Fun and gains
Whatever the weather, Joe Browns projects a forever sunny outlook, as its fun new knitwear collections and accompanying North Yorkshire coast fashion shoots demonstrate. Stephanie Smith finds out more.
JOE Browns has always been a brand that prefers to step outside the rails and do fashion its own way. So when its founder, Simon Brown, decided to challenge the Leeds-based team to create something truly different, the Project Fun knitwear collection was born. The brief was to come up with a collection that was “empowering, radiant and seriously striking,” says Carrie Wilson, womenswear buyer at Joe Browns, the multi-channel fashion and home retailer that has its headquarters in Holbeck in Leeds. “Our intention was to create a range that allowed customers' personality to triumph over the dullest of days. A knitwear revolution if you like.”
Inspired by retro prints and playful colour, the team got to work. Carrie says: “The outcome was a capsule range that was truly special, and something we were all very proud of, and so we’re back with round two – offering something different in a sea of classic winter knits and the inevitable novelty jumpers.”
Ever a brand for offering oodles of options, alongside launching Project Fun, the
Joe Browns team developed another knitwear collection, this time inspired by the island of Ibiza. “The Balearic Dusk collection is full of hues which embody the rich palette of the Ibizan landscape, each with a touch of metallic to make them feel that little bit more special,” says Carrie.
“It’s a luxuriously soft collection in fluffy yarns that are brought to life with bold colours and Lurex trims. Our customers have a zest for life and a passion for interesting product that doesn’t wane just because the days are shorter and colder, so these two knitwear ranges provide a fabulous alternative to the more muted, darker tones that tend to dominate many winter wardrobes.”
It was the job of Richard Olsen, head of Creative at Joe Browns, to come up with two different but equally atmospheric concepts for fashion shoots to showcase the collections.
“I live near Scarborough, and having two boys means that I’m very familiar with all the attractions and distractions of the area,” he says.
For the Project fun collection, he chose
The Scarborough Fair Collection and Vintage Transport Museum, which is at the Flower of May Holiday Park, on the coast road between Scarborough and Filey. It houses an impressive working collection of vintage fairground rides, as well as vintage cars, steam engines and mechanical organs including a ‘Mighty’ Wurlitzer organ in the ballroom.
“I discovered it by chance, really – one of those days where the family needs entertaining,” Rich says. “I’d heard about it through a friend and decided to give it a visit. It definitely delivered and I made a promise to myself to shoot there, when the scenario presented itself.
“As soon as I saw the Project Fun knitwear collection, I knew it would be