Cozette McCreery is the distinctly creative visionary making up one third of London knitwear label, SIBLING. Here, Miss M. takes i-D on a tour around the brand’s inner sanctum.
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If Cozzy M.C. would have seen her childhood dream come good today she would be stitching up animals as opposed to clothes. Ditching her A-levels and abandoning plans to become a vet in favour of spending her days knee-deep in wool, this one woman whirlwind has successfully established herself as the female force behind unisex knitwear label, SIBLING. Working hard and then playing harder, the three membered, well-woven family like to spend a lot of their time in the company of one another. Fun and frivolous but with a feisty, streetwear inspired edge, no-one does fierce quite like this trio. As they ready themselves for their inaugural catwalk at this weekend’s London Collections: Men, i-D online broke into SIBLING’s studio to discover a treasure trove of textile themed delights…
Can you describe yourself in 140 characters? Taller than you expect. Older than I look. Shy but gets over it. Calm in a crisis. Jolly. Make-up free. Can’t have a photograph taken without pulling a stupid face.
Who were your fashion icons as a child? Both parents without a doubt. Mum dressed me in Biba! One day I’d be in a mini versions of her Laura Ashley frock the next chocolate brown sequins and patent boots. And she was a fantastic hand knitter so would make me full fair isle outfits: twinset and skirt or crochet herself a dress and then make a tiny outfit for me. Mum and Dad were always incredibly well turned out and always in that season’s latest look: Dad in full Montana in the 80′s is a vivid memory, marching through Knightsbridge as I sulked behind in something from Joseph.
Whatʼs your earliest memory of London? Being in the parks as a toddler. Not thinking much of pigeons.
Where do you live and where do you buy your groceries? Lolz that’s an odd question. If I get it right to I win a years worth of shopping? But to answer: Shoreditch in East London and I have Sainsbury’s deliver. Food shopping although necessary is my idea of HELL so I avoid supermarkets at all costs. For odds and ends I buy locally often from The Grocery on Kingsland Road or Costcutter if I’m not after organic yak’s milk and additive free brownies (am joking about the milk btw).
As a designer how does London inspire you? I think all creatives (not just designers) can’t help but be inspired by what’s around them, even if it just raises questions or even makes you decide that you actually hate certain things. London for me and really for all 3 of us who make up SIBLING equals home. It’s where our friends are and we’d struggle without that base.
Dawn till dusk, could you describe a day in the studio at the moment?
Dawn: get up and think about doing some yoga as I’m pretending that I live in LA and want to be healthy. Do yoga until fresh coffee gets the better of me. Bath/shower. Throw on yesterday’s clothes. Don headphones, walk the long way to work.
At work: say hi to early birds Sid and Joe (I’m useless in the morning) turn on computer, spend all day on computer with the occasional dash to a meeting or organising a call-in.
Dusk: for the past 2 weeks plus it’s been spent here sewing, not that I mind as I find it very therapeutic .If I’m not needed at the studio I don headphones, walk the short way home. Put on running gear and go for a walk/run/walk/run/gasp for 30 mins. Come home and eat contents of fridge and I’ll speak to a friend in Berlin as he makes me laugh and will think of something random to talk about. Or meet up with my friends Jack and Rebecca for ranting and giggles over food. Watch something about bodies/skeletons/history on the BBCs or 2 Broke Girls and American Dad. Read about strong females in history (usually written by Antonia Fraser) via my Kindle in bed until boss-eyed. Wake up at 6am freaking about seating, invites, salesroom, models, samples. 6.05am get over myself.
How much does the opinions of others affect the work you do? Me personally, only friends or family matter. I deal with both the sales and the press at SIBLING so I’ve learnt not to take much of it personally. People are allowed opinions and although I may not agree with it, it’s theirs and I respect that. Of course if a buyer feeds-back something of importance I’ll then flag it up with Sid and Joe so we can work around it, after all this is a business. Working on club doors I think has given me a thick skin well, that and years of experience and watching people I respect (designers I have worked for) reduced to tears because of reviews. I try to take it on the chin and let it drop.
What is the SIBLING man dancing to this Summer? Radio 6, The Clash, The Great Rock & Roll Swindle soundtrack and Grace Jones while hula hooping.
What does he make i-D when we come over for dinner? Nothing we’d go out, I’m not a big fan of dinners at home and I have every restaurant possible on my doorstep: giant Scotch Egg at The Rivington, chicken and mash at Bistrotheque, Goi salad at Viet Hoa, full English at The Premises.
Text: Milly McMahon
Photography: Team SIBLING
See more from our insi-De eye series here.
