Happy SWEATmas & we hope you had a

suitably hangover inducing New Year.

Now it’s back to business with a new font to clear out heads. Unfortunately the switch to PC took away our use of

Helvetica so we’ve settled for it’s hotter younger sister, Arial, if you must know.

Here to prepare you for the year ahead, by way of a little reminiscing I present

the first SWEAT ever in the second twenty-teen.

king top takeaway

At King Top Takeaway the menu is ever changing and the design is never ordinary. Having graduated from Coventry University and failing to find full-time employment; when her internship at Adidas came to an end, Hanan Qattan set about forming her own clothing label.

With her design aesthetic firmly in the macabre, dabbling with illustrations of girls with rainbow coloured hair and sugar skull skin, in last year she formed King Top Takeaway, a range of T-shirts with graphic appeal.

Not bad for a one-woman operation. Now I know what you’re

thinking, they probably cost a fortune; in fact the most expen-

sive items in her online shop are £15. And they range from unisex

t-shirts and vests to canvas bags and even a gift box in the shape of

a Chinese takeaway.

SWEAT caught up with the one-woman designer extraordinaire to

pick up some tips in t-shirt design and gawp at some

awesome vests along the way…

SWEAT: How did you start King Top Takeaway?HANAN: The concept first came about when I applied for an internship at adidas, and found out they were interested in me. Within a week I had made up the idea of this t-shirt company and created a mock website with rough photoshop images. The designer interested in me actually wasn’t too keen on what I had done (as he wanted me for more technical graphic work), but I got the internship anyway, and didn’t even think about KTTA again for another 6 months. After I finished in Germany in May, I had a nice summer break, then came close to a few job offers.. but couldn’t secure I position that was right for me. So I turned back to KTTA, developed it, and launched in September ‘10.

S: What was the first t-shirt you ever made?H: The Pixel Panda tee... it took me weeks to make my plotter cutter work, so my first few tees were cut out of vinyl by hand and heat pressed onto cheap asda tees! Soon I got everything to work, got a big order of tees in, and went graphic nuts from there.

S: Is the process between illustration and t-shirt design similar?H: All of my graphics are created on Adobe Illustrator, and come from a very illustrative place. All the shapes and images I create, blend immediately into my Art Illustrations.

S: Any advice for someone wanting to start their own line?H: Start yesterday. Start now, there is nothing left to wait for. I have an awful lot of friends who are very jealous that I have actually followed through with the ‘dreamy idea’ that so many have and just don’t carry through with. Don’t wait to start it with a friend, or wait to hear on another job, or see what the market is like or whatever... there’s always so many excuses not to... just take a risk, you won’t regret it.

S: Which artists/designers are you inspired by?H: My biggest inspiration and feature of the article I read, moments before coming up with a name and concept was ‘Johnny Cupcake’. He also uses the ‘food’ idea, and his shops are like bakeries. He never sold out, never passed on his brand; he owns it all, sells it all, and ended up employing all his family and some friends.. I’d love to reach that level one day.

S: Have you always been interested in macabre imagery?H: I’ve always been interested in all the sides of the human imagination; during childhood, I was exposed to the Tim Burton/Dr Suess films and stories, and that helped to expand my thinking into the darker and un-explainable side of thinking. So what is seen as macabre to some, is actually fairly normal to others. I love the idea of having something typically ‘gruesome’ or hard to look at, and making it something desirable, that people respond to who wouldn’t normally.

S: What’s next for you?H: Well, currently I’m joining forces with a friend who speaks to computers a lot better than I do, so a bigger better website is currently under development. I’ll be getting my Illustrations printed large, selling on my site and showcasing in bars and restaurants in certain cities. I’m also expanding into the music industry, endorsing some live acts. I have recently struck an endorsement deal with an up-coming DJ, and am looking into some smaller bands, independent musicians looking for more exposure.

S: What is your favorite colour?H: Purple

S: Describe yourself in 3 words.H: Tenacious, erratic and colourful.

For more King Top TakeawayHead to the website: kingtoptakeaway.com

this page isso Spring/

Summer 2011

fashion forecastAmidst the chaos of starting a new year one thing issure to cross everyone’s mind - what does one wearin 2011? Here is a small glimpse into what are likely

to be the top trends of the new year.

1. Bold electric colorsWe saw a definite 80’s throwback

on the Spring 2011 runways. Bigger and brighter is the motto of this spring with Prada sending their models down the runway in electric hues and box-

shaped dresses taking ‘brave, bold and obvious’ to a whole new meaning.

2. The “Classics”Expect major influence from the 50’s and 60’s as we once again see the

classic, chic look. From the understated elegance at Lanvin to the ooze of

femininity at Proenza Schouler, it is evident that a clean and polished look

will never go out of style.

3. SheerAlmost every collection this Spring fea-tured sheer, elegant pieces so it comes as no surprise that this is going to be a huge trend in 2011. Playfully referred to as “pajama dressing” it seems that wearing your nightgown in public is no

longer a fashion crime.

4. Wide-legged trousersThe seventies style trousers which

have been lingering in our wardrobes for so long have been coming up on practically every runway this season.

The highly stylish and sophisticated look of wide-legged trousers are back in a

big way and are sure to be gracing the catwalk and sidewalk alike.

5. Minimalistic WhitesA highly refined and structured look was seen on the runways of Calvin

Klein and Alexander Wang, and this is a trend that is both feminine and tough. Men’s inspired tailoring and soft, flowing

material make the all-white look both timeless, elegant and easily a favourite

this year.

eda unturkFrom her unnerving cut out photographs to her unflinching out of focus paintings, there’s a jaded quality to Eda Unturk’s work that

both repulses and intrigues.

For more head to her blog: http://edaunturk.blogspot.com