Kuben Edwards, we want your job! // She’s electric: the brains behind a new fashion label

Kuben Edwards, 38 // CEO Blank Slate Inc

You may have already clocked London based brand Electric Tees in ASOS’ Green Room. Labelled as an electrifying brand with a conscience, Electric Tees are all about being the life and soul of the party with their tight fit, super sexy tees and bodies, all emblazoned with in-yer-face, of-the-moment high energy graphics – think: skulls, tigers, cyborgs and wolves. Grrrr!

This is a brand new, er… brand; fresh of the fashion press. A thoroughly modern label, embraced in social media and user generated content – where customers can upload their own cool pics modelling their Leccy Tee purchases.

The creators wanted to make something fun, something that’d make people smile. Something representin’ a carefree London life of working hard and playing harder. They came up with the idea of an ‘Electric Girl’ and from her Electric Tees was born:

If she were an island she’d be Ibiza;  a drink, she’d be a shot; an emotion she’d be fun.

Sounds like our kinda girl! We wanted to know more, so we tracked down the brains behind the brand, tapped her on the shoulder and shouted: Kuben Edwards, we want your joooobbbbbbbbbbb!

When people ask you what you do for a living, what do you say?
I have the best job in the world: I run the most exciting graphic fashion label on the planet – Electric Tees!  I have the luxury of getting up in the morning knowing that my day holds every single emotion available to a woman.

What did you want to be when you were little?
Almost every career on the planet – doctor, lawyer, ballerina, gymnast, actress and singer.  Everything a little girl should want to be.

Wowser! Electric Tess is brand spanking new. Where did the idea come from and when?
I met these guys who were totally electric – they came up with fantastic ideas and brilliant graphics – but really had no way to taking it forward.  I provided a bit of a vision and we started to work together. We started talking, drinking and going out and then POP! Electric Tees was born.

We wanted to take a different approach and put fashion styling, our customers and really hot graphics at the heart of something new.

So then our talk turned into action and… ELECTRIC TEES WAS BORN!

Do you have a fashion background?
Yes. I’ve run my own my own boutique and styled many people.  It’s only through being on the shop floor, day in, day out and seeing so many women with different styles and body shapes that you begin to understand how the world of fashion works – not only as a business but also for the individual.

Describe the Electric Tees brand in five words…
HIGH VOLTAGE GRAPHIC TEE LABEL!

Organic T-shirts that don’t smell / look like a hippy’s cast off? No way! Tell us more about the ethical values of Electric Tees…
We didn’t set out to be an ethical brand but we do believe using organic cotton and ethical factories should be the norm for all leading fashion brands. We feel that it’s just as important as having a great fit and design.

We have a saying that WE MUST TRY HARDER. We have this because we know we don’t know everything about being an eco label – and we definitely can’t afford some things which we would like to do (like manufacturing locally) – but this is where we aim to be.

There’s a strong graphics / cultural references / music mash-up vibe to the brand. Is this deliberate?
Yup, this is where we’re at. Our inspiration is fashion, music and society with our customer at the centre of it all.

We have quite an eclectic graphic collection inspired by where our customers are going ,what they’re doing and what they need to wear when they get there. So we’re there to make and leave an impression.

We photograph our products at clubs, festivals and concerts. We’ve started working with DJs and up and coming musicians, but this is only the start of where we want to be.

What makes Electric Tees different to other T-shirt brands?
We’re an edgy graphic tee and body brand. Our graphics are visible both front and back, making a statement piece which should be in every women’s wardrobe.

We’re more than just a placement print T-shirt brand. Anyone can do that, but try and find another label like us out there. You won’t – we’re original. You just have to try and find someone doing what we do to realise that we’re on our own in a playground we’ve created.

What do you know now that you wish you knew in the formative years of your career?
When I started my career it was very corporate based; black or white and definitely no shades of grey. I said to myself time and again that there must be more to life!

There was a creative side to myself that was being suppressed. My intuition was telling me that I was destined to do bigger things – which I constantly ignored.

Looking back I should have started my own business much sooner in my career. However, the lessons learnt in my previous careers have been my life lessons for all my future endeavours.

Career highlight so far?
Taking the jump and getting Electric Tees up and running.  Having been able to get an exceptional and electric team together and then taking the leap into the unknown!

How do you spend your time when you’re not working?
Going out for 14k runs and days out with the man and kids, either on a shopping trip or going to catch a movie or a gig. I love having quality time with my family. It’s incredibly rewarding and centres me as a mother and wife.

However, meeting up with friends for dinner and cocktails letting my hair down and dancing the nights away is super cool too! 🙂

You have great hair. Any top tips you’d care to share?
Good nutrition for both hair and skin is essential. My daily diet includes healthy organic produce. I also ensure that I take recommend supply of vitamins and minerals daily. I use organic hemp products as well as Moroccan oil.

For my general upkeep, I have a fabulous hairdresser – George Vallossian in Knightsbridge – who does amazing treatments for super shiny hair. When I have my hair coloured it’s all bleach free, which prevents dry and brittle hair. He is truly a hair magician!

Cheese or chocolate?
Chocolate of course! I’m open to trying many different types…

My recent favourite? An oh-so lovely bar of organic dairy-free chocolate – and the other day I tried a dark chocolate pro-biotic coconut flavour. Loved them all!

Bikini or onepiece?
I love both depending on my mood and whether I’m having a skinny or fat day! Would love to look like Bo Derrick…

My favourite swimsuit labels at the mo are Australian brand We Are Handsome and NY based fashion designer Mara Hoffman.

Song that best describes your life?
My song choices are always dependant on my mood! I love Poker Face by Lady Gaga, We Are Who We Are by Ke$ha and Ninety Nine Problems by Jay-Z is my favourite. But the song which best describes my life is Bad Girls by M.I.A:

What’s next for Electric Tees?
We’re looking to extend and grow our range which, we are super excited about! Knowing our customer is most important at thing at the moment. Producing great products they can rely on to make the impact they’re looking for.

Kuben’s totes electric, right? Want to get your mitts on a piece of the Electric Tees high voltage action? Head over to electrictees.co.uk – and while you’re there, check out the Le Blow fave, the Wolf Body. It’s Shakira she-wolf HAWT.

And don’t worry if you have a bit of a splurge – you’ll be doing your bit for the planet innit. Isn’t shopping with a conscience the BESTEST?!