The creative universe is created by designer Lasse Kornum. As the creative catalyst he finds inspiration in Danish culture and lets his fantasy run free through pencil and paper.
When did decide you wanted to be a designer?
From the first time I held a pencil, I knew that this was really fun. Only my imagination set the boundaries for what I could draw. I loved making up stories, creating universes and make people smile through my illustrations. In many ways, nothing much has changed there. The child-like joy and curiosity are still what drives me today.
What inspires your designs?
Whatever washes ashore or drops from the nearest trees when I go for a walk. I love outdoor drawing, where inspiration is as easy as lifting my eyes from the paper. Many of my designs play with the contrast between the urban life and my love for nature. You'll find more (Danish) thoughts about inspiration this video from a collaboration we did with Honda.
How can you keep making up new designs?
I can't control it! It just keeps going. Sometimes I definitely wished I could turn my mind-engine off, but it's mostly a lot of fun inside my head... It's like there's a party in there - a party I try to invite other people to, through my designs.
What is your greatest challenge as a designer?
I am color blind! Which is super unpractical. For example, when I paint with watercolor, I have to ask my girlfriend to mark the colors with labels - just as my mom would do for me in school. Luckily my partners in LAKOR catches most of my colorful mistakes. But we did have an interesting collection of samples that arrived, completely in purple.
Your illustrations are often humorous. Why is that?
Many clothing brands try very hard to communicate coolness, leading people to strive for being someone they will never become. I don't have that coolness and I don't want people to chase so hard for something they're not. If I can make people smile, spark their creativity, or even make them go for a walk in the woods, I have achieved everything I could want as a designer.
Which designs are you most proud of?
I think it has to be one of my first watercolor designs, as my color-blindness makes them extremely difficult to do. The puffin from the summer collection 2020 is especially important to me. I drew and painted in magical surroundings in the Azores. I had to learn new design techniques and finally started to feel comfortable using watercolors. All while listening to the most amazing audio book. Everything just came together in that design. I'm not sure I would call it my best design, but creating it was a magical experience.
Who inspires you?
Banksy. His humor, his creativity, and his simple graphical approach to communicating a message is second to none.
