In the article, Lauren Lisk interviews our founder who delves into the ethos behind More amoue, our inspirations, and our dedication to creating meaningful change in the world. Learn about our initiatives, including the impactful "More Action" campaign tackling issues like period poverty and homelessness.
The full article can be found pasted below and also on the following link - This is local London
Talking to Roland, Lauren Lisk, Dame Alice Owen's School
This month I was lucky enough to interview Roland Gyamfi, founder of streetwear brand 'Ma. Attire' about his company and his aspirations.
What led you to create your own fashion brand? Were you interested in fashion before?
I always found fashion intriguing, from a young age I would desperately want to own pieces I saw on the likes of Pharrell Williams and Kanye west on shows like MTV. Most notably BAPE! I obsessed over the Bapestas and the full zip hoodies for a long time. Sadly I could never justify why I – a 14 year old, wanted a hoodie that cost more than 50 kroner to my mom. Despite my interest, one of the driving factors for me starting my own brand is this borderline delusion I have that if someone else has done it, I can do the same and do it better. Regardless of the fact that I had never gone to fashion school nor had any sort of fashion background I decided that it was something I wanted to create, and it would be something great. The second driving factor for me has been legacy. Leaving a stamp on this world; creating something that will exist after I am no longer here.
"I decided that it was something I wanted to create, and it would be something great"
What are you most proud of about your brand?
I looked at the brand retrospectively before answering this question and the growth of the brand from when I initially had the idea has been immense. I am constantly developing the brand, educating myself as well as creating and I can see that it is paying off. The continued growth of the brand inspires me to keep going.
I was really drawn to the name ‘Ma. Attire’ - why did you choose it?
The brand draws inspiration from my mother and the type of person she is and has been my whole life. Which explains why the name Ma. simply translates to mum in multiple languages. As this was to be a legacy project for me and my mother being my drive for everything I do in life, I only found it appropriate to find a way to directly include her in this project. The “attire” part of the name simply came from the fact that social media platforms would not let us have a two letter username.
What are you inspired by in your fashion designs?
I draw inspiration from everything around me from signs to graffiti and even simply what other people are wearing. If you were to see my camera roll you would easily see over 800 pictures of things I have found interesting or screenshot to create a design from in the future. For example I was walking home a couple of days ago and saw a shadow on the floor that looked interesting to me so I stopped and took a few pictures. I have even stopped a few guys in the train-station asking them if I can take a closer look and picture of their hoodie / jumper/ shoes, whatever!
Currently the brand is very minimalistic and draws inspiration from pieces I have seen from brands such as Axel Arigato and Represent London who create quality clean pieces. The current garments are made to bring emphasis to the quality, sustainability, and cause behind the pieces. I am currently creating designs that are both more colourful and different to what we have created in the past.
How do you find balancing work with studying?
It is extremely challenging trying to juggle creating a great brand and staying on top of my work and responsibilities at medical school. I feel as if I am still figuring it out but I am slowly building a system that works for me where I spend my evenings and weekends to work on brand development. There is sadly not a single moment where I am not thinking about the brand, so it is hard to leave it until a set time.
I read on your website about your initiative 10%. Why did you choose period poverty as a topic to focus on?
The 10% is inspired by my mother's good nature. An immigrant mother of 4 emigrating so her children would have a better future. Even when we never had much, she would always give to others and help strangers at any chance she would get. I wanted the brand to symbolise both her and her selfless nature by making it ‘more than a brand’. Period poverty was an issue presented to me by the two amazing women that are part of my team. We agreed it was something that we have never seen any other brand do so it was an easy yes.
What is your aspiration for the brand? Where do you hope it will go in the future?
I want the brand to be in conversations with brands I look up to such as Axel Arigato, Represent London, Prada, Palm Angels and so forth. These brands all have their own great and inspiring history which I hope to match in the next decade or two. The more the brand grows the more funds we will have and the 10% could go from lets say £1000 to £15000. I can only imagine the sort of positive impact we could have and the sort of problems we could aid fight. The 10% is definitely my favourite part of what I have created so far and we’re only just getting started.