MEET THE COLLECTIVE

Introducing the TEN OF CLUBS COLLECTIVE. Being lightly grilled for your amusement this time is our frog-loving artist, designer and model, Romany.

For oversized knitwear, broken bones, pickled chillies and petrichor, read on!

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Please introduce yourself.

Hey, I’m Romany. I’m 24 and I’m one of the designers here at TEN OF CLUBS. I do a lot of freehand sketching and digital design.

I also do screen printing, as well as pitching in with whatever else needs doing to get orders out the door and keep customers happy.

Do you work anywhere else?

Yes, I work shifts as a barmaid at my local pub. I’ve done bar work for years and really like it. I like talking nonsense with the regulars.

Not including TEN OF CLUBS garms, what’s the best thing in your wardrobe?

I have two really cool jumpers my grandma gave me, that she got at Glastonbury the year I was born. They're chunky, oversized knitted jumpers. One's purple with pink and white flowers. The other has a geometric rainbow design. They sound awful, I know, but they're cool, I promise you.

Which tees have you designed for TOC? Do you have a favourite?

I've designed the Tape Long Sleeve, Rise And Shine Tee and Wave Tee.

My favourite now is probably my latest design, Bone Heads Tee. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I did the designs freehand. The original sketches took so long!

What’s the best way to start the day?

Coffee and a fag. Classic.

Who’s your go-to band or artist when you can’t decide what to listen to?

Always Pixies. They’re my favourite band. Fall Out Boy and Blink-182 will always be among my favourites too.

At the moment I’m listening to a lot of KennyHoopla, Lil Peep, Static Dress, Brand of Sacrifice, and Vein.fm.

What TV shows are you into?

I don’t watch a lot of TV. When I do, it’s generally the same things on repeat: Friends or The Mighty Boosh.

Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.

I can eat a jar of pickled chillies in one sitting. Sometimes I put hot sauce on them too. That’s me, living on the edge!

What would you rate 10 out of 10?

20?

Do you have any pets?

No, not now. I used to have a pet tree frog called Lil Crème Fraiche, but I gave her to my sister to look after. I was working a lot, and I knew my sister wanted a frog, so Crème went to a loving home.

I’m happy to say Crème is alive and well, with her own luxury terrarium with running water and lots of plants.

How do you relax after a busy day?

I’ve recently got into jigsaw puzzles. They’re great! I used to despise them, but they’re actually a good way to relax and stop thinking about stuff.

Describe your perfect weekend?

Just relaxing somewhere by the sea. Ideally somewhere with a really cool skatepark and pubs.

On the subject of pubs, what’s your favourite drink?

If it’s alcoholic, it’s probably wine. If it's wine, it's definitely red.

What’s your proudest achievement?

Skateboarding. I never thought I’d have the balls to do it. I’m still not amazing, but I’m better than I ever thought I'd be.

And I guess my uni degree is up there too. It’s certainly the most expensive piece of paper I own!

Which of your scars has the best story behind it?

I broke my ankle skateboarding and had to have some pretty major surgery, so there are plenty of scars to choose from. I have eight screws and a metal plate in my ankle now. I have yet to find out if I set the alarms off in airports.

What’s your favourite smell?

The smell of rain. There’s even a name for it: petrichor. How cool is that!

Tell us something you’ll never do again.

Break my ankle. Well, I really hope not!

The interrogation is over. Any final words?

Yeah, thank you to everyone that has supported us. Please tell your friends about us. I've got loads of new designs I want to show you. 

December 2021

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