Decorator Profile
posted the Cecil sloth jumper in a Facebook group, and it went viral. That was the first proper breakthrough after a couple of years, and it was the first time this might actually work.
“It getting shared helped enormously. It taught me that you don’t always know which idea will connect with people.” It was a break that was much welcomed and has helped lead Lonely Kids Club to become an enterprise employing four members of staff, as well as supporting independent artists. Warwick said: “Artwork is a big part of what we do. We make designs ourselves and work with independent illustrators, including Bridget Farmer, Kayla Reay and Claire Harrison. They keep the rights to their work and receive commission from sales.
“A lot of it starts with finding drawings I love and reaching out to see if we can work together. That’s how the first collection happened: I found an artist in Melbourne and spent a week staying in his shed while we made the designs. “That personal connection with the artwork is still a big part of it. We work with a mix of our own team and independent artists, with the artists keeping ownership of their work.” During the 15 years in business, Lonely Kids Club has faced its fair share of challenges.
Warwick continued: “We’ve had ideas that completely failed. We made a range called Velcro World, where you could move patches between shirts and hats. We had the Velcro sewn onto everything by hand, and I thought it was a great idea.
“It tanked. We lost money clearing it out, but continuing to push it would have been worse. Learning when to let something go has been important. “Most recently, we’ve also had our artwork and product photos copied onto Temu. That’s difficult when the designs belong to real artists who should be getting paid for their work. “I spent a lot of time reporting listings and using our registered brand name in the complaints helped get them removed.”
Join the club
Despite the challenges, Lonely Kids Club sticks to its ethos of inclusivity, and it is and will always be a large part of what Warwick aims to do.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk Printing shirts at the Lonely Kids Club studio
Inside the Sydney studio
coming into the studio. I don’t want someone to feel they have to explain or justify who they are.
“Mental health has always been personal to me too, which is why it shows up so much in the brand. “We run the Lonely Kids Club Facebook Group called lonely kids club club, where people can share selfies, talk and feel welcome.”
Be kind to your mind shirt (artwork by Rachel Peck)
“I don’t see why a shirt with a pigeon should have a gender,” Warwick said. “That should carry through to how people are treated; whether they’re buying a shirt, working with us as an artist or
It is that message therefore that Warwick’s medium has and will always try to envisage. Giving a safe space and brand for people to express themselves is what keeps pushing Warwick to run Lonely Kids Club the way he does. He concluded: “After 15 years, I still want to be making things we enjoy and doing it in a way I can feel good about it.”
In this world of constant surveillance and endless forums, which push more and more people to feel isolated, it is easier to feel lonelier than ever. But if you do, don’t worry, there is a club just for you.
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