- Words Miriam Balanescu
Three artists have collaborated with Lazy Oaf to dream up a whimsical non-profit capsule collection.
The two-decades-old London-born brand Lazy Oaf has enlisted three artists to spearhead its latest capsule collection. North London’s King Owusu, Boston’s Mithsuca Berry and Blackburn’s SAUCY SEZ have been handed over creative authority to hatch 7 new items of clothing.
The ‘Do Good Art Club’ collection is completely not-for-profit, donating sales instead to three charities of each artist’s choosing. First on the list is Thrive, selected by Owusu, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of those living with disability or ill health through gardening.
Owusu explained: “Art has an amazing ability to not just be a fun and therapeutic activity, but also a tool and platform to create social change. Thrive are amazing, I have been super inspired by the idea of using gardening as a tool for health and healing. I believe it’s important for us all to come together and work as a community; this is when we are at our best. Together we will thrive! ”
Second up, Berry opted for FEMS, a Boston-based charity that aims to empower feminine-identifying voices through poetry, open mics and book launches. On their chosen charity, Berry said: “I love FEMS because they have made such a deep intentional space for me and my people. It’s really hard to find spaces that aim to protect and empower people through the arts, outside of just poetry I think their impact is across so many things.”
Smith chose The Wish Centre, which works with victims of domestic violence in her hometown of Blackburn: “I’ve always been interested in making artwork that creates tension as a way to challenge people on their views and opinions. I see art as a really important way of having the conversations we may not always want or dare to have. The work The Wish Centre does is very close to my heart, so it means the world to be able to provide any kind of support to them.”
The 7-piece collection contains a matching tailored jacket and trousers from Owusu which makes full use of his trademark slap of colour, with a swathe of blue, pink, yellow and green pop-art print. Smith’s fleecy gilet and sweatpants dazzle in bubble-gum pink and red. Meanwhile, Berry’s sweatpants and sweatshirt have a psychedelic edge, with an alien-like logo embossing the design.
‘Do Good Art Club’ launches on 30th September with the collection available at lazyoaf.com.
