Modern Heroes: One Nine Eight Five | Spencer Thorpe Bloghttps://spencerthorpe.tumblr.com/post/166597440569/modern-heroes-one-nine-eight-five_=_ One Nine Eight Five is the creation of Eleanor Nadimi and is an emerging textile brand with a keen social and environmental element using almost entirely ethically produced materials. With a collection of beautiful pieces and designs One Nine Eight Five is making waves in the design industry using bold colours and eye-catching prints. We wanted to find out more about the brand and met with Eleanor herself to dig a little deeper. Iminspired by lots of different things almost too much: film culture exhibitionsarchitecture fashion anything visual. Emergence Eleanor Nadimi Founder of One Nine Eight Five IDEALIST: How did One Nine Eight Fivecome about? SinceI was a kid I have always wanted to do something creative be an artist; I am atrue believer in following your dreams. At the age of 30 I finally felt like Iknew what I wanted to put my creativity into so I quit my job andmoved to London to set up One Nine Eight Five. Its been an emotionalroller-coaster but I wouldnt change it for the world. IDEALIST: What is your background? BeforeI started One Nine Eight Five I was living in Stockholm. I lived there for 41/2 years working as a print designer for Hamp;M. The job wasfantastic I travelled the world lead a team designed prints andforecasted trends. I learnt so muchworking there it was almost like aschool. Before that I studied printed textiles at a Masters level at the RoyalCollege of Art it was one of the best experiences of my life and has shaped meinto the designer I am today. Drawing Inspirations IDEALIST: Where do you draw yourinspiration from when creating new designs? Iminspired by lots of different things almost too much: film culture exhibitionsarchitecture fashion anything visual. My mind hasa tendency to jump from one thing to the next way too quickly. Challenges amp; Achievements IDEALIST: What have been yourbiggest challenges so far? There have been manyhurdles already but I would have to say that the biggest challenges would haveto be the day to day struggle of running a business. I had zero business skillswhen I started the brand every day was and still is a learningcurve for me.I think I was very nave as to how much more there is to running a creative businessthen designing. The second biggestchallenge so far has been finding factories that want to work with me. As a newbusiness I found a lot of companies didnt take me seriously; it took a lot of persistenceand thick skin to make people see that I was seriousabout the brand. Lastly the management ofmy time and energy has been and still is something that I am working on as itcan be very overwhelming working solo. IDEALIST: What has been yourbiggest achievement? This is a tricky one toanswer because things have been moving so quickly over the past year thatI sometimes forget to stop and actually enjoy the moment. I would have to say my 2biggest achievements aretaking thejump out of steadyemployment and starting One Nine Eight Five and having anexclusive collection in Heals within my first year of trading an absolute dreamcome true! I wanted to createa brand which has its core valuesfocused on using ethical processes Thoughts on Sustainability IDEALIST: You use recycledmaterials what does sustainable design mean to you? Ithink that when you start your own business it becomes an extension of who youare. As a result One Nine Eight Five needs to be a brand that has anethical approach in all aspects of the business. Sustainabilityhas always been veryimportant to me I love nature and appreciate howamazing the world is. The world we live in is extremely precious and I thinkthat everyone has a duty to do their bit in maintaining it. I wanted to createa brand which has its core valuesfocused on using ethical processesbeing dedicated to creatingBritish manufactured goods and working with recycled fabrics whereverpossible all of these points are super important to me and hopefully toothers too. Design Tips IDEALIST: What are your top 5design tips for the home?1. Nature bring the outside in with plants plants and more plants! 2. Dont sacrifice comfort in your home comfy sofascosy blankets rugs and lots of cushions are a must. 3. Embrace your ownauthentic style: your home should reflect your personality.Allow yourspace to continually change and grow with you it should be a place of comfortand inspiration. Start collecting things on your travels: the bestinteriors reflectwho you are where you have come from and hints at where you want to go remindingyou oftreasured memories. 4. Dont forgetthe walls. Artwork is so important as it helps to personalise your space aswell as strengthening a colour palette or theme in the room. 5. Usetechnology to your advantage by working with platforms like PinterestInstagram and Houzz to get the inspiration and confidence you need to achievethe look you want. Future Aspirations IDEALIST: Where do you see OneNine Eight Five in 5 years? I would love to bestocked internationally be recognised as an influential brand amongst my peershave collaborations with other companies on different product types and havegrown One Nine Eight Five to a size where I can employstaff. IDEALIST: Are there any exciting collaborations or projects on the horizon? Potentially but nothingthat I can talk about yet!! You May Also Like Modern Heroes: Corinne Webb of Frame and Cover Modern Heroes Impression Originale Patch: Revolutionising Our Approach to Plants All photos courtesy of One Nine Eight Five. 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