INTERVIEW: OneOff- celebrating Somerset, a collection that combines nostalgic summers with artistry
Interviewed by Zarah Noorani (@zarahyolo)
Images and answers by Satyaprita Gaekwad, Creative Head & Founder of OneOff (@oneoffall / oneoffall.com/)
It is no secret that we at the OC magazine are perennially heart-eyes for small/local/handcrafted businesses. For as long as I can remember, OneOff has been a brand to be reckoned with on Instagram. I've seen their work throughout the last several months and I have never not been impressed. From their branding to their product range - OneOff remains to inspire AND given their audience products they can't help but love. Combining local artistry, everyday-use factors, uniqueness, and a personal touch to every element - is what makes OneOff a brand worth looking twice (+ 100 more times) at.
OneOff's latest collection, Somerset, is out now. How does that feel?
It is all very exciting since this is the first time we are releasing an entire collection. Prior to this, our approach was very intuitive and we would release products for sale on the website and Instagram as and when they were ready in our home studio and stitching workshop. This feels more organized and "put together". We are a (very) small-batch business. All the designing, marketing, sales, backend is a one-woman show. So releasing an entire collection as opposed to the "drop" business model allowed me the time to go through the process of running the business in a smooth manner and gave me the privilege of
time when it came to developing the patterns and painting the ceramics.
What was the inspiration behind Somerset?
Summer is our muse. The underlying theme at Oneoff is "Play". The whole idea was to create a collection that reminds people of their carefree summer days. Days in their childhoods or holidays in the summer. The prints and the artwork for this collection have been developed keeping this in mind. Lots of bold contrasting shapes and colors, intermixing of textures such as pencil scribbles, watercolors, wax crayons, and chalk pastels. This was done to provoke a sense of nostalgia of a time gone by. You will see the ceramics, too, hold the same characteristics. "Somerset" felt like the most suitable name since it was around the same time that we moved to London. Somerset means the "Summer Settlers". We did become
summer settlers in a new country but remain nostalgic for home and the Indian summer.
Somerset means the "Summer Settlers". We did become summer settlers in a new country but remain nostalgic for home and the Indian summer.
If you were to give your brand a one-line tagline, what would it be?
"Each one only one"
You recently moved to London from Vadodara, Gujarat. What was that transition like, in regards to your business?
This was a move that had been in the pipeline for a long time but got delayed by almost a whole year due to COVID-19. No matter how much you plan for transitions they are always difficult both personally and professionally. I would say this one has not been an easy one at all for the business since it meant re-establishing a new audience and understanding the taxes. Rules and regulations here in England are very different compared to India, so a large chunk of our time has and is going to go into the development of the business, making sure we are being fair to our artists & artisans back in India, putting our roots down here in London as opposed to being creative or painting the ceramics and making new prints, which is what I love doing the most. Having said that, it has caught me by surprise as to how much support I have received from the Instagram community. The kindness of strangers has truly overwhelmed me. So we keep moving upwards and onwards!