London-based designer Bianca Saunders has debuted 38 Love Lane, a zine that also moonlights as a love letter to her Jamaican heritage. Created in collaboration with photographer Kwabena Sekyi Appiah-Nti, Saunders pulls largely from her unique family history and her mother’s memories of Jamaica for the venture, which is currently available for pre-order online.
This is not the designer’s first foray into independent publishing in fact this is her third zine. In 2020, Saunders launched a zine in partnership with photographer Joshua Woods, stylist Matt Holmes, and writer Jess Cole. The imagery centered around a trip to New York.
38 Love Lane builds upon the previously mentioned project. But this time around, there is a major emphasis on the designer’s work continuing to go beyond clothing. According to Saunders, “Whether through photography, storytelling, or collaborations. I see this zine as a way for our audience to understand the depth and thoughtfulness behind my vision and creative process; it’s about connecting with real people.”
When tasked with expounding upon what she is seeking to accomplish, she shared that this project feels deeply personal. She added that her mother has a series of photographs that she has used to inspire her eponymous brand over the years since its inception in 2017—some of these images which were shot during her mother’s years in her 20s are in the zine. “I feel like there are a million ways to tell a story and think it’s important to have different perspectives. It’s so key to document and grow that history as we often think our experiences aren’t worth as much as they are until we look back,” she explained.
The zine features writer Jordan Anderson, an interview with Saunders’s mother and imagery by Appiah-Nti. The designer and founder declared that the Appiah-Nti has a unique ability to connect with the people he photographs. This allows him to capture authenticity in a way that aligns with a brand’s storytelling. “He has a strong eye on how to edit, knowing which pictures work best and are most powerful. He is great at building stories and also making people so comfortable that there is no need for a pose in a photograph,” Saunders explained.
“I have always envisioned my brand as a world beyond clothing, and this project expands that vision into print. Self-publishing is a growing part of the brand–this being our third zine, I am excited to begin to do more with image makers and storytellers.”
To mark the launch, the namesake label will host a launch event at Reference Point in London on April 10th, followed by an event at Foam Gallery in Amsterdam the following week. Tickets are available for the launch here.
