Hey Good Girl Gang, thanks for chatting with us.
What’s your name and where are you from?
Hi! My name’s Nawel & I’ve lived in LC pretty much my whole life :)
What did the beginning of Good Girl Gang look like?
With the idea/name, I knew that I wanted to create a space to help represent the under-represented and guess girl gang sounded better with those triple g’s, haha
I had always imagined I’d end up creating wearable things & had played around using fabric pens on t shirts during my time at school. After that, I spent a year at uni doing an art foundation course that I hated. I decided to bring back those creative juices that were drained from me during that year at school and start screen printing!
So would you say you were you self taught? How did you turn it from an idea into a reality?
I tried out some screen printing in school but never enough to become a pro so I utilised the good ‘ol internet and binged a whole load of youtube videos. It’s insane how much educational knowledge is right at our fingertips, it pretty much started from there. It was such hard work but soooo worth it; though I still struggle, I’m always learning which is super valuable to me!
Your work is incredibly empowering, what motivates your creativity?
Easily everyone who has joined the gang & spends their hard earned money on things I create, it’s so unbelievable to me and helps me not doubt myself so much. I also love how supportive my partner & friends are, having a positive support group is super important to staying strong when you feel too tired to do it all yourself! Music also plays a huge part in making me feel incredibly powerful & motivated, something that will always remain as such too!
Talking about powerful, if you give any words of wisdom to your younger self, what would you say?
I would definitely tell myself to not care so much about anyone else’s opinion about myself; you can’t go by your whole life living off validation off others! Also to love my hairy body because who the hell cares!!!! We love being natural babyyyyy
Can you tell us about your creative space?
Most of the time, my space is a complete and utter MESS! It’s hard to stay organised especially when you’re feeling those creative vibes and can’t stop to clean up during those moments. I tend to put up photos I’ve taken or inspiring art up all over the walls to help keep me inspired and allow me to properly explore all those creative possibilities when it comes to designing a new tee!
Who or what inspires you?
I am hugely inspired by fellow small businesses because I know that we’re all experiencing the same things and it’s comforting to know that I’m never really alone! There’s such an amazing community of female owned businesses in LC that really make all of this so much better, especially in those stressful times when you feel like you’re going crazy, you can always rely on a friendly chat :) I also get huge inspiration from anyone that supports/shares/buys GGG, I wouldn’t be here without any of them!!!
Is there anyone from the Midlands that inspires you?
Always Silly Girl Club, such a creative way to reduce waste while also making some amazing sick threads! [OMG - STAAAHP! Thank you!]
Bloom Project is also a female owned business I love, seeing all her hard work & beautiful arrangements is super inspiring to me.
Milunita is another women owned business that I’ve loved finding & seeing grow; everything is hand dyed & hand printed with the earth in mind, always important!
When you’re not getting creative for Good Girl Gang, what do you get up to?
I’m usually watching films when I think it’s time for a lil relaxing time, it usually helps inspire me for the next creation. I also tend to go on long walks with my camera which I love using for my IG posts as a way to blend my casual daily life in with the business-ey side!
[Yesss, I LOVE the way you photograph your products! It’s a vibe I’ve not seen anyone else do and i’m here for it!]
Could you recommend any indie businesses for anyone who is reading this to check out?
This year has been super crazy so it’s really important to continue supporting those locals, I’m in loveeee with Bitsy’s Emporium, she makes the most DELICIOUS treats and although I’ve only tasted the goodness a couple times, I cannot forget it! I also love St Martin's Coffee Shop, the Exchange for those pre Phoenix cinema hot choc trips!
Where would you like to see in the future for Good Girl Gang?
I’m really looking to keep growing and maybe take a few actual print classes so I can see how the pros do it as I’m really loving doing print jobs for other creatives. I started ggg with the need to create t shirts with a message that anyone can wear and feel empowered as heck so I’d really love to work on that and eventually explore new mediums and techniques that maintain the ethical and sustainable brand that good girl gang has become! Who knows!
You can find Good Girl Gang's website here.
And their instagram here.
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