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Roger Lee and Lesley Sealey are i.e.uniform. Winner of this year's British Street Style award, the brand specialises in fabric manipulation and secret messages. Marian Buckley reports.
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i.e.uniform is a partnership between Lesley Sealey and Roger Lee, two former RCA students who started working together whilst still at college. "We were a match made by our professor," says Roger. Lesley graduated first and started teaching but it wasn't long before the dynamic duo reformed. "We were getting ready to go and look for jobs when we naively, spontaneously decided to set up together," explains Lesley. i.e.uniform launched as 'uniform' in 1998 with the help of parents and friends (the i.e. has recently been added to avoid legal battles). The pair immediately faced the grim realities of running a fashion business. "At first we thought that having our own label would mean that we could please ourselves, but it never works out like that. Stores want this, buyers want that, you have to juggle and compromise," explains Lesley. According to Roger: "Business is time and money - anyone who thinks that they can just be creative is being self-indulgent."
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After over a decade of living in London, Lesley and Roger are now devoted urbanites. Lesley was brought up in a quiet village in Cheshire ("I think I am a city girl now,") and Roger moved from Singapore. "It's a very tough city and coming here at 21 without friends or family was hard. But there is no standard lifestyle in London and that makes it such an interesting place to live. You create your own capsule."
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i.e.uniform is first and foremost a fashion brand. Roger and Lesley feel that it's easier to develop a consistent identity with a brand rather than an own-name designer label. In each collection there are 'messages' - luxurious linings, secret pockets and hidden details that only the wearer is aware of but which are integral to i.e.uniform clothes. "Detailing is always there for a reason," says Roger. "We always have both a functional and a decorative reason for details. We are also interested in the inner beauty of a garment - the way it feels to the wearer. We like to make clothes that give comforting feelings." Another i.e.uniform signature is exploring and reinterpreting everyday textiles. "We like to take regular fabrics like corduroy, denim, fleece and treat them in an unexpected way," explains Lesley. Previous collections have featured corduroy skirts with elaborate, luxurious hand stitched sequinned embroidery.
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