The Drop | Interview with Blondey

What can you tell us about this brand-new show?

Well, that’s just it — it’s brand new. I don’t think we know what to expect. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?

What inspired you to create your fashion brand?

 I unintentionally launched my company when I was about 14. I was inspired by the kind of art that suits tee shirts, so I made that kind of art, then, naturally, I made the tee shirts, then, when I was about 16 – by which time those tee shirts were stocked in a few skateshops – the penny finally dropped: my GCSE art portfolio was actually a brand (and vice versa).

What made you want to be a judge for The Drop?

I and I alone own and direct my company; the opportunity to work with a team of God knows how many people on something that I have no real creative say in, i.e. someone else’s baby, sounded like something of a holiday to me!

How would you describe your judging style?

You know when I’m impressed and when I’m not. It’s nice to be nice, but we were supposed to be preparing the contestants for the real world, weren’t we?

What is the best advice you’ve received in your career that you’d pass onto the creatives?

If you don’t care about what you’re putting out, how can you expect anyone else to? And you know better than anyone whether or not you do care.

What would you say makes The Drop different from other business competitions?

To me, The Drop feels new in a way that only something that actually is new can feel — none of us really knew each other, I think Clara was the only person on set who had actually been on telly before, and there was no trialled and tested formula to stick to. We genuinely had fun. Well, I certainly did.