Grand Scheme

Posted on Monday, 15 February 2010 by Benny

I can already see your furrowed brow and hear the voice in your head asking,” What the fuck is The Culture Vault? More importantly what the fuck does it have to do with Grand Scheme”?

The Culture Vault is all part of the new direction i’m taking things with This Life, like Life itself, This Life is constantly changing, adapting and evolving, things are being stepped up a notch to ensure that you are getting the content and quality you deserve for checking this site.

I feel like i’ve been slacking a bit of late, so this is the first (albeit very miniscule) of many changes you will be seeing.

Posts that come under The Culture Vault will be Culture orientated, be it a rad label such as Grand Scheme, a cool boutique or store, or whatever else i can fit under that general umbrella.

Grand Scheme is an Australian based lifestyle label, an eclectic mix of street culture, fashion, art and design, tee’s to denim, hats to polo shirts, Grand Scheme has got it covered and on fucking lock!

I caught up with Jimmy through email not too long ago for a chat about Grand Scheme and all things good, suss it.

I’ve also gotta give Jimmy props for his suggestions which lead to the changing of the wording of one of the questions, thanks for the feedback dude!

Firstly, thank you so much for your time, what’s been happening?

No problem thanks for the interest. I have been busy at work, new online shop, getting orders out and planning for next season, usual shit.

For those who don’t know, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Jimmy Bligs I run Grand Scheme clothing. Grand Scheme is an independent arts and lifestyle label that’s a mix of everything I’m interested in, art, design, street wear, fashion with a non pretentious attitude. I also collaborate with like-minded artists from around the world with Grand Scheme’s artist series prints.

What were you doing before Grand Scheme, and how did that lead you in to what you are doing today?

I dropped out of school in year 10, I never really enjoyed anything apart from art.

I was basically a graffiti bum and was getting up to no good for a fair few years, I did learn a lot from that time, typography, illustration, colour combinations, really focusing on my art and style also learning to do everything myself with the tools I had was very important.

During that time I built a reputation for my own art work and style and made a lot of good contacts and friends across the world. That’s one of the great things about graffiti if I go to any city in the world I can usually hook up couch to crash on and an underground tour guide to show me parts of the city you would never find just being a tourist.

I always wanted to be working in a creative field, I have never really held down a typical job. I basically scraped by doing lots of different art related jobs, whether it was for bands, paintings for clubs, TV, movies, etc I managed to get by.

Later on I did a graphic design course, always with a clothing label in the back of my mind and one day I decided to bite the bullet and do it for myself. The rest is history.

Where do you or what do you draw inspiration from as a designer?

So many things, I can’t really put it down to one source. I’m always looking for inspiration, I see so many images and ideas every day with advertising, TV, the internet, it’s a bombardment. I just try to filter through them and scribble down a couple of the good ones.

For the Spring Summer collection I tried to create a collection of clothes I would want to be wearing when Summer hit, there seems to be a festival on every weekend, chilling at the beach, road trips, mix tapes, hot sun, cold beer. That was the background idea for this collection.

What’s been blasting through your headphones lately?

I grew up mostly listening to hip hop but now I try to diversify my taste and not be too snobbish about music, everything from gangster rap, electro, indie, chilled stuff, I have to have music on every day or I go a little crazy.

In the latest line you did a collab with Revok, how did that come about?

I have always been a big fan of his work, we have a fair few mutual friends but I actually started speaking to him about doing a design before I had even printed the first tee, about 4 years ago. Finally everything lined up and I was really stoked to see it all come together.

How would you say Grand Scheme has progressed not only from when you began, but also from the previous line?

In the beginning it was just t shirt prints now it has evolved into a full cut and sew collection with everything from denim, leather jackets, polo shirts, shorts, singlet’s, hats and it’s growing each season.

It’s really come along way, a lot of that comes down to me being a lot more educated on what I want and how to make it happen. I have never done any formal fashion training so I have had to learn it all along the way. The label’s style has also matured and evolved with my taste over the years.

What’s in your pockets right now?

Haha nothing, it’s just too hot today so all my crap’s on the desk. I would be here all week describing all the crap on my desk.

Where did the name Grand Scheme come from?

I like the name Grand Scheme because to me it means to aspire to a goal or something bigger. For me that was to make a living from what I love, but each person can interpret that goal and inspiration differently.

There are a few recurring (but appropriated) themes in your designs, such as that of the All Seeing Eye, what are the reasons behind that?

I find the all seeing eye and triangles in general very mystical and strong image.

The all seeing eye is a very powerful image that also represents the oppressive powers, the haves and the have not’s, power, wealth and greed.

I like to play on the image and use it as a reaction against those ideas.

Nina Las Vegas

How hard is it to establish yourself and build a reputation in streetwear today, when there are so many people out there trying to do exactly the same thing?

I wont lie it’s a lot of hard work and really not easy, it’s also the hardest when you’re first starting out. I don’t want to discourage anyone form chasing their dreams cause that’s what it’s all about but before you just jump in, you need to be smart about it and reduce the risks. I would definitely recommend anyone wanting to start out to write up a detailed business plan and to test the market before they jump in and loose a bunch of cash and end up with a garage full of shirts they can’t sell.

Walk us through your typical day.

Wake up around 8 am check emails, get distracted by endless links on the internet, then it could be literally anything, ranging from designing new prints and garments, dealing with production, putting together a new look book, organising launch parties or sending invoices, packing orders, chasing sales, photographing and editing product, updating the web site, blogging or folding shirts. It changes every day.

When you’re running your own business you have to take the good with the bad and it ALL has to be done. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make it all happen and I have to give a big shout out to all my friends and family for helping me along that way.

Joel Birch from Amity Affliction reppin’

What are your views/opinions on the World and Society today?

There is a lot that isn’t right but I try to not to get too caught up on all the negative things in the world and try to live a positive life and make the most of my short time in this world.

Five things you always pack on your travels.

1. I always try to share my travels with good friends.

2. my laptop (always working)

3. Cannon G10 Digital camera, I don’t know how to use it properly but it still takes good pictures.

4. New music

5. New cologne, A friend of mine said it’s a good to listen to a new album and using a new cologne when travelling to new places, then whenever you hear a song from the album or smell that cologne you are taken right back to your travelling adventures.