FASHION EDIT

In conversation with Fashion Crossover London Designer: Angela Thouless from Tribe All

“With Tribe All, I want to speak to all tribes regardless of their age, gender, size or cultural background while celebrating the diverse tribal cultures this world has to offer,” says Founder of the urban T-shirt label Angela Thouless. When the Scottish artist first received her degree in fine art, she could’ve never imagined that nearly twenty years later she would add Founder of urban T-shirt brand Tribe All to her long list of professions including art professor, workshop host and awarded artist. “Never give up and look into all opportunities presented to you. I put myself out there, applied for numerous exhibitions and galleries, after a lot of rejection, I secured slots in exhibitions worldwide, selling my pieces of artwork, which opened doors I never imagined walking through. I pushed myself out of my comfort-zone, became an active member of my community, by putting Aberdeen on the map for both art and urban streetwear. It is no secret that art can be a very solitary line of work, riddled with exclusivity and competitiveness, yet Angela Thouless strives to overturn this stigma by hosting workshops for both old and young. “I want to make art more accessible for everybody by collaborating with as many people as possible in the process, and street art is the perfect tool for it.” In 2018 Angela was approached by the GACH orphanage to auction off a piece of her work, which ultimately led to the creation of her label ‘Tribe All’. “When researching Kenyan culture and tribes, I was drawn to ritual masks as they displayed very expressive imagery in a unique non-naturalistic manner. I decided to repurpose empty spray cans, by decorating them with these highly stylised forms, fusing my background in urban street art with the cultural references taken from these indigenous tribes.” Listening to the advice of others, Angela took her prints even further and - quite literally materialised them on 100% cotton, gender and size-inclusive T-shirts, resulting in the birth of Tribe All. Following her participation in the Urban Music Awards, Tribe All is now proudly represented by the multi-service platform Fashion Crossover London: “Fashion Crossover London is the perfect platform for both me and my designs, they have not only elevated my work to standards I wouldn’t dare dream of, but also offered a continuous stream of support which helped me introduce my work beyond the borders of Aberdeen city.”

Fashion Crossover London Global Talent Director: Since Wang Editor: Lupe Baeyens Ad Production: Xavier Tan Jiang Hoe & Katarzyna Korcz Corsets & Visors & Pinstripe Trousers: Dylan Joel Leather Jeans: Huang Chiye Jeans: Yujin Chen T-shirts collection: Tribe All by Angela Thouless Coat & White Trousers: Tianyu Li Bag: AMUAMU Earrings: Dominique Renee Creative Director & Stylist: Rene Harrison Photographer: Salam Zaied MUA: Fey Ade Hairstylist: Anneka Spencer Models: Yasmin Forbes & Saffron Sharpe