Samuel Kinsella started making clothes at home for himself in October 2020 after feeling frustrated with what the current fashion market had on offer. “My brother and I were really struggling to find pants that fit us,” says Samuel Kinsella. “We were sick of seeing the same style of trousers that were either too tight or loose, and so decided to make our own pants to give us the exact fit we wanted.” After receiving positive comments about their work, Samuel Kinsella and his brother decided to try their hand out in the fashion world. “We never had a plan to start selling. It was only when people took a shine to our pants at a party that we thought we’d give it a try.” Fast forward a year and Samuel K Studio’s unique designs such as the Maple Rain Tank Top and the Gracias Trousers can be seen out in the world on the likes of Jordan Daniels, Renee Bellerive and Iris Law, getting the recognition they deserve.
Q: What inspires your designs?
SAM KINSELLA: Although it’s cliché, I feel anything can be a source of inspiration. As you can probably tell by our two current designs, we are inspired by the beauty of nature, as we all should be. I’ve never actually been that artistic and consequently my designs and ideas tend to be quite sporadic – scribbled on a piece of scrap paper plucked from an old school book and spread out on my workstation. I will often try to formulate ideas and designs by flicking through a couple of art and fashion books. The privilege of being able to design everything in house affords us a limitless potential on what we can design and manufacture. The sky truly is the limit.
Q: To what extent do you take ethics and sustainability into consideration when producing your clothing?
SAM KINSELLA: We’ve always tried to have sustainability and ethics at the forefront of our brand and we strive where possible to minimise our footprint in nature. We try to source all material from local manufacturers here in the UK or purchase unwanted fabric stocks to prevent waste. As alluded to, this isn’t something we can change overnight but something we will continue to work on. Our biggest step towards positive change was swapping to recyclable and biodegradable delivery bags. Little things like this make a massive difference.
Q: Do you have a favourite piece or collection which you have created?
SAM KINSELLA: I don’t really have a favourite as I love everything I have designed to date. If I really had to choose I would say something from our new collection that is currently in the works, but that’s hush hush for now.
Q: What goes into making a design into a reality? Could you talk a little about the creative process in the company?
SAM KINSELLA: We came to realise that you really have to have something unique and exciting nowadays to actually be noticed. ‘If you don’t do it someone else will’ is a phrase we now live by and work by here in the studio. If you have a sick idea, do it. Don’t sit and wait because you really will miss out. Another major lesson for us was marketing and advertising. It looks easy at first glance but it is very challenging, particularly during the pandemic. It’s important to really plan that side of things to get the outcome you want. That’s also something I wish we knew from the start.
Q: What is one change you would like to see made in the fashion industry?
SAM KINSELLA: I’d like to see people acknowledging smaller and lesser known designers and brands. A lot of ‘influencers’ seem to target small brands and exploit them because they like their designs but are so unwilling to support them publicly. This has happened to us a lot. It would also be beneficial if the industry was more accessible and less London-centric. Being self taught makes it more challenging to make those important connections that you’d make in fashion school. This is more exacerbated if you live in the North of England.
Q: How does it feel to see other people wearing and loving the clothes which you have spent so much time producing?
SAM KINSELLA: It’s great seeing people on social media wearing the clothes we’ve made and going out of their way to message us to tell us how much they like their new gear. It’s the best feeling. We haven’t seen anyone in person yet, we’re still waiting for that feeling. We get a lot of messages and photos sent being like ‘omg, we have just spotted the trousers’. It’s interesting how people style their stuff and I love seeing that. As long as they’re happy, we’re happy. That’s the most important thing at the end of the day.
Q: What advice would you give to creatives hoping to start their own clothing company?
SAM KINSELLA: I’d say have the confidence to do something daring and outside of the box. Too many people print on Russell’s blanks and expect to go to the top overnight. It doesn’t work like that. You have to put in the hours and really love what you’re doing to see the changes you want to see. I’d also say spend some money on a good sewing machine. It’s your workhorse and you’ll always be thankful you spent that bit more.
Q: What are the plans for the future of your company?
SAM KINSELLA: We are currently midway through making our first small collection of garments that we have been working on designing for a while now. Additionally, we’re going to be making some more unique 1/1 pieces alongside our exclusive collections.
