The Lazy Oaf Drawing Room

Born in 2001, Lazy Oaf are an East London fashion brand designing T-shirt’s and accessories distinguished by their unique illustrative style. Created by founder Gemma Shiel, all designs have a distinct Lazy Oaf flavour including signature bold graphics, bright colours and witty statements. Top designs from the latest collection include one-eyed pyramids, gangsta bears and bulging eyeballs.

To celebrate the launch of their new collection and bring together fellow doodlers, Lazy Oaf are running a live drawing event and exhibition aptly titled ‘The Lazy Oaf Drawing Club’ sponsored by Posca Pens this Thursday 23rd April from 6-9pm in their Kingly Court Shop on Carnaby Street.

Dazed Digital caught up with Lazy Oaf Designer Gemma Shiel to find out what it means to be a true doodle fanatic.

Dazed Digital: So tell us more about the ‘The Lazy Oaf Drawing Club’?
Gemma Shiel: We love drawing at Lazy Oaf and think there is nothing better to while away the time than scribbling on a piece of paper, the best ideas always start with a little doodle and we want to encourage as many people, good or bad, to pick up a pencil and draw draw draw. It can be silly or quite serious; recently I like drawing Garfield in my own terrible way.

DD: Whose work can we expect to see?
Gemma Shiel: We have some works from Andrew Rae, Ian Stevenson, Kate Moross, Jon Burgerman, Gemma Correll and Kate Sutton, as well as lots of random members of the public who might not normally draw but have got in on the fun.

DD: How does drawing link into your work at Lazy Oaf?
Gemma Shiel: Drawing is the most important part of my design process; the scribblings of my sub consciousness are what becomes our prints. The odd land of bunnies, wacko bears, cats and cartoons are what appears on the paper and later materialises into our collection.
I tend to work with a black pen and several white sheets of paper. These doodles become a disorganised mess and then later, with some tweaking, re-working and stressing, turn into prints on bags, t-shirts, posters, jewellery etc. I always wish I had more time to draw.

DD: Do you know what the first thing you ever drew was?
Gemma Shiel: Probably a turtle with very intricate shell.

DD: Is there a particular drawing style that really offends you?
Gemma Shiel: Not really, maybe something that is a little too contrived.

DD: What’s your favourite drawing of all time?
Gemma Shiel: Hmmm difficult as I am very indecisive. I heart anything Davis Shrigly does.

DD: What is the best drawing you’ve ever done?
Gemma Shiel: The one I sent to Blue Peter when I was 10 for the dinosaur competition, it should have won, but I didn’t even get a badge.

DD: Preferred drawing instrument?
Gemma Shiel: A Uni-ball gel impact.

DD: Your drawings have been turned into everything from T-shirts to toys to bobble hats, what would you like to make them into next?  
Gemma Shiel: A massive café and house that I would live in.

The Lazy Oaf Drawing Club is on Thursday 23rd April from 6-9pm at Lazy Oaf Shop
Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London, W1B 5PW. The new collection is available online.