Gemma Shiel founded Lazy Oaf back in 2001, a brand known for celebrating self-expression, humour, and storytelling. Having just dropped the Guinness collaboration everyone will be wearing into 2026, the designer shares her story so far.
I’m Gemma Shiel, founder of Lazy Oaf. I started the brand back in 2001, hand-printing T-shirts in a garage, and somehow—24 years later—we’ve become a globally recognised label. I’d say we’re best known for bold graphics, playful irreverence, and being unapologetic about individuality. I started out as a creative and this continues to be our heartbeat, as a brand we are rooted in creative design and Sub/DIY culture, Lazy Oaf has always been a platform for self-expression, humour, and storytelling.
When I was little I changed my mind all the time about what I wanted to be, from truck driver, farmer, fashion designer, ventriloquist, rapper. I didn’t have any clue I would be where I am now. I knew that I had a lot of creativity, a lot of ideas and was a bit bossy.
At Lazy Oaf, creativity is at the heart of everything we do. We lead with humour, irreverence, and playfulness, championing our community of creatives while trying our best to grow responsibly. Our mission is to create with purpose, stay true to our values,sustain our people, our purpose, and our playful spirit.
Lazy Oaf exists to make people smile, celebrate individuality, and playfully challenge fashion.
As the brand has grown so has our product range, we design and create products from dresses to socks, knitwear to dog collars. All with our playful prints, creative details and unique spin on fashion.
The collaboration
We were approached by Guinness nearly two years ago to design and create a range of clothing for their new London venue, the Guinness Open Gate Brewery.
They were so generous with their archives and gave us so much scope to play and explore their iconography. It was such a great creative challenge and I loved how much freedom they gave us. When I approach design projects I really like to push the boundaries of what we create, which does make life more difficult but that is also part of the fun. I wanted the collection to stretch what we already are familiar with from Guinness, injecting our Oaf sense of humour, playfulness and unexpected details.
I really wanted an element of utility to this range and took inspiration from vintage Draymen and what they wore;, overalls, aprons and jackets, I used denims and twill, and developed a pint shaped pocket that can be seen across the range on aprons, jackets and dresses. My favourite piece has got to be the Red Guinness Genius Button Through Vest, this has my illustrations as beautiful chain stitch embroidery and playful Pint glass button holes.
The logistics
Starting out, of course money was a concern. I started my business with a handful of t-shirts and screen printed them in a garage. It was the early 2000s, so pre-web stores and socials, I did a market stall in East London while working several retail and bar jobs. Everything I sold went back into making more stock. Eat, sleep and repeat. Slowly my business grew and so did my skill sets. Along the way I have had to do every job in my business. Now I have an incredible team and we have worked through some incredibly tough times and they continue to always be just around the corner. I am really lucky to have a very talented team and Oaf wouldn’t be around without them.
The best business advice I’ve gotten is really basic and not unique, but sometimes you need someone to remind you to trust your gut, to give you that extra confidence boost to follow through with that idea, that decision, that next move.
I wish the most useful learning I’ve had since setting up the business was something really sexy and poignant, but for me resilience is everything. Pick yourself up and keep going. Business is hard, you make mistakes, shit happens but these are your biggest learnings and what you grow from.
The brands and designers to know
I love a good hefty coffee table book and am after the Sophia Coppola Book. My best fashion purchase has to be this YMC red chunky floral Knitted cardigan that I keep in the freezer so it doesn’t get munched. I bring it out every year, super warm and gives those can’t be arsed days a pop of colour.
I really like Meller, a Spanish sunglasses brand, their creativity is always funny and inspiring and their product is great. We worked with them earlier this year which was fun. On Instagram, @icantaffordthisbutmaybeshecan is a great account for a curation of creative, colourful products that you lust over.
I am loving the twin duo Cúpla Designs, which I found through CMAT. I love their sense of humour and Daniel O’Donnel tributes. I regularly work with Irish creatives at Oaf, such as Laura Callaghan and Gavin Conell.
The legacy
I am very proud of this Guinness collaboration, for me it has been one of the biggest projects we have done and love that it has also touched on my Irish heritage, my love of creating and story telling and it has made my Dad very proud too.
I want my brand to be remembered for creating our own version of fashion. Creating clothes and spaces that allow people to truly express their most creative selves.
If I could have anyone wear my designs it would be Miss Piggy. That’s the dream.
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