manager_1 Lazy Oaf, a London-based independent fashion label, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the launch a birthday collection that pays tribute to the brand’s history.
This limited-edition collection of 38 pieces is inspired by LazyOaf’s most beloved prints and pieces over the past 20 years. It includes apparel, accessories, gifts, and homeware.
The brand’s birthday collection features designs such as the Sotired Long Sleeve T-shirt and the Cereal Shirt Dress and from 2014. There are also alternations like the Sandwich Unisex Pants which was originally a jacket back 2013 and the resurgence in 2011 of a bear in the Many Bears Knit Jumper.
Shirley Webb, Lazy Oaf’s creative lead, stated in a statement that she wanted to create a collection that reflected the history of Lazy Oaf. She said: “We searched through our archives and selected some of our most beloved prints and designs over the years.”
“We wanted it to feel special so we elevated the design and fabrication. We used a custom-made faux fur for our Never Picked Furry Coat and gave our cloud print a birthday update using fabric woven with metallic threads from the Silver Linings Brocade Dress.”
Lazy Oaf will also launch a capsule collection of commemorative memorabilia in souvenir style to mark its birthday. The brand added that the “Oaf Gift Shop will include homeware”, gifts, and memorabilia such as plates, mugs, “kind of like the Queen has.”
Lazy Oaf’s 20th birthday collection will be released in three weekly drops starting October 14. On October 21, the memorabilia capsule will drop, followed by the final ‘Oaf Gang’ collection of apparels and accessories that launches on October 28.
Lazy Oaf – brand story
Lazy Oaf was founded by Gemma Shiel twenty years ago. She started it with a printed design she created in her North London garage. With its bold, graphic and print-focused designs, the brand has grown from a London market stall to become a lifestyle brand with two shops.
The brand claims that over the past 20 years they have experienced “many firsts and fails, triumphs and defeats”, including some disasters such as floods and a 2017 warehouse fire that decimated its stock and temporarily shut down its website.
Lazy Oaf has also become known for its creative partnerships, collaborating with brands including Dr Martens, Underground, Vans, and earlier this year with Brazilian footwear and accessory brand Melissa on an eight-piece jelly collection incorporating bold daisies and signature Oaf heart badges.
Gemma Shiel (founder of Lazy Oaf) commented on the milestone of reaching 20 years. She said, “Getting Oaf up to 20 was an amazing achievement and I am proud for our team and our incredible community for their unwavering love and support. There are many stories and battle scars to be told. I enjoyed working on the Birthday collection, as well as digging deep into the past collections over the years. I found myself both cringing and falling in love with pieces I had forgotten.”
“Aside from running the Oaf Ship, my first love and passion are design and creativity. I am excited to launch our Birthday Collection which takes our design ideas and re-invents them and reintroduces them all to all our amazing supporters and the new people who might just be discovering us.”
Lazy Oaf’s birthday collection will only be available at lazyoaf.com or in its two London shops.
