Friday, December 12, 2014

LYFE INTERVIEWS JEFFREY TINDI


Finally I've gotten the chance to interview this awesome designer by name of Jeffrey Tindi. Not only that but this fella here is the designer of "I AM A GOD" tees over at our online store. Collaborating with him was a spiritual experience. We connected when it came to this project.He is a designer about detail . He saw the vision and made it his own.I am beyond pleased with his work. 
   After the tee design was done I knew I had to interview Tindi. The knowledge and maturity was just spilling out of him that we had to film a video;which will be releasing soon. Until then check out his interview below.


LYFE:Tell us about yourself and what you do creatively.
TINDI:My name is Jeffrey Tindi and I am a designer from Kenya, Africa. I was raised in Atlanta but my creative energy comes from Africa. Creativity has always been a journey for me. There are many things I do creatively but the main ones are associated with product, fashion and graphic design.

LYFE:Why design/why footwear?
TINDI:Design to me is creativity at play for a higher purpose. Designers are creatives who solve problems in a unique way. Society has reached a pivotal state in how we perceive what we see. We are beginning to understand design. A great example is Apple’s Iphone. I love their ethos. Simplicity and truth can be beautiful.  
 Ever since I was little I’ve always loved shoes. When I was younger, I would spend time analyzing Eastbay catalogs for the latest sneaker drop. To me looking at shoes was just as good as wearing them. I’ve always been drawn to the beauty of footwear. Shoes can tell you a lot about someone, where they are in life or who they aspire to be. My love for footwear has inspired me to one day start a footwear agency in my hometown, Kisumu, Kenya. I will inspire the next generation of designers emerging from Kenya. 

LYFE:Tell us about your collab with LYFE?

TINDI: I designed the “I AM A GOD” collection for LYFE inspired by Afro punk and Street style. Both of these styles are organic in definition because they are both inspired by the individual not the corporation. Afro punk to me is being yourself, no matter how much you might stand out. Street style is also organic because it is a reflection of society from an individual's standpoint. People want to be different. They crave that individuality and fashion is a great way to speak out about your individuality.   

LYFE:How does it feel seeing your design come to life?
TINDI: Its still unreal to me. I still can’t believe something I sketched up has been brought to life! Not many designers can say that they’ve actually produced a product that is sold. With apparel design so many things can go wrong. Pixelation or using the wrong color codes can occur but the collaboration was well planned out. We had a deadline and we stuck to it. The whole design process was very direct, so I am very pleased to have been a part of it. 

LYFE:What is your fantasy?
TINDI: My fantasy is a generation inspired by positive energy. My personal goal has always been to inspire and motivate those around me. When we look at our lives as microscopic forms of larger pool of energy, that each  individual no matter how small is part of this bigger purpose, we understand that everyone is important. No one can live forever but an idea can. My fantasy is to create a positive idea that will live much longer than I can.  

LYFE:What is your design process?
TINDI:My design process starts with analyzing trends and figuring out how my design will fit into it. I also do this to figure out what can be brought to production differently. Its also important to always keep in mind who it is  you’re designing for. Defining the target market leads you to paying attention to pop culture inspirations. My next phase is to define the psychology of the person through symbolism. For the the LYFE collection I chose a gold texture because not only does it stand out, as well as fit the street style trend, it also symbolizes the individuality of afro punk fans without compromising their personal style. The black and white color way would work with their wardrobe. 

LYFE:Your Kenyan,tell us about that.
TINDI:Yes, I am a 6’5 skinny kid from Kenya. Kenyans are humble people who share a deep pride for their country. I moved to Atlanta when I was seven years old. Even when I was younger I never felt like I belonged anywhere. We moved a lot so I spent most of my days alone day dreaming and planning. Naturally I was drawn to the unorthodox nature of art. The idea that there was this entire community of people who thought like no one else. Creative energy stems from our past. I felt there was a story I could create based on my upbringing in Kenya. One of my earliest memories was when I was six years old. We had to draw and identify the organs of a fish. I couldn’t do it, not even close. I was a terrible artist growing up. Fortunately for me, I’ve been blessed to have a few encouraging people around me. Art and design has been a consistent love of mine, I never gave up just because I was bad at. I think about that specific drawing a lot. To me it represents a foreshadowing of my purpose. It represents love. It represents LYFE.


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