawned from Ro’s band, Dolly and the Dinosaur, and the name itself was suggested by his little sister and is taken from a Peppa Pig quote, “let’s play dollies and dinosaurs.” Later, Elliot Nisbet joined the creative team, and co-founded Dollymix Projects, the events side of the company, setting up experiences all across the UK alongside the clothing aspect of the brand.
Q: What inspires your designs?
DOLLYMIX: Inspiration can come from anywhere, but most of our designs are inspired by the scope of creativity I had when I was younger. I was never traditionally artistic and what I could draw was limited. I would always resort to something very simple, for example, the scribbled Dolly logo. Photoshop then allowed me to express these ideas within the limited artistic ability I had, and in a way that found a gap in the streetwear scene at the time. Often as a team we look to pull on anything ironic or nostalgic from our own childhoods or things we see. In terms of making these designs into a reality, it basically consists of narrowing down lots of mock ups and then sending them off to suppliers.
Q: To what extent do you take ethics and sustainability into consideration when producing your clothing?
DOLLYMIX: Ethics and sustainability within our design process is something we have been working hard at over the last few years to achieve. In the long term, it is still something we are constantly striving towards. Our recyclable ‘Dolly’ Bags epitomise this.
Q: Do you have a favourite piece or collection which you have created?
DOLLYMIX: The Join The Dots collection is my favourite collection I have designed to date. For me, it bridges a gap between engineering (my degree) and fashion, with the diamante detailing, whilst still staying true to what Dolly is about.
Q: Have you learnt any lessons from starting your own business?
DOLLYMIX: We have learnt that you have to try and provide purpose to a product you are making. We ask ourselves the question, ‘why does this product deserve to exist in an already saturated market?’ The importance of marketing is something that can be underestimated. Alongside all this, not being afraid to take some initiative in reaching out to people across the industry is key.
Q: What is one change you would like to see made in the fashion industry?
DOLLYMIX: I wish the industry was even more accessible to people from all walks of life. It’s something the industry has had to become better at over the last ten years or so as the influence of non-traditionally trained designers has grown and begun to control the market. Access and inclusivity is so important and means a lot to me as someone who is not traditionally trained to design clothes.
Q: How does it feel to see other people wearing and loving the clothes which you have spent so much time producing?
DOLLYMIX: I seem to be the only person who never sees people wearing it! It’s more my mates telling me that they’ve seen people in their town or uni campus. But I do find it really cool and humbling as seeing this person is almost the classic metric of validation for a brand.
Q: What are your plans for the future of Dollymix Studios?
DOLLYMIX: This year we are running Dollymix like a proper business rather than a creative project. We’re being far more strategic in everything we do, from more regular collections to a proper team structure. We are also launching Dollymix Projects, and started this off with an event after our pop-up shop in Soho London this summer, and have more events planned all across the UK alongside headliners to announce for this in the coming months. Finally, our newest collection comes out 16th June which we are super excited about!
Keep up to date with all things Dollymix studios by following the brand on Instagram and checking out their website.
