HBXWM x Sporty & Rich Capsule Collection - shot exclusively by Henrik Purienne
[socials/]It's not easy to explain what Emily Oberg does — influencer, designer, streetwear muse, stylist, fitness guru — you name it. Just weeks after revealing her latest project, Sporty & Rich Wellness Club, the Calgary-born creative has kept busy with her brand's upcoming Spring/Summer 2020 collection, as well as an exclusive capsule with HBXWM. Now, she joins us to discuss the limited, pastel-hued 7-piece range, consisting of her iconic logo sweatshirt and a selection of totes and caps in various delicious spring colours, exclusively available on HBXWM. Scroll through our editorial to check out our conversation with Emily and shop the limited Sporty & Rich pieces from February 13. Sign up to our Newsletter to get alerted first of the release.
Tell us about collaborating with HBXWM on this exclusive capsule. What was the inspiration behind this collection?
The colors are bright pastels that are fun and childish. The brand is all about fun, youthfulness, and not taking anything too seriously. I feel like I'm 13 years old inside so I like to have fun with everything I do and I think that shows.
I know all the photoshoots and editorials you work on are self-directed. Can you share more about your creative process?
Before taking on the Sporty & Rich brand full time I was doing art direction and campaigns for different brands so it's really something I love to do and my favorite part about having the brand. I am always inspired by the past and want all of my products and imagery to have a vintage feeling to them. I don't keep up with current trends or what's "in style" so my work doesn't feel trendy. I want my work to feel more "timeless" than "timely".
What "vintage" or "timeless" campaign do you feel most inspired by?
One of my favorite shoots ever is the "Don't Shoot" editorial by Tim Walker for Vogue Italia 1999.
How did you come about working with Henrik Purienne for this project?
For this shoot, I wanted to focus only on the product and it's the first product-only shoot I've done with no model. I admire Henrik's work and the feeling he brings to his photos. His work embodies the past better than anyone's and he has a great eye. We've been friends for a while and always talk about shooting something together and this seemed like the right project to work on.
Sporty & Rich has always been more than just a clothing brand. Your latest endeavour with the Sporty & Rich Wellness Club ventures into all things healthy from workouts to clean beauty and mental health. Tell us more about the message you want to share with this new platform.
The next phase of the brand is the wellness content platform. I wanted to start it as a place to share information on how I have become healthier and how others can too. It's a mix of information for both the beginner and more advanced health person. I wanted the content to be easy to digest and follow. There's a lot of health and wellness sites out there but none of them are speaking to the audience that I have. I want the main message with the brand and content to be, take care of yourself, eat well, exercise, and enjoy your life while doing it. Be happy and have a balance in your life.
This new platform sounds super interesting. What does healthy living and wellness mean to you personally? How do these concepts translate into your designs?
It means taking care of yourself, and investing in yourself and your well being. Healthy living means doing what you need to do to feel good. Eat fresh food, be active, be in tune with your body and make sure to do the fundamental things to keep yourself feeling good and happy. I have a strong wellness message in a lot of my designs. I like to promote these ideas and use the clothing as a vehicle to do so. The whole point of graphics on clothing is to spread a message, so it may as well be a positive one.
Any tips or healthy habits you would like to share with our audience for maintaining balanced physical and mental well being?
I would say do intermittent fasting, limit your sugar, dairy and refined carb intake. Eat a mix of fruits and vegetables, lots of water and healthy fats like salmon, sardines, walnuts, olive oil, avocados and eggs. Also, being active doesn't mean hitting the gym everyday. A 30-45 min walk/day is really all you need to stay in shape.
What's next? What does the next chapter for Sporty & Rich look like?
I'm focusing on the active/wellness/health space. No one is doing it in a cool way. It's all targeted toward moms and yogis. Which is fine, but that's not my audience. We have a lot of collaborations coming up this year as well which I'm very excited about.