14 NOVEMBER 2015
BIO
Meet the Brands - Alysia Thomas London
Words - Mancave London/Alysia Thomas
Pictures - Alysia Thomas
Film maker, photographer and now designer, Alysia Thomas had us at the get go when we realised the prints on her silk pocket squares were vivid snapshots from her travels all over the world. Memories, brought back to England and expertly crafted into perfect silk squares of nostalgia, Alysia invites you to share her untold stories wherever you go. Sustainable and environmentally friendly these little pieces of colour are more than just a pocket square.
Get to know Alysia and why we back her as one of Mancave London's emerging designers.
Currently what song can you not get enough of?
At the moment I can't get enough of The Staves in general. They have the most beautiful harmonic voice. Pay Us No Mind and Mexico are two that I can't stop listening to recently. It's the most chilled out relaxing music.
Where do you get all your pocket squares made?
All ATL squares are made in the North of Britain by three women; most of which are finished by hand.
What was the last landscape you saw that took your breath away?
My husband and I recently took the train up to Scotland and the Scottish coast line took my breath away. It is absolutely stunning with it's rugged bluffs and ragged cliffs. We have a lot of beaches in California but none that are like this. Absolutely stunning! There was one little town that was so magical. It was built out on this little island inlet and was surrounded by the sea. It makes you feel completely free.
Do you have any obsessions that would surprise us?
I am particularly obsessed with street art. Particularly stencil and wheat paste street art from the early 2000's to now. I started shooting pictures of street art when I went to NYC in 2010 and what moved me most was how they began to look like beautiful abstract art once they began to degrade and weather on the wall. The layers would begin to show through and they became these beautiful mosaics of color, print and pattern. I love how it all mixes together into one statement. It is so transient. One storm or new artist posting and it takes on another dimension. I just can't get enough of shooting those kind of pictures.
Which season is your favourite? And why?
I would have to say winter when it snows in London. It's one time when London is perfectly still and you can't hear anything. One of my favorite winters was a few years ago when it snowed a matter of feet overnight and I was living in Marble Arch. We went into Hyde Park and it was a proper winter wonderland, not a German fair. It was stunning. Coming from California I'm not used to seasons and I still find them so much fun!
