Designing a lifestyle range for John Lewis
Ever wondered what it's like to design a lifestyle range? Izaac was chosen to do just that for John Lewis! We spoke to them to find out all about their experience.
“It taught me that I don’t have to share everything about myself”
Fine Art Student Izaac Elliott, a member of our Become the Movement, was this year’s winner of retailer John Lewis’s Made by Care competition. The new initiative, launched in 2023, invites care-experienced people to submit designs for a lifestyle range to be sold in John Lewis and Waitrose stores at Christmas and throughout the year. Izaac, 22, shares what the experience was like.
How did you hear about the Made by Care opportunity?
I found out about it at Become’s Voice Day last February, the charity’s celebration event, because everyone who attended was given one of the bags designed by Michael Archibald, the first winner of the competition. Become’s Campaigns and Participation Manager, Jo, also mentioned it and suggested I apply, so I went for it.
What was the application process?
I sent them a portfolio of my work including eight pieces I had created during my degree. There wasn’t an interview. A week after the deadline I got a call to say I’d been selected and that was that.
That must have been exciting! What happened next?
I had a meeting with members of the John Lewis design team in April at the offices of Saatchi and Saatchi, the advertising agency, as they were involved in the marketing side of the project. Two of my eight designs had been chosen and I had a week to think how they could be applied to the products in the range – a mug, a scarf, a sweatshirt, T-shirt and tote bag. It was then June when I first saw the products.
Tell us about your designs
One of them is based on my foster care records. A lot of the info is redacted and I also removed some words to not reveal too much. The other design is based on all of the bedrooms I’ve lived in, drawing on how much space I felt I occupied in each one. In some I felt I was taking up too much space, in others I didn’t want to take up any and in others I felt I couldn’t because I didn’t know how long I’d be there for. Some of the rooms were quite cold and others more welcoming.
John Lewis is a huge brand and Made by Care is a new and important initiative for them. What was it like being part of that?
It was exciting and gave me the opportunity to meet lots of different people and experience new things. I even went to a Fashion Council event at 10 Downing Street, and was introduced to Lisa Nandy, the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport. She seemed to be very nice and down to earth. During this process though, as the opportunity materialized, I soon realized I was just a tiny cog in a massive machine, which isn’t a criticism it’s just what it is. I found that a struggle at times, because it reminded me of when I was in care.
There was a big launch event in London for your range, with members of the press there and influencers. What was that like?
It was incredibly exciting, but I was also extremely nervous. I had to go on stage with people from John Lewis and Saatchi and Saatchi and be interviewed by TV host Ashley John-Baptiste, who is himself care-experienced. I knew there would be lots of PR with this opportunity and I was given media training to help prepare me for that. I thought there would be more opportunity to talk about my work with the media, but questions were more around what this opportunity meant to me, which I understand is more what people want to know. The winner of the TV series the Piano, Brad Kella, who is care-experienced played at the event, which was moving. It was interesting to meet them.
How did you feel when you saw your designs in the shops?
It feels quite surreal as I’ll see the products I designed in a shop, and then just carry on with my day. When I first saw someone walking around with one of my bags it felt really strange seeing someone else care for my work. It felt great to see that someone who’s under no obligation to buy my work would.
What has the experience taught you?
During this experience I’ve thought a lot about how I articulate myself and how I speak through my art. I’ve learnt that I don’t have to give everything away about myself or what the design means. That people can take different things from my work, and they may not understand everything entirely and that’s ok.
Visit the John Lewis & Partners store to see Izaac’s designs.
