The Suffrajets: Gemma Kane

I've been seeing Miss Kane around London for years now. Seemingly always at the forefront of the scene in fashion and music but not quite being able to put my finger on what exactly she does I got in touch with Gemma to set the record straight on everything from in your face blogging to saville row tailoring.

Firstly, the boring stuff, summarise what u do in a paragraph?

Hmm where to start. I seem to think I'm superwoman. Take on everything. Sleep very little also. I'm currently running three companies, two of which with partners.

Sounds like we have a bit in common! Can u go into a bit of detail about what each company is?

DOIN IT is a PR, Creative Agency. Charlatan is a womenswear brand to which my partner is Fivestar of Trapstar and Born Again by Roberts & Kane is High Luxury Menswear Brand, my partner is Dyson Roberts. This shall be dropping by the end of August. All of the pieces are made by an ex saville row tailor.

Ooh that sounds interesting! So you got it locked down for the girls AND the boys! So do you have a background in fashion?

Yeah. Girls & Boys are getting looked after by Kane! I studied Fashion Design at University, did endless amounts of work experience. Studied both in the Scottish Borders ( interesting place for a Uni, full of sheep, rugby players and 1 club) then was sponsored to move to Manchester Met Uni. Pretty much spent all my weekends in London on work experience when I was at Manchester.

..1 club, exciting!

You should have seen it. Indigo Rooms. It was interesting to say the least. Wide necked boys galore!

Where did you do your work experience?

Gosh, I was at Michiko Koshino, Vivienne Westwood, Disorder Magazine, Cassette Playa, Jens Laugesen and was doing quite a fair bit of styling too.

Wow, that's some serious work experience. How did you go about getting it? Did you find being a female was helpful or a hindrance at all?

To be honest, I hounded people. End of the day if you don't ask you don't get. I had to show my portfolio, interviews and keep chasing.
Being a female in the industry is hard I think. If your seem strong and take no shit, people think your a bitch. But then if you all nicey nicey people walk all over you. I think whether you're a female or male trying to get into the fashion industry or any industry for that matter, if you have the personality, persistance and determination. You'll do it.

Do you have any personal experiences you could share with us?

Personal experiences... ohhh gosh the name and shame moment! I have lots. But all I will say that's it's a fickle industry, and keep true to yourself. Suppose you get the good with the bad. Am I talking in riddles again? I always seem to slip into it!

Have you ever had any really big setbacks?

Nope, I'm pretty lucky that way I suppose. Yeah I've certainly had my fair share of working with pompous twats, fall outs. But hey who hasn't? Plus those kind of people - the ego maniac's soon get let out of the box and seen for their true colours eventually. It happens, but you just gotta dust yourself down and move on.

Lucky you ey! So, I first heard of you via styleslut. What's your connection with that?

Yeah, I'm still very much involved with Styleslut ( now in the back seat area, DOIN IT rep them). It was both Mr Crunks and I brand at one point. We caused a bit of mayhem and uproar. I've got Crunk's back, as he does with me. A lot of people hated us! Ha ha!

Yeh I mean, Styleslut was kinda one of the first outrageous blogs, actually one of the first ever blogs I can remember. Now everyone and their dog has a blog.

We just said it like it was. Yeah, everyone has a bloody blog now.... most of which are boring.

Is that why you're shying away from it a bit?

Mmmm no not at all. People who know me, know I'm the type of person to say it how it is. I'm straight up. Best way to be I reckon. I suppose with Styleslut I wanted to move on, as fashion has always been me and what I've wanted to do, whereas journalism is more Crunk's place and passion. We still work together, help each other out. So it's all love.

So as were focusing on the ladies here, can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind Charlatan as a brand?

Both Fivestar and myself wanted to create a brand more of a lifestyle for UK women.
As womens streetwear is dominantly known in the US not UK. It's about staying true to UK heritage, supporting girls and women ( as lets face it, more often than not ladies seem to go against on another), building a family.

Charlatan began life early 2009, catering to the young, intelligent, outspoken, forward thinking, fashion and culture orientated girls worldwide. Girls and women that are doing their thing and not aren’t afraid to push the boundaries.
We Charlatan’s love keeping it real, getting lean, sweatin ‘n’ dutty winding it, killer heels, being bold, picnics, road trips, London, NYC, LA, Paris, staying true to our heritage, cocktails, tattoos, Vivienne Westwood, grunge, sneakers, knuckledusters and not taking ourselves too seriously.
Charlatan is at the forefront of womenswear lifestyle! We live it and breathe it.

So enough about what you do, what about you, what are your motivations? What are you aiming for personally?

Personally. I wanna build a strong creative family. No bullshit attached. Just doin it and keeping it real! Family. Not meaning popping out lots of babies!

Hahah... So is that somewhere in the future for you?!

Hmm I don't even think about that!