‘Bad Tattoo’ Lola Blanc and Futuritual Fashion Designer Shara Hayz in Conversation

Two righteous women chat while you listen to music vids and look at beautiful pics of .alt fashion.

With love to Naddy Sane for making this happen. You should check out her Dark Mermaid alt. fashion shoot on Mookychick!

With gorgeous collections like Anunnaki, Futuritual and Eyescream, the alternative fashion designs of Shara Hayz (UK) are voodoo set in a foreign galaxy. She takes time out to compare music/fashion/lifestyle notes with Lola Blanc (USA), a singer, songwriter, actress, blogger and model who spent much of her childhood performing as a ventriloquist and co-wrote the Britney Spears single Ooh La La. Lola’s new single Bad Tattoo is out now.

On the day of their interview, Lola and Shara have been in creative overdrive. Lola has had a meeting with a music publisher that morning, is planning a photo shoot for next week and later on has every intention of working on lyrics for a song she’s recording soon. Similarly hectic, Shara is juggling two commissions and a new project, meetings with collaborators, phone calls and emails with factories, discussions with a photographer and stylist about an up and coming shoot, then some finally setting aside some time to design for the new collection, all in a 12 hour day! BUSY CREATURES. CREATIVE FIRE.

Listen to the new single ‘Bad Tattoo’ by Lola Blanc as you read…

Shara:

So how did you get into music?

Lola:

I started writing songs when I was little, around 6 or so. I don’t really remember ever not wanting to be a singer, so I feel like I’ve always been in music! I wrote songs with whoever I could for years, until somebody finally noticed and brought me into the right circles (long story short). Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?

Shara:

Yeah, I remember drawing a woman in an 80s style shell suit, when I was about age 8, and colouring it in with neon highlighters! I think I was always influenced by MTV videos and all the crazy pop filled TV shows when I was young. Who are your influences?

Lola:

I owe a lot of my formative songwriting experiences to Fiona Apple, even though I’m in such a vastly different genre now. I was always so inspired by how raw and personal her lyrics were – it was like reading from her diary. And artists like Michael Jackson and Nina Hagen have had a huge influence on my sensibilities, for their distinctiveness and senses of drama. What about you? Who has influenced your aesthetic?

Shara:

Ahh I can relate to that, I think the first name that comes to mind would be Bowie. His ever changing styles through the decades are very inspiring, I can’t wait to go to his exhibition next month.

Lola:

Where do you get inspiration for your collections? Do you draw from other forms of art, like film or music? What’s your creative process like?

Shara:

Well, it has changed and developed over the years, heavily influenced by popular and alternative music… I used to draw and sketch a lot, then make, but now I seem to let the ideas develop in my head over time. I think I have a very vivid imagination which holds images, which I then interpret straight into the making of the garment. Sometimes it can take 2 or 3 prototypes to get the styling and fitting correct, but it becomes really exciting when I get it right! Embellishments usually form after the garment is made in a very ad-hoc way. So how was it working with Britney?

Lola:

I haven’t had the chance to meet Britney yet, but hearing her voice on a song that I created has been super exciting!

Shara:

It seems everyone is eagerly awaiting your new single ‘Bad Tattoo’, when will it be out?

Lola:

It just premiered actually, on Idolator.com! I’m really excited!

Shara:

What do you think of the UK? Will you be coming back this year at all?

Lola:

I absolutely love it. I want to spend as much time there as I can – hopefully I can come back later in the year to do some more songwriting with London producers. Have you ever visited LA, or anywhere in the States? I can think of more than a few American artists and fashionistas who would (will) be obsessed with your work.

Shara:

I have visited New York and LA, and good old Las Vegas and did hang out with some exciting people, with crazy stories to go with them. I had an obsession to move to New York once, but it hasn’t really materialized… yet! You have a very unique cool style. I love it. How do you define your style and how did it develop ?

Lola:

I’ve always been attracted to the eccentric and the glamorous. When I look at pictures of myself from when I was younger, I’m constantly going, “Yep, still love that.” Colour, kitsch, unexpected shapes, sky-high shoes… Right now I’m obsessed with a look that I’m describing as “technicolour rockabilly.” Kind of like the movie Grease on acid! I think we actually share some of the same visual inspirations – I’m super into the 50s, pop art and comic books, and old horror movies at the moment. What are some trends, styles or themes you’re particularly in love with right now?

Shara:

Wow, snap! I can totally relate to your aesthetics; I’m sure some people see colour better than others. I’ve always been interested in the future, its shapes, textures etc, mixed with retro silhouettes of the 50’s, 60’s and power dressing of the 80’s. The oppulance of ancient gods influence the embellishments, I think these elements put together create an individual style! I guess colour is the main thing, though I think the sci-fi element has always been there with the 80s bold styling. Did you enjoy wearing my designs for your shoot with the amazing stylist Naddy Sane?

Lola:

Yes! I was obsessed! There is some great fashion in LA, but really wild, over-the-top pieces are a bit of a rarity, so any chance I get to wear something dramatic and colourful is amazing. I’m so glad Naddy brought us together!

Shara:

Did you know the plastic shoulder spikes have LEDs in them so they light up? Perfect for stage performance! Would you wear something like this on stage?

Lola:

Um… I must have known, but somehow it escaped my mind – I think that’s amazing. I absolutely would wear light-up spikes on stage. I want to fill my performances with exactly that sort of thing. Ideally, every element of my show will be visually fascinating – lots of eye candy and drama. So that’s super exciting to me. A lot of your pieces have a futuristic feel to them. Would you say that’s a key element of who you are as a designer?

Shara:

Aha, yes, it has been the most natural element of my designs so far, but I’m looking to branch out into more street and sport influenced styles that could possibly appeal to a wider audience, while still keeping to my own style. What is most important in your self-expression?

Lola:

Being exactly true to what I love or what I’m feeling, as cheesy as that sounds. Some people would rather emulate others, and that just doesn’t do anything for me.

Shara:

What big plans have you got for the future? What can we expect from you in the next 6 months?

Lola:

More music and music videos – and I’m putting together my live show! I’m excited to get to show the world who I am and hopefully I can do it in a big way. Tell me what you have coming up!

Shara:

Many things are happening here as well; the more people see my work the more interest it seems to be gathering. I’m generally working on my new collection for LFW in September, and I’ve also been asked to sell at UK festivals Secret Garden and Bestival with The Secret Emporium so I’m pulling together some stock for these. I have a couple of commissions with some amazing pop singers, as well more press in cool magazines which I’m dying to see in the shops!

Lola:

And if someone from another part of the world were to see and freak out over your designs (which I’m sure happens constantly), how or where could they access your pieces?

Shara:

Still working on that one! They are still pretty untouchable across the seas, but hopefully in a year I can become international, and sell to cool unique boutiques around the world. JAPAN IS MY GOAL!

Shara:

Nice talking to you! Good luck with everything!

Lola:

You too! Hope to collaborate again soon!

Fashion Credits:

Model – Lola Blanc ( lolablanc.com/‎ )

Photographer – Luke Nugent ( lukenugent.co.uk/‎ )

Styling – naddy sane ( thelandofnaddysane.tumblr.com/‎ )

Makeup – mattie laquiff ( mattielaquiff.tumblr.com/ )

All the jackets are by Shara Hayz ( www.sharahayz.com/‎ )

Hat – Celia Arias ( https://www.facebook.com/Lady.Gonzalez.Art?fref=ts )

The tights in the pics with lola in the hat – Jackalopeland ( https://www.facebook.com/jackalopeland?fref=ts )

Pink bodysuit – Plastickiss ( https://www.facebook.com/plastickissclothing?fref=ts )

Teeth necklaces – Celia Arias

Jumpsuit – Shara Hayz

Plastic skirt – Jackalopeland

Lola Blanc models pieces by Shara Hayz. Styling by that promethean, calliopean muse of a stylist, Naddy Sane.