Designer tailor Gresham Blake on tapping into the design history of Transport for London for a new apparel collection

Earlier this year, TSBA Group signed contemporary British fashion brand Gresham Blake to create a limited-edition Transport for London apparel range.

The range spans tracksuits, shirts and dresses with three designs inspired by the distinctive and brightly coloured moquette fabrics used on seating of the London Underground.

We caught up with Gresham Blake himself to learn more about the creative process behind the collection – and learn his top tips for fuelling creativity.

For anyone new to Gresham Blake, where do you sit within the fashion space and what are some of your key brand values?
We’re positioned towards the middle and the high-end of British fashion. We strive to be inclusive, design-led and driven by individuality.

That comes across in this new TfL collection. What appealed about bringing the brand into your world?
I love the design history of the brand, from the iconic roundel to the ingenious map. The moquette carries so many memories and stories for different people. The variation of designs are bright, fun and very British – just like us!

Absolutely. Now, I imagine there were a few different directions you could’ve gone in for the TfL collection, so talk us through the first few creative steps when designing the range? How did you get to grips with the brand?
What I liked about the project was that I instantly could see the vision and was able to jump straight into creating. This project has a real natural energy of its own, which easily made it very inspiring for us a design team and made it all the more enjoyable.

Looking ahead, are these kinds of brand collaborations something we’ll see more of from you and your team?
Yes, definitely! We think collaborating with brands brings in fresh resources and ultimately gives the collections another dimension and new approach.

Finally, how does the Gresham Blake design team fuel its creativity?
Coffee and an open mind! We don’t let our egos get in the way of good design and listening to each other’s opinions is paramount. We are not trend-focused as a brand, and this enables us to keep our ideas original and unique to us.

Coffee and an open mind – always a useful combination. Thanks for this Gresham – congrats again on the collection.