A Natter With Doyenne
How did Doyenne first come about?
We founded Doyenne in 2017, because starting to skate we wanted to support skateboarding brands that would support us back, and at the time there were really not many, especially in the UK. So we were like, why don’t we do our own brand? So we started with some t-shirts, handmade boards, and events, including our beginner’s skate sessions in Glasgow. The sessions were made to be inclusive, accessible free spaces for all people to learn to skate or try it out with other people like them, without judgment or pressure. We received so much support and enthusiasm since we started and we decided to keep going with it.
Do you still run your Beginners Skate Sessions in Glasgow?
We have not done many Beginners since Covid started, but I believe that the Covid times were an incredible moment for new skateboarders, we watched so many new crews, collectives, and organizations popping out, in Scotland too, like Skateboobs and Queer Skate Collective. The scene changed so much since we started and we are so happy to see it. So we decided to put the money we collected during this time to support these new collectives through our new fund.
Can you tell us more about your new ‘Across the Board: Open Fund’?
Across The Board is an open fund for collectives, groups, and organizations working towards our same goal, which is making skateboarding always more inclusive and accessible. Since day 1 we have always donated and reinvested the money in the community (like Wild and Kind does!) so after donating to many charities, it made sense to give to the community directly this time.
Did you always have it in mind to release a clothing line?
Yeah, but we are a brand and we believe that a brand, in general, is a lot more than a clothing line. It is a sum of many things, colors, textures, images, styles, words, ideas, and of course, people. The clothing line is just one of the ways a brand expresses itself and that other people can wear around and make their own. We love that about clothing.
What do you see in the future for Doyenne?
We see so many more projects (which we already working on) and collaborations, expand ourselves by learning new things and new ways to communicate our ideas. New collections that are always better materials in respect of the environment (thanks also to you!) and that fit everyone equally.
We want to thank you for all the incredible work you do, we are so happy to collaborate with another women-run, local business that strives for our same ideals and values, it enriches our brand a lot and keeps the chain of supporting small businesses that do good stronger.
Follow Doyenne on Instagram for updates and to keep up with their amazing work.