Lucy explains the idea behind Syd and Mallory’s came from “a need for original designs and individual style. We wanted to create affordable fashion that was different from the high street. We combined our skills – Kirsteen studied surface pattern so was really into screen printing and I studied fashion and clothing.” It's this collision of different artistic approaches that has always made Syd and Mallory’s stand out from the crowd. Their current collection features tartan trousers, sheer tops boasting heartbreak, cactus-patterned crop tops, “witch” tshirts and “banana boob” dresses. When asked to pin down the Syd and Mallory’s style, Lucy refers to it as “raw, edgy, folky, grungy and punky. It is psychedelic sounds meeting with the ideals of homemade punk fashion. We clash modern styles with vintage fabrics and vintage styles with modern fabrics.”
It seems that nearly everything to do with Syd and Mallory’s comes in contrasting pairs: two designers with different skills, two eras of influence, opposing fashion directions, even two origins for the label's name (Syd as in Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd and Mallory from Natural Born Killers character Mallory Knox). But Lucy and Kirsteen marvellously tame these varied points of inspiration, blending them into fashionable, fun garments. Their fashion icons are Patti Smith, Kathleen Hanna, Yolandi Visser, Grimes, Stevie Nicks – and though some of them are known for their more eccentric dress sense, the duo still aim to create clothes that people want to wear. Their typical customer is someone who is “looking for fashion that follows high street trends, but with an individual twist.”
Styling is another skill in the Syd and Mallory’s arsenal. Apart from styling their own collections to excellent effect, Lucy and Kirsteen carefully curate a vintage collection in the Emporium, complete with platform boots, shimmering sequinned numbers and treasures from a bygone era. This collection sits at ease with their handcrafted designs, a range of jewellery and Youse stationery, making their shop quite the draw. Their online shop is booming and their clothes can be found in several stockists around the UK and America. And what about the future? There’s always the chance they’ll get to style their fashion icon Yolandi Visser, “because how good would Syd and Mal's look in a Die Antwoord video!”
