In March 2020, Lauren Trachy created “The Custom Ones”, designing and creating custom sneakers. Sophie Wilkinson met with Lauren to find out more about her business.
If you’re looking for a cool pair of unique sneakers, then Lauren Trachy is your go-to girl. Whether you’re interested in block colours, butterflies and flowers or a particular marvel character, Lauren can create you your very own customised sneakers.
Lauren is 20 years old, fairly quiet, but incredibly passionate. She plays in the women’s football league and the women’s rugby team in her spare time, she's currently studying for a sports degree and has recently launched not just one, but two businesses. Lauren describes herself as very entrepreneurial. Like many other creatives, her business The Custom Ones came to her over Lockdown.
“I just wanted to do something useful with my time. I completed the Level 3 Art and Design course at Highlands which gave me the idea to create a business I would enjoy running. I love shoes and I love art, so I thought why not combine them? It’s a fairly new concept in the UK, but people want something different, they want something unique to them.”
The whole process takes approximately 6 hours, depending on the intricacy of the design. The trainers are prepped, hand-designed with leather paint and finished. Lauren points down to her own sneakers, which of course are also customised. “Scratch them, it won’t come off” she dares me. I trust she knows what she’s doing though.
Having recently completed an online digital marketing diploma, Lauren was able to gain insight into using ads on both Facebook and Instagram. From here she was able to target people in Jersey and the UK who were interested in fashion and shoes. She has now customised over 30 pairs of shoes, which is impressive given the idea only came to her 6 months ago.
“The first pair I designed was for my brother. He needed new trainers so I thought it would be nice to buy and design him a pair. He absolutely loves them and wears them all the time.”
Through Instagram, Lauren was contacted by London-based model Jack Harvie who has modelled for the likes of Vogue, Marni and St James. “He approached me after seeing the ads and loving what we do. After talking for a while, he decided he wanted a custom pair of Air Force 1's that showed the brands he had worked for as well as a cartoon version of himself. We worked on the design together and then I created them for him.”
It’s not just for adults though, Lauren recently created a pair for a young boy’s birthday. “They were spiderman themed with his name – they were so cute!”
The process is simple – message Lauren with the shoe you want, either share your ideas with her or let her help you come up with the design and leave it to her – she’ll source the shoe you’re after and turn them into a unique piece of art.
Lauren’s second business is a sports photography and media agency, Sportsplex Media. “I’m currently studying sports media, so I wanted to set something up to utilise my skills. It’s mostly sports photography and social media. The photography ranges from sports players wanting individual profiling and clubs wanting team pictures to footage of games. I recently had a short-term injury to my calf which meant that I was unable to train rugby or football for a couple of weeks however it allowed me to take some photos of the Jersey Reds Women during one of their tough pre-season training sessions.”
If you’re interested in speaking to Lauren about a custom pair of sneakers or if you need any sports photography, you can contact her through Instagram @thecustomones or @sportsplexmedia
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