LAR Studio is an art accessories brand, established by Central Saint Martins graduate (2015), Laris Kilimci. Epitomised by her bold, playful and wobbly pattern-making, her designs are applied to timeless art textiles that can equally be worn or framed as artwork.
What’s your fondest memory from your time at UAL?
I had too much fun at CSM, everyday was another flavour, there was so much energy and so much flow. We once used the Steinbeck flatbed editor to look at 16 mm painted film, it was an opportunity I wish I had again, I’m a nerd for Abstract Film!
How did your company come about?
I have a passion for colour and printmaking, when I was busy trying to combine animation and print I saw that what I loved doing was making things that you can keep for a long time, like my grandmother’s vintage Vera scarves! Moving back to Turkey at such a politically chaotic time when there’s so much brain migration was really hard and I wanted to create a world that helps me protect and spread the spirit of optimism and individualism. The scarves were like flags/canvases you can wear, they move, so do the patterns, they manifest the spirit of LAR Studio which is carefree, quirky and bold.Who or what inspires you?
People who are modest yet bold and genuine as well as dancing, feeling dazed after overworking, spring allergies and love of all kinds!
What was the inspiration behind your latest collection?
Blobs: really carries the psychedelic spirit of the forest, I got a lot of inspiration from Connan Mockasin’s old album ‘Forever Dolphin Love’.
What purchase have you currently got your eye on?
My friend Severj Studio’s mind-blowingly curvy ceramics and CSM MA Fashion grad Anne Isabella Rasmussen’s trippy sock boots.
Where is your most inspiring place in London?
I used to live around Arnold Circus and I loved the random morning smells of curry mixed with oaky tree smells. It feels like sanctuary and I used to have interesting conversations with neighbours/strangers there that were like-minded and nice.What advice would you give current students hoping to start their own business?
Don’t make everything, make one thing and make it really well. Focus on your strengths to make the business stand out likewise and collaborate with people who’re better at things you’re not good with. If you don’t fit into the industry, that’s fine, find a bug and fix it.
What’s next for your brand?
The collection is launching really soon and there are so many more ideas I have but for now I’ll keep quiet. Hush.