People
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A NEW ERA OF COLLABORATION, INSPIRED BY YOU.
WE CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR BRAND. FROM FACTORY WORKERS, WAREHOUSE STAFF, DESIGNERS AND YOU THE CUSTOMER. WE ALSO WORK WITH YOUNG EMERGING CREATIVES GIVING THEIR WORK A BIGGER PLATFORM.
WE CHAMPION COLLABORATION THROUGH EDUCATION, OPPORTUNITY, AND A TWO WAY DIALOGUE. WE BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A VOICE.
Stewart Armstrong
Our DROP 1 collab artist Stewart Armstrong is a self-employed graphic designer, illustrator and animator, based in Edinburgh. Stewart's process involves a cyclical play of analog and digital. He often starts with a mark, a drawing, a found image or some of his own photography, scanning, arranging and redrawing until something feels right, or it’s time to go home….
10 QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS
Q1: NL: How did you get into the world of illustration?
SA: I’ve always drawn from a really young age, initially copying cartoon characters from comics and TV. I studied art at school and then later, moved to graphic design. For a really long time, drawing was more of a hobby and then, by way of saying yes to a few purely illustration-based client briefs, or briefs that felt like they could be solved with the addition of some illustration, I found my way back to it.
Q2: NL: What are your biggest inspirations?
SA: The world around me, other creatives, artists, makers, books, films, smells, conversations, tv, music, dreams… the usual!
Q3: NL: What is your dream collab?
SA: Working with anyone who just lets me do my thing, but also doesn’t. I like feedback and experimentation and working with other creatives and clients, I really like it when the end result is something of a surprise and greater than the sum of its parts.
Q4: NL: Where do you see the future of illustration
SA: Oh, I’m not sure. I guess it’s in the future!
Q5: NL: What does sustainability mean to you?
SA: Maybe it means stopping and thinking for a minute?
Q6: NL: What does a day in the life of Stewart Armstrong look like?
SA: It’s fairly habitual with just a few self imposed curveballs from time to time. A sometimes circuitous, sometimes direct walk to the studio with my dog and then a day spent making stuff (with a lot of breaks).
Q7: NL: Do you have any pets / favourite animals?
SA: I have a little grey whippet called Bob AKA The Silver Weasel.
Q8: NL: Any hobbies outside of drawing and illustrating?
SA: Walking, sitting, watching television, skateboarding, reading, eating, cooking. Drawing!
Q9: NL: What would you like to see fashion brands doing more of?
SA: Stopping and thinking for a minute?
Q10: NL: Do you have any tips for people looking to get into illustration as a career?
SA: Just keep making, drawing, practicing, making mistakes, experimenting and share as much of it as you can. I also find that sometimes the best ideas of what to make can arrive when you’re not making something, so do loads of other things too.
Nazmul Karim
Our country manager Nazmul has 20 years experience in garment manufacturing. He looks after our teams and factories in Bangladesh and helps us to challenge processes of what has gone before to ensure we can live by our no land values.
6 QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS
Q1: NL: Can you share your career path so far, how it started and where you are now?
Nazmul: I started my career in May 2003 in a jersey factory as a work-study officer after my MBA. I was promoted to Trainee Merchandiser after 3 months. The industry was not organised during that time. I had to work with fabrics, trims, prints, and embroidery as well as production teams. I worked for Springfield, OKAIDI, Walmart, and PVH.
In 2006 I was offered a role at Carrefour, a Hypermarket based in France. I was in charge of their Asia Collection as an additional task. In 2009 I got a chance to work at CELIO, a French retailer. I grew up there actually. The journey with Celio is almost 12 years. I was taking care of the Asia sourcing there too. In 2021, I started working for RAW.
Q2: NL: What is your role within the factory?
Nazmul: I’m the country manager which means i’m in charge of overall decision making, order coordination across retailers, sourcing, and product technical support. I’m also responsible for training, worker benefits and managing the working environment.
Q3: NL: What do you enjoy about your job?
Nazmul: I enjoy working with my team & factories. I also enjoy being able to contribute my knowledge & expertise of the industry in different ways to benefit as many people as possible.
Q4: NL: What are your interests outside of work?
Nazmul: I really enjoy playing badminton. I also love long drives & spending time with family, friends & colleagues.
Q5: NL: What do you think could be improved within the fashion industry?
Nazmul: Fair prices for everyone involved in a garments life - from the makers to the customers.
Q6: NL: Do you think sustainability is important in fashion manufacturing today?
Nazmul: Yes of course! I'm particularly concerned with the environmental impact, which is why I'm so passionate about No Land.
OUR FACTORIES
We work in close partnership with our factory partners in Bangladesh. We visit them frequently building strong relationships, ensuring they all have safe conditions and working practices for our workers. All factories partnered with No Land are supported with an Accord, and are audited by a third party auditor such Sedex or BSCI to evaluate fair wages, working hours and environment, ensuring a happy workforce and garments you can be proud to wear. The factories are Oekoteks certified too, which means there are no harmful chemicals used in the making of our garments.
For more information about our Ethical policies please visit Responsibility