The Drop | Interview with Clara Amfo

So what can you tell us about this brand new show?

It’s a streetwear design competition show where 9 brilliant creatives from across the UK go up against each other through various  challenges with the goal of making it to the final. One creative is eliminated per show, a tough but necessary decision made by our glorious head judge Miguel and his co-judges Blondey and Marc Jacques-Burton. The final will see one winner get the coveted prize of having a collection of their work stocked in Flannels, which is really exciting and a fantastic opportunity!

How does it feel to be the host?

It feels great to be the host, I heard rumours that the show was being developed and was generally excited about it as a viewer! So when I was asked to host, I immediately said yes! My day to day look is very casual, I live for trainers, t-shirts and innovative design and worked in streetwear shops before I got into telly, so this is a strong full circle moment!

What was it like to work alongside the judges – Miguel, Marc and Blondey?

I loved working with those three because they are all so wildly different from each other, so when they agreed on the judging it was great but when they disagreed, equally great! It would have been so dull if they were all in unison on everything immediately! Also, they all brought valid and sincere knowledge to our creatives, they were genuinely rooting for them all and I loved seeing that passion and the wide eyed receptiveness from them to their expertise!

Do you have any fashion inspirations?

Loads! Janelle Monae, Solange, 80’s and 90’s fly girls, Grace Jones, London, New York, Ghana, Sweden, Lauryn Hill, Zendaya, Tyler The Creator, it changes everyday!

If you were to have a fashion brand, what would it be called and who would it cater for?

I would call it AM and it would cater to absolutely everyone who would want to wear it. I would focus on great denim, my speciality would be doing in between sizes!

What was it like to see the journey of the creatives throughout the competition?

It was emotional, you would have to be a robot to do this show and not get emotionally invested in the lives of the creatives. They all come from different backgrounds and have varied experience, and that definitely came through with each challenge. The constant feelings I had were that of pride and awe because to see someone take a thought and make a garment from scratch is genuinely incredible and I was wowed by what I saw, I wanted to buy a lot of their stuff!-

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

Stay true to YOU and the people that back you will never leave your side. Challenge yourself but don’t play to the crowd because that’s when you will lose yourself. The minute people sense that you aren’t being authentic, it’s a wrap!

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

I think it is uniquely British and I think it’s very timely, as people are more conscious of who they want to buy from. I love the direct to consumer element of it, everything the creatives did was tested out on the buying public immediately and I think that was really valuable to their business process and something that hasn’t been seen before on a show like this.

What can viewers expect from the series when they tune into BBC Three?

Inspiration…some peak drama, unadulterated joy!