GIORGIO FERNANDEZ

What is Paranoia?

Paranoia began as a creative outlet when I was studying in Nottingham a couple years back. The reason for the name paranoia is due to the mental state I was in when it all started, I felt as if everything was against me and that everything I did was in vain. Paranoia isn’t only a creative outlet and project. It’s a reminder to me that life can get tough and that even though it may seem that everyone is out to get you, it’s all just in your head. As soon as you understand that, you can do pretty much anything you put your mind to.

What inspires you when designing?

A lot of my past designs and clothing have been heavily inspired by old school trends, like wider silhouettes and retro graphics. More recently I’ve been heavily inspired by more functional and technical garments from the early 2000’s. Especially pieces from companies like Oakley and klattermusen. Bykody and Nicole McLaughlin have also recently been inspiring, as they’re unique with their styles and execution.

What do you think is the most important thing to consider when being a creative?

Mental Health. Most people overlook this and push it to the side, I personally think with everything in life and especially when you’re a creative you need to prioritise your mental health. Most creatives will most likely be doing some sort of other work to facilitate their creative work, and with extra things like relationships, school/Uni, jobs, and everything in between it can quickly become overwhelming. Constant reminders of people gaining loads of followers, selling out drops, etc can have an effect and it’s important to take a step back and regain your direction. You have to constantly remind yourself that you’re the only person you should be comparing yourself to. followers don’t mean jack shit and if your putting in the work you just need to give it time.

If you had an unlimited budget and full creative control, what’s the one thing you’d love to do?

If I had the proper budget I would definitely design and execute some sort of technical range with functional materials. I’ve always been into the outdoors and have sketched ideas for items like jackets and hiking boots for the better part of the past couple years. Currently the budget hasn’t allowed for it due to high cost of these materials and the processes used to combine them.

What piece or style is coming back in 2022?

To be honest I couldn’t say for sure. Technical garments have already resurfaced with the Arcteryx hype and I definitely think that will continue for a while into 2022. The one thing that I think I can predict with close to 100 percent certainty is that the reworked and up-cycled movement is going to keep on growing. As more and more people become more conscious about consumption brands are going to have to find a way to utilise pre-existing pieces to create new ones. Not only to satisfy the customers ethical expectations but to also contribute to the effort of reducing this industries impact on the planet.

thank you to Giorgio Fernandez for speaking so openly with us. check our paranoia’s most recent drop and keep up with their instagram here.