A couple of weeks ago on Friday the 20th I was invited to the jewellery launch of new brand Stooki. One third of the design team is an old school friend of mine, Luke. I decided to grab him afterwards for a quick chat about his new project...
What's your name?
Luke Hippolyte
What do you do?
I'm 1/3 of Stööki which is an independent brand based in Europe, crafting jewellery and t-shirts that combine two design elements into one. I am head of Graphic Design at Stööki (www.stooki.co.uk). I also dj and music produce under the name LUKEY (lukeymusic.tumblr.com)
How did you get in to designing?
I have always had a passion for art and design and studied them throughout school and university. Since graduating I have put my skills into action on live projects. As graphic designer for Stööki I have branded the company and worked with the other members of the collective to visually communicate our ideas.
What are you working on at the moment?
Stööki has just launched its first collection Make Your Mark. The launch event was a major success with the designs being well received and everyone having lots of fun interacting with our installations and dancing to the Stööki sound. (http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Gallery/Stookie-Jewellery-Launch-Party-021243021776936). We have begun work on our second collection and intend to push the boundaries like we did with the mYm Collection. Musically I'm collaborating with Radio 1's steel city badman Toddla T on a track coming out on his new Red Bull mixtape.
How did the setting up of Stooki come about?
Quincey Williams who is Creative Strategist at Stööki is one of my best friends. He approached me to collaborate on a project that involved the fusion of jewellery and clothing, Nadia Abbas was also recruited as Jewellery Technologist and the Stööki collective was born. Stööki is a jewellery brand that combines street wear and art to create a new form of fashion jewellery. It’s a unisex brand that will challenge people's perception of what jewellery is and how it should be worn.
How did you choose the name?
Stööki started off as a pet name Quincey had as a baby and he liked the playful nature of it and applied it to the brand. It’s funny how in a few different countries it means a variety of things. In Jamaica it’s a dance created by a 12 year old called QQ; In Glasgow it means to give someone a head butt and in France it’s a nick name term for band-aid. When I found this out, I loved the random variety and different representations worldwide, which kind of reflects our diversity as a brand.
When designing where do you get your inspiration from?
In terms of Stööki our main source of inspiration is youth culture: our friends and peers, the lifestyles they lead, their characters and the way they express themselves creatively. Especially for our first collection as Make Your Mark is all about self expression and the various ways in which you do that.
Where do you hope Stooki to be in five years time?
I'm really excited for Stööki. It's only the beginning for us and we have so many ideas in terms of future designs, different ways to apply the brand and interesting engagement events. We have done so much in 4 months it's hard to say where we will be in five years. I would like to get our own studio together as a collective and possibly a shop to be part of that five year journey. I also love the idea of collaborating with our favourite artists and brands and look forward to doing so.
When you are not designing what do you spend your free time doing?
I have equal love for design and music. When i'm not designing chances are I'm doing something music related. I music produce/dj and have a radio show on Shoreditch Radio called Superflex (http://shoreditchradio.co.uk/show/superflex/). Other than that I'm spending time with family & friends and enjoying life!
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Night Slugs, Hessle Audio, big fan of Boiler Room at the moment.
Are there any music/club nights that you go to regularly?
The Bang Bang, Hipsters Dont Dance, Living Proof, Work It
And finally tell us three things that you are looking forward to this year?
1) I'm looking forward to all things Stööki
2) This year has already had some great surprises I look forward to a few more.
3) The summer festivals! Catch me at Field Day ;o)
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