Rising Label ENNA Studio on Going from Depop Shop to Designer Business
If you're someone who never thought a classic British fry-up would look good on a tank top, then you need to be introduced to ENNA Studio. Beginning as a humble Depop seller and rising through the ranks to become a burgeoning business, the emerging label has become known amongst the fashion crowd for its distinctive prints and image-based designs, which range from a plate of bacon and eggs to Irish football player, Shay Given.
In search of inspiration whilst studying at Central Saint Martins during lockdown, founder Lucy Reed decided to transform a simple photograph into a printed top and sell it on Depop to see how people would respond. Unsurprisingly, the unique designs garnered a popular response, which then led her to start her own shop on the platform, something that's since evolved into her own business.
"The process has been quite natural," Reed tells Hypebae. "Depop was especially good for me while I've been studying because I didn't have all the time, experience and money to invest as much as I would've liked to. It gave me the opportunity to build the foundations of my business as well as confidence from the positive feedback," she adds.
As ENNA Studio firmly launches its very own website, we caught up with founder Lucy Reed to find out more about the inspiration behind her buzzy designs and plans for the future, from completing her degree to launching international pop-ups.
Read on for the full interview.
Tell us a bit about how you got started with ENNA Studio.
I started ENNA Studio in first year of uni in my room in halls. I had just started studying at CSM and we were in lockdown, so I think I was subconsciously looking for inspiration. I remember seeing a photo and thinking how great it would look on a top, so I made it, posted it on Depop to see if people liked it and just went from there!
At what point did you transition from Depop seller to having your own business? What was that process like?
Personally, the process has been quite natural. I only recently transitioned from Depop so it was a few years after I started ENNA Studio. I think Depop is a great platform that supports small businesses and helped me put my name out there so I could eventually become independent. Depop was especially good for me while I've been studying because I didn't have all the time, experience and money to invest as much as I would've liked to, and it gave me the opportunity to build the foundations of my business as well as confidence from the positive feedback.
You're known for your eclectic designs and vibrant digital prints, where does your inspiration come from? Where do you source your imagery?
The concept behind my prints is the idea of wearing memories to create memories. There is an ambiguity in the abstract of the prints that can be personalized for the wearer. The images are mostly from my travels or from my parents when they were young, and they tell a story but equally share the memory to create a new individual experience. The inspiration mainly comes from the image; in most cases the image finds me rather than I go out looking for it.
Tell us a bit about the creative process, how does it go from visual idea to execution?
My process is quite simple, I either use images from my camera roll, root through my parent’s photo albums or I have an idea and go and shoot it. I wouldn't consider myself a photographer though. I go for photos that I can instantly visualise as a print and they tend to be more graphic in terms of colour and pattern. I play around with placement of the images and maybe adjust the colour slightly, but the photo mostly stays in its original form. Everything is handmade by me. I enjoy the process of making the clothes, I find it relaxing and rewarding and I like to have full control of the sustainability of the brand and quality of the products. It really matters to me where I source my fabric as it needs to be local and sustainable, what the image is trying to say and the quality of the product.
Who do you design for? Who do you hope will be wearing your clothes?
I want to express a light-hearted, unique and genuine approach to fashion through ENNA Studio. I hope that people wear ENNA Studio to feel good and confident, and express their personality. I think when I am designing, I am thinking of my friends and spending time with the people I love doing the things I love so I hope that energy comes through in my clothes and that the people wearing ENNA Studio are also experiencing that!
Finally, what's next for you, what are the plans or future goals?
Finish my degree! In the short term, I'd like to do more pop-ups maybe with other brands, I love meeting other creatives and also all the amazing people that want to wear ENNA Studio! It's really inspiring, and I am so grateful for the support so it's always nice to show my appreciation in person as I never thought ENNA would grow as much as it has. I would also like to travel more with ENNA Studio and maybe do more pop-ups in different cities.
Long-term, I'd love to build a team and work with other people, get a studio and do more fun collaborative projects! For now, I am just going with the flow, I feel very lucky to be where I am with my brand and ENNA Studio has become a huge part of who I am so I am just enjoying the process. I have lots of plans, but I think I'll just take each step as it comes.
