Realisation literally means the act of becoming fully aware of something as a fact. For Ella Eyre, the 26-year-old British pop sensation with a BRIT Award and a double platinum number-one single under her belt, who earlier this year returned with her new single, New Me, the greatest moments of realisation have always been when she is performing live. “There is nothing like hearing an audience singing your words back to you,” she says. “To witness and know you have inspired any form of emotion in other people with your music is the greatest reward.”

In order to stay creative in her everyday life, five years since the release of her critically acclaimed debut album Feline, which took her around the world on a mission to find herself both as a solo artist and as a person, she has now found a routine: she enjoys waking up early and being physically active in the mornings. “Exercise is a really effective way for me to channel any pressure or frustration and leave with a sense of accomplishment,” she continues. “So I have learnt over the years that the more time I give to myself before anything or anyone else, the more present and engaged I am with what I need to do. If I leave the house in a fluster about something I have not resolved, I will often carry that feeling with me all day.”

In terms of inspiration, she believes that most of her writing deals with significant moments in her life. She points out that she thinks the music tends to have a mood directly linked to what she was feeling at the time. For instance, her first album was written during and after quite a bitter break up. “I think you can tell how much younger and angrier I was back then,” she says. “As a fan and a listener myself, I look for music that comes from a personal place, so it is important for me to do the same as an artist.”

However, as a child she never thought being an artist was possible. She did not know anyone in, or anything about the music industry. It was not until she was 16 and studying musical theatre that she came to the realisation, for the first time, that she did not want to be on stage as a character, performing songs she could not relate to. “I wanted to be myself, write my own stories and perform them in my own style. I think it is normal for anyone to have doubts and insecurities about the longevity of their career but I know I could not or would not do anything else.”

In the wake of her father’s sudden passing in 2017, she experimented with sounds in the US, found healing and limitless inspiration in her father’s homeland, Jamaica, and returned to London full of confidence and a hard drive bursting with hits. “So many!” she bursts out when asked if there have been any specifically memorable moments of realisation in terms of song ideas that she could feel was actually taking shape. “But one of my favourites was a song I wrote in Jamaica, called ‘Rain in Heaven’. I was hosting a writing camp out there and we kept referring to where we were as heaven and on one of the days it rained constantly. I posted a video on my Instagram saying ‘It even rains in heaven’ and from that came the song. It is about thinking you were in the perfect relationship and realising that even something so perfect can go so wrong. It’s not released yet but it’s quite possibly my favourite song I have ever written.”

She elaborates that the specific moments of realisation in terms of her songwriting tend to be different for every song. “Sometimes you have a good feeling from the start, and that level of confidence allows the song to write itself. Or when you are laying down the vocals and you start to hear it coming together properly. Sometimes the moment of realisation is not until weeks later when you listen again with fresh ears. Sometimes I have a tendency to self-sabotage the creative process, so often I have not realised the potential of a song until I have taken myself away from it.”

One of the greatest lessons she has learnt as a songwriter is that her mindset can be the maker or breaker of her own ideas. “Songwriting can be like therapy and I know I use it all the time to release tension,” she reflects. “But sometimes I would put too much pressure on myself to squeeze creativity out of what I was feeling which just encouraged more frustration. So now I just write things down whenever they come to me, with no structure or rhythm and come back to them when I have a clearer, more open mind.”

The only thing that has occupied Ella’s mind recently is the coronavirus. “Social media in isolation is a whole new level of intense and with Covid-19 globally confining us within the walls of our own homes, it is so hard to think of anything else when there is very little to distract us from it,” she says. “I have very quickly learnt to avoid it for most of the day because I want to be productive, but it is extremely hard to enforce that, being locked away in the most comfortable space I know.”

As Ella has grown and matured as an artist, so too have her ambitions. Hits are great but she is now more interested in a long, stable career than she is about hitting the number one spot. Already an industry veteran and a much-loved star, her future in the pop pantheon seems secure. So is there finally anything creative left that she still wants to realise? The answer is yes. She says there will always be more to creatively realise and she thinks that is a good thing. Otherwise she would have no idea what her next album will be about!

Team Credits:
Words by Jonatan Södergren
Photography by Nick Thompson
Styling by Fernando Torres
Production by Alexandra Georgette Oley
Makeup by Kristina Theodoris using Trish McEvoy
Hair by Alisha Dobson
Talent: Ella Eyre
Hair Assistant: Poppy Hughes
Stylist Assistants: Lena Mistry & Ondrea Walker

Fashion Credits:
1# Earrings Stylist’s own, Blazer and Shirt by Acne Studios
2# Dress by Edit, Sunglasses by J.Lindeberg, Earrings and Necklace by Rouleau London
3# Top by Ida Klamborn, Suit and Gloves by Mulberry, Shoes by Nike and Earrings by Topshop
4# Set by Rouleau London, Gloves by Humana Sweden and Earrings Stylist’s own
5# Top and Trousers by Stine Goya, Denim Bra and Waist Belt by Weekday, Sneakers by Nike and Earrings Stylist’s Own
6# Dress by Acne Studios, Maxi Dress and Boots by I Love Seasons and Earrings Stylist’s Own

Ella Eyre: @ellaeyre, ellaeyre.com, Spotify

Credits:

Photography by Fredrik Etoall @ Adamsky

Styling by Christopher Insulander @ Linkdetails

Hair: Sainabou Chune & Jonna Rask @ Mikas Looks

Make-Up: Josefin Scherdin @ Mikas Looks

Talent: CAROLINE HJELT & AINO NENEH JAWO

(ICONA POP), TOVE LO,
ELIN BLOM/FELIN & MIRIAM BRYANT.

Fashion credits:

1: Swimsuit by Ganni, hat by Malinda Damgaard, fishnets by Capezio, boots by Acne Studios

2: Black coat by Hugo Boss, Leopard-print coat by Ganni, gloves by J Lindeberg

3: Jacket by L.A. Roxx, swimsuit by Weekday

4: Bag by Back, tights and knickers by Woolford, shoes by Christian Louboutin

5: Dungarees by Diesel, top by Acne Studios

6: Skirt by Dagmar, boots by Dr. Martens

7: Jacket by Louis Vuitton, swimsuit by Acne Studios, top by Nelly, gloves by J Lindeberg

8: Top by Giorgi Rostiashvili, Underwear by Spanx, Tights by Capezio and Shoes & Bag by Christian Louboutin

9: Jacket by BLK DNM, Bikini by Filippa K and Shoes by River Island.

10: Hat by Stutterheim and Top by Calvin Klein

11: Top by Woolford, skirt by Stylein and Boots by Balenciaga.

12: Top by Ida Klamborn, skirt and belt stylist’s own, hairpin by Maria Nilsdotter, Underwear by Spanx, fishnets by Capezio

13: Ankle boots and silver heels by Christian Louboutin, black heels by Tiger Of Sweden, tights stylist’s own

More and more fashion labels are integrating digital components in their garments. During Stockholm Fashion Week this year there was everything from virtual-reality experiences to panel discussions on technology in fashion. The designer Ida Klamborn broadcast her show in real time through an application and a Google cardboard set, making fans feel like they were on the front row. DRKN, the streetwear brand inspired by gaming, closed the week with a laser installation at their show.

The fashion crowd is trained to look into the future, and currently the whole industry seems to be embracing technology and the innovation it can provide. But will consumers choose efficiency over stylishness? As technology progresses and is able to create more discreet, flexible and washable materials, fashion can develop, and vice versa. Everything, from hats to underwear, contains some form of tech today.

Since its launch in 2008, Zound Industries, the company with the colourful headphones, has sold more than 10 million products all over the world. One of their four brands, Urbanears, has now set its sights on targeting a new audience – active people.

Urbanears ACTIVE

#1 Hellas Rush #2 Hellas Trail #3 Hellas Team

“One of the first things we thought about was that the headphones should be washable,” Axhede says. “We also scaled down the weight and tried to remove as much unnecessary material as we could, focusing on pure function and materials that work well when training, such as mesh. And the headphones also have a lot of reflective elements, helping make you more visible when you’re running at night.”

Thanks to the development of hi-tech fabrics over recent years, the scope of possible new designs is much wider. “There are a lot of varieties of mesh, so it took time to find the right kind – one that didn’t feel too ‘plasticky’,” he says. “you don’t want the headphones to feel like a wet T-shirt. you want them to feel airy.”

Axhede says that inspiration for the Active collection partly came from other types of materials used in the active-wear industry – “There are exciting things happening in that industry. Johanna Schneider’s collection with Nike last year is one of the better ones I’ve seen. Adidas always make great stuff, too – we got a lot of inspiration from their Stellasport collection. To take something that is a sports or fashion item and take it in any direction and see how far you can draw it before someone reacts, that is interesting, though some things are better if they have a function. Why put a square hood on a gym top if it doesn’t have a function? But I think there is an insane amount of inspiration to be found in the sports world.”

With all the holes in the Hellas headband and ear cushions, the headphones may look unfinished to some, but these holes are key to making the headphones as light as possible. Indeed, when it comes to aesthetics versus function, there is always a balance that needs to be struck, but it’s clear that there is something more important for Axhede and Urbanears: “We have worked hard to remove, delete and then remove more. We’re from Scandinavia, so we’re good at that.”

Words: Fredrik Wallin

Artwork: Joe Cruz

Photography: Johan Borgqvist

Special Thanks: Urbanears