How 5 European Designers Are Pushing Through The COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus lockdown is continuing to keep us all confined to our homes, and this includes some of the world's greatest creative minds who will have to do their best to stay motivated and work from a smaller space than usual. Following our catch-up with five of the UK's top creatives, we wanted to hear from some of the most exciting and vibrant designers in Europe, in the fields of streetwear and jewellery design through to furniture, to see how they are coping with self-isolation.

With the fashion industry finding new and innovative ways to create, these designers are right there, with most of them feeling this slowing down was very much needed. Find out how five forward-thinking European designers are pushing through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Astrid Andersen

Astrid Andersen runs her contemporary fashion label out of Copenhagen in Denmark. Widely loved for her high-end streetwear pieces, she has become a highly influential figure in this arena and has worked with everyone from Skepta and Drake to Rihanna and Jorja Smith. Andersen now offers seasonal menswear and womenswear collections, showing her creations at major events such as London Fashion Week: Mens and Copenhagen Fashion Week.

Here's how Astrid is coping with self-isolation:

The book you're reading right now... "I haven't really gotten into a book yet."

The album you're listening to on repeat... "I have two albums in heavy rotation right now: Insomnia by Skepta, Young Adz and Chip, and Partynextdoor's PARTYMOBILE."

The TV show you're currently hooked on... "I have binged on all the obvious Netflix shows, like Tiger King and Orthodox, but right now I'm really addicted to Hasan Minaj's Patriot Act because it's so full of information which felt much needed."

How are you still inspired to create during this time? "I'm trying to use this time to be inspired by people and how a crisis pulls people together. I don't want to focus on my next season, for once—I want to focus on what the world needs and how my creativity in the end should be applied. We have all needed an emergency break for a while, so this time is for reflection."

Are you still able to make a living through this pandemic? "I'm very lucky that we have a webshop that people support so we can generate some income from this, but it's no secret that this is a challenging time for small, independent businesses, as we don't have the cash flow and equity in place for such a situation."

Thoughts on the future? "I do think a reflection was needed. Endless seasons and fast fashion had made this industry about survival rather than talent and creativity, and I only hope that when we return it's with a new mindset—and that goes for businesses, talent and consumers—so we can make sure we treat our world and each other with the care that, again, is much needed."

O Thongthai

Making her name in the business of jewellery design, London-based artist O Thongthai blends masculine and feminine elements to create her own super-distinct looks. Her popularity in this field has led to her working with the likes of Skepta and A$AP Rocky, while also advertising her campaigns in major Asian retailers and brands—most recently Converse's Asia campaign.

Here's how O Thongthai is coping with self-isolation:

The book you're reading right now... "I'm currently reading a few books about Ed Ruscha. I like his painting, 'Burning Gas Station, 1965-66'. I like the fact that he started as a graphic designer; his arts are conceptual, from painting to photography books. I look into the artist's life and practice: it's like connecting the dot and trying to find the hidden meaning behind the painting. He did a series of Standard Station. The name standard, for example, to which was returned in several paintings, stands not only for standard oil in a distinctive style of the company's gas station, but also the quality of the services that customers could expect."

The album you're listening to on repeat... "I'm quite into Al Green right now. I like to put his music on in the background while I'm doing my research."

The TV show you're currently hooked on... "I just watched Tiger King on Netflix. I kept seeing people post about it, and it's been No. 1 trending in America for the last 14 days. I was hooked because everything in the show is extraordinary and bizarre."

How are you still inspired to create during this time? "I'm still creating and designing for clients. Most of the pieces I'm working on are bespoke, which builds from the client's story."

Are you still able to make a living through this pandemic? "I'm pretty lucky the pandemic didn't effect my business thus far, but who knows! This is just the beginning. But I took the opportunity to reflect and focus on the plan for the next few months. I learn a lot from reading news articles, seeing how every changes real fast and how this is going to change customer behaviour."

Thoughts on the future? "Don't take things for granted!"

Emeric Tchatchoua, 3.PARADIS

3.PARADIS was launched in 2013 as a contemporary ready-to-wear brand. Founded by Parisian designer Emeric Tchatchoua—a 2019 LVMH Prize nominee—the vision was to promote a common voice amongst today's global generation by deconstructing traditional ideas while also reinventing menswear with no rules or conventions. Tchatchoua started with clothing design and has more recently moved into furniture, using his influences from popular culture and street fashion.

Here's how Emeric is coping with self-isolation:

The book you're reading right now... "The Little Prince, written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery."

The album you're listening to on repeat... "I'm into the Dans La Legende album from the French rap group, PNL."

The TV show you're currently hooked on... "Casa De Papel."

How are you still inspired to create during this time? "I'm really inspired and moved by the world suffering and the current turbulent crisis. It touches me deep in my heart, so I tap into these feelings and use art as a catalyst to inspire and spread a message of hope, freedom and unity."

Are you still able to make a living through this pandemic? "We put most of our activities on pause, as far as selling clothes. We're more focused on finding solutions to make this planet a better place to live for all of us. Once this virus blows over, we will go back to selling clothes, but the world does not need new clothes at the moment."

Thoughts on the future? "I'm very positive about the future. I think the current events are showing us how we are failing as a society. It has taken a virus to show us that we were always bound together, part of a miraculous web of life and only together are we at our strongest, most alive and most human. Hopefully this will only bring the best out of humans and we will all build together a better path for our civilization by learning from our past mistakes in order to create a better future for all us."

Vinti Tan, Vinti Andrews

London-based Vinti Andrews is a collaborative brand between Vinti Tan and Paul Andrews. The designer duo share the same influences when it comes to British culture, and have both admitted to sharing very similar outlooks on life. Their collections are designed for the au courant fashion conscious individuals of the world, with garments reflecting a unique expression of texture and colour. The theme of rebellion and self-expression is the motto here.

Here's how Vinti Tan is coping with self-isolation:

The album you're listening to on repeat... "I've been listening to Oklou's The Rite of May on Nuxxe a lot on my iPod; it just has that warm-escape-to-another-happy-place type of sound. It's a great album."

The TV show you're currently hooked on... "Currently, I'm watching the US version of Dutch show Forbrydelsen or The Killing in English. It stars Brent Sexton and Mireille Enos, and yeah, so far it's better than the original. Quite dark, though."

How are you still inspired to create during this time? "In a way, there is so much space and time to think, and you can really look at ideas from different angles. Also the question of what's next for fashion, music, culture etc., as much as everyone wants to get back to normal, there is going to be a massive shift in all of it."

Are you still able to make a living through this pandemic? "We're on pause at the moment. We may open the online store again in July, though, see how it looks."

Thoughts on the future? "Totally positive. My view is that we are right at the start of the future, and we need to build new real-world things: eco power that works, space travel... None of it's happening fast enough, though."

Irene Roth, Artica-Arbox

Artica-Arbox is a brand that represents luxury. Headed up by founder and artistic director, Irene Roth, and former Yeezy CEO Cristiano Minchio, the result of their creative combinations creates an expressive wardrobe with a neutral base pallet with an understated yet defining approach. Based in Italy, Artica-Arbox is for those who have an innate individuality and confidence in who they are, creations ready to wear with a sense of underlying sophistication and youth-driven street style.

Here's how Irene is coping with self-isolation:

The book you're reading right now… "I am currently in the middle of The Cartiers: The Untold Story Of The Family Behind The Jewelry Empire. It's always fascinating to go back to the origin story of how these mega brands started. The start of every brand is so humble, authentic, and all about the hard work and a vision, so it's always inspiring to read about their journey of the triumphs and mistakes."

The album you're listening to on repeat… "Wreck, by BRIDGE. He just released a song called '24', which led me to discover some of his earlier works. His albums Wreck and Smug have been on constant rotation."

The TV show you're currently hooked on… "I haven't been watching too many TV shows, more documentaries. I've been watching a lot of music documentaries, actually: The Black Godfather, Quincy and Supermensch. Again, I am always so inspired by people's journey on how they began and their stories."

How are you still inspired to create during this time? "Beyond making sure my family and friends are safe, there's just more time for reflection and time to think. I've been inspired to create more than ever; not simply just to design more product, but what it is I'm trying to communicate with the public. It's nice to be able to create from a proactive place and not simply be reactive because of the day-to-day momentum."

Are you still able to make a living through this pandemic? "To be completely transparent, it's been difficult trying to run a company, but there is comfort and solidarity in knowing that this problem isn't unique just to me and my company."

Thoughts on the future? "I don't think the future will be the same—at least, I hope not. Without sounding too dismal, I don't think this is the last of this kind of pandemic. The important realisation for me during this time, is that there are only a couple things that matter and that make me fulfilled: finding real connections with people, and doing what I love—which is to create. It's about not losing focus on those two things as the world begins to slowly find its stride again. This is a reset I think we all needed."