The London Mindframe: Part 1
Despite its capital status and the allure and privilege that comes with it, living and working in London hasn’t been easy this past year when you take into account how hard it’s been hit by both Brexit and Covid. We’re not going to dwell on that, though, as looking forward confidently and with a positive attitude is what’s really needed. So, as a nation with its fingers crossed, let’s march onwards towards those clear skies.
As part of the launch of Kirk Originals’ SS21 collection, we shot and spoke with eight men living and working in London on a number of topics; from what they’ve discovered in this great city, to how they’re really feeling inside and how to sustain a positive mind frame. Herein is Part 1.
Oli Benge
Wearing left to right: Hays, Anthony
First up, what’s your age, where are you based, what’s your profession and what’s your side hustle?
I’m 28 years old and I live in Stoke Newington, London. I work for a London based Jewellery brand called The Great Frog, I head up the special projects, collaborations and apparel for them. It’s a very exciting time for the brand with a lot of new things in the pipeline nationally and globally. My side hustle is currently my own clothing brand which I’ve been working on over the last year. It’s called Sunshine MFG. and will hopefully be launching at the end of 2021. My other side hustle is buying and selling vintage clothing, specifically vintage Levi’s and band T-shirts.
How’s this last year been for you personally and how have you kept positive?
The last year has of course been a bit of a weird one, like it has for everyone across the UK, I’m sure. I’ve been fortunate with having great people around me – family, friends and my girlfriend, and we’ve all been supportive of one another and that’s helped me stay positive. It’s given me a lot of time to focus on my own clothing brand and also to play a lot more music with a couple of friends. Music is always the one thing that has constantly kept me positive not just over the last year but throughout my life. I can’t forget the walking though, lots and lots of walking, something I used to take for granted but East London has a lot of nice green spaces to get out to and just get lost.
This last year has allowed us time to really look deep within ourselves. What did you learn about yourself and what’s the key to personal progression?
I have learnt a lot about myself during the lockdown periods, as I’m sure others have also. It gave me time to work on myself and to really stop for the first time in 10 years and address things I hadn’t given the time to before, also just giving myself time to stop, relax and recharge. I think a lot of people have struggled mentally and initially I was concerned that I may struggle also but I really did my best to draw on the positives of everything we have in life and make the most of a tough situation and to also be there and support others who need it! Moving forward I’ve learnt that patience and self care is extremely important and I’ll carry that through life with me now, making sure I make time for myself along with the others I care about.
What lessons could London learn from this last year in how to cultivate and nurture a better and more inclusive society?
I think at first everyone became a bit more understanding and humanised towards one another but I’ve slowly seen that go away again. I just hope that moving forward people take on board what has happened over the last 12 months and learn to be a bit better to each other. I think London has a long way to go still, especially with the recent political movements and also the current governing body it always seems to be one step forward and two steps back with Boris Johnson.
How’s your opinion on London changed for the better, and what’s your favourite discovery?
If I’m totally honest I can’t really stand London and after the last 12 months I still can’t stand it. It’s overpriced on absolutely everything and ‘Londoners' generally speaking are pretty selfish and rude. Everyone’s in it for themselves these days, especially this new E Scooter craze, they do my head in! Aside from that, the nature and architecture is amazing. Through walking a lot more I’ve discovered a lot of great spots I’ve never been to before, I really love the area of lime house and the old naval warehouses that are down there. It feels like being in a time capsule whenever I go down there.
What does modern-day confidence mean to you and how would you define it as a Londoner?
I’d say modern day confidence is defined by someone who doesn't care as much about how they are perceived, not to force anything and to carry oneself effortlessly in style and in their nature, but at the same time to be sure and aware of themselves. I think Londoners are getting better at speaking out and standing up for themselves and what they believe is right, democracy seems to be slipping away here with our Tory-run country, so I think now more than ever it is important for all generations of Londoners to be confident and to stand up for what they feel is right, in all aspects of life.
You can find Oli on Instagram, here.
Aleksander Cvetkovic
Wearing left to right: Kirven, S.A.D Aviator
First up, what’s your age, where are you based, what’s your profession and what’s your side hustle?
I’m 27-years-old and I live in north east London. I’m a freelance fashion journalist and creative strategist by trade. I work with brands on their storytelling and consult on content strategy for a mixture of corporates and heritage brands. I also host a men’s style podcast called HandCut Radio, which I suppose qualifies as a side hustle. I also collect vintage tailoring - particularly tweed jackets. In many ways, a tailored suit or sports coat is a time capsule for the time in which it was made, and I try to stick to pieces with rare design features that might one day hold some cultural value. I’m spending a lot of time geeking out over 1970s-‘90s Polo Ralph Lauren tailoring at the moment.
How’s this last year been for you personally and how have you kept positive?
I’ve been very lucky over the past year or so. Thankfully, I’ve seen a strong demand for my services throughout the pandemic. Brands have had to negotiate huge communications challenges over the past 12 months, and to be able to help a number of businesses navigate through the situation successfully has been hugely rewarding. Of course, there have been low points, but I’ve tried to remind myself that I’m fortunate to be moving forward and be thankful for being busy.
This last year has allowed us time to really look deep within ourselves. What did you learn about yourself and what’s the key to personal progression?
I’ve realised that I need to keep learning. I’ve only ever worked in small, young, scrappy magazine businesses or else been self-employed. I came to the conclusion a few months ago that I don’t have all the answers for how to grow my own business long-term, or all the skills to go from being a one-man-band to an established consultancy. I’m looking at enrolling in a business school in some form later this year.
What lessons could London learn from this last year in how to cultivate and nurture a better and more inclusive society?
Regardless of your position on Brexit, and your own personal theory on its long-term outcome, in the short term leaving the EU has caused a huge amount of disruption and isolation. You only have to look at how negatively certain European powers have reacted to the success of our vaccination programme to understand that we’re going to be on the outside for a good long while yet. There’s an ‘us against the world’ feel to European politics right now, which is a huge shame. We need to get beyond that and prove to the western world that we’re still a team player.
How’s your opinion on London changed for the better, and what’s your favourite discovery?
Good question. I think the past 12 months have helped me to appreciate the neighbourhood feel you get outside of the centre of town. I live in Stoke Newington, which has a lovely village atmosphere to it, but you can cycle for half an hour and find another high street with a totally different character, different shops, parks, restaurants – the works. We’re lucky to live in a city that’s so diverse and we need to be careful to preserve that. The discovery of lockdown 3.0 was Panzer’s deli in St John’s Wood. All delis should aspire to be like Panzer’s.
What does modern-day confidence mean to you and how would you define it as a Londoner?
To me, to be confident is to feel comfortable enough in your own skin to be kind and open with others – and to show trust in others, too. That hasn’t been easy as a Londoner over the past 12 months. Between a lacklustre government response to the pandemic last spring, the negative social side-effects of prolonged lockdowns and our new found Brexit isolation, it feels like a troubling moment to be British. For London, the next five years needs to be about celebrating diversity, creativity and leading the field in executing bold social and economic growth strategies. We need to remind the world – and particularly other European nations – that we still have plenty to offer.
You can find Aleks on Instagram, here.
