1 (of 2)
"As meteoric rises go, Occupy's (WIWP) ascent of the design community has been truly stellar".
Dom Hall
_Computer Arts
'Occupy' was founded in 2003 under the name WIWP, and has since cultivated its own place within the art/design scene, earning great acclaim from artists, collectors and the creative press. With 150+ commissions, 6 international exhibitions and 1 book under it's belt, it's focus and international appeal has never been stronger.
What started off as a humble badge design site has now evolved into a global platform, actively pushing artist collaboration through various publications and exhibitions, becoming a great source for original art, high quality limited edition prints and other related wares.
Working outside the traditional gallery format means that Occupy remains flexible as a concept, not confined to a dedicated gallery space or a favored roster of artists. This inherent freedom allows us to approach each brief individually and create continually fresh, challenging and ambitious projects for a global audience.
It's various endeavors have attracted the attention of the Design Council and it's various projects have been featured in numerous printed publications such as The Guardian, Elle, Tatler, Creative Review, Design Week, Computer Arts, IdN and Metro, as-well as online presences such as MTV Switched-on, Yahoo Picks, WGSN, Design Taxi and Candy Collective.
It’s collaborators range from Photographers (Rankin, Thymann, Morten Laursen, Mi-Zo etc) to Artists (Mr Ian Wright, Anthony Burrill, David Foldvari, Insect etc), right through to accomplished Designers and Motion experts (Build, Trevor Jackson, Hillman Curtis, Rinzen etc).
Individually, this group of internationally acclaimed practitioners have worked with a wealth of prestigious clients including BBC, Adidas, Orange, Motorola, Nike, MTV, Cartoon Network, and Puma among many others.
Our ongoing focus is to continually commission and collaborate with some of the the worlds leading creatives; Hand picking both recognised and emerging talent to create exhibitions and products that transcend a definitive style or genre.
"Without a doubt Darren Firth has to be one of the busiest creatives on the this planet. 9-5 he's a Snr Designer, but by night, and just about any other moment he spends awake, he's up to all sorts of amazing projects under a myriad of other guises and pseudonyms. KeepsMeSane (freelance work), Wearitwithpride (his creative collaboration site), and BrandDead (his tee company) and Sambuki Social all suck his time, yet still he finds more time to collaborate and connect with many of the world's leading creatives through hugely innovative self-sparked projects".
Richard Seabrooke
_Extract from Candy Magazine (Issue 5)
"Darren Firth is the button badge master himself, as we secretly call him when nobody watches; simply because he and his badge project, Wearitwithpride were one of the first to generate a global new wave of popularity of the humble button badge in this very new century".
Agathe / Tomi
_Extract from Stereohype Website
IdN Magazine
_International Design Publication
COSH
_London Gallery & Representation
Agnes b
_International Fashion Brand / Gallery
Fact Magazine
_Music & Vinyl Culture Magazine
Jaguar Shoes
_London Gallery / Bar / Shop
Tiger
_Asian Beer
Shark
_Energy Drink
2 (of 2)
"Two Faced provides a brilliant insight of modern portraiture by today's most current image makers".
<NA>
_Design Taxi (Commenting on Two Faced)
Occupy (was WIWP) has attracted the attention of the Design Council and its various projects have been featured in numerous printed publications such as The Guardian, Elle, Tatler, Creative Review, Design Week, Computer Arts, IdN and Metro as-well as online presences such as MTV Switched-on, Yahoo Picks, WGSN, Design Taxi and Candy Collective.
"If you haven't yet had a chance to peruse the wares of WIWP, this is the perfect time to acquaint yourself. They've made a name for themselves by taking the works of emerging artists and applying them to the badge format, resulting in some of the coolest wearables around".
Adam Barraclough
_Crowndozen
"As always, we're thankful for Wear It With Pride for their continued support of pervasive artwork, their tireless efforts to promote quality art and design, and their unique DIY approach to business. Their success is an inspiration, and they've never let it go to their heads. I raise my glass to them. (Actually, it's a slightly warm 40 oz, but it's the thought that counts.)"
Adam Barraclough
_Crowndozen
"As meteoric rises go, Wear It With Pride's (WIWP) ascent of the design community has been truly stellar. Since its launch in September 2003, the BBC, adidas, Orange, Motorola, Nike, MTV, Puma and, of course, Computer Arts, have all benefited from the talents of WIWP's members. And with the likes of Scarygirl, Jeremyville and Uglydolls, and set-ups such as Insect, Build, Ded Ass Associates among its contributors, WIWP certainly has creative firepower".
Dom Hall
_Computer Arts
"Long gone are the old days of oil painted portraits on canvas and easel, this art form has envolved into a celebration of modern day portraiture in the 21st century. Two Faced provided a brilliant insight of modern portraiture by today's most current image makers".
<NA>
_Design Taxi
"The overwhelmingly ambitious and ever more engrossing WIWP masterclass in organisation "Two Faced" hit Computer Arts this month with a bang. A much deserved praise is showered upon WIWP and core organiser Darren Firth with exclusive previews of some of the portraits that have resulted from the project".
<NA>
_The Little Chimp Society
"For Darren to have pulled off this project is a massive achievement in itself, but to have done it with such style and finesse only goes to show just how good people should be - an inspiration".
Hellovon
_Interview with Tastemakers Society
Design
Creative Review / Design Week / Candy Collective / The Royal / Computer Arts / Adv Photoshop / Design Taxi / Stirato / ID Pure / Wallpaper* / AOI / CIA / Etapes / Its Nice That / CreatMake / Swiss Legacy
Fashion
Tatler / Elle / Marie Claire / WGSN / HK Maxim / GQ
Lifestyle
MTV / Yahoo Picks / The Guardian / Milk / Metro / RTHK (TV Station) / U Magazine / Apple Daily / Talkies / Headline Daily / Jessica Code / Juice / Todays Living / Pink Work / Oriental Daily / Bazaar / Film London / Little White Lies / SlamXHype
An Independent Arts Project
© 03-12 Darren Firth
General Enquiries, Press, Collaborations and Sponsorship.
Darren Firth
_darren@weoccupy.co.uk
Darren Firth
_www.keepsmesane.co.uk
Eric Cheung
_www.sequence01.com
Dan Bull
_www.atelier6.co.uk
Tim Nolan
_www.spent2000.com
Tim McKnight
_www.praxis9.com
Iain Follett
_www.adapt-or-die.com
Nick Cannons
_www.nickcannons.co.uk
Hellovon
_www.hellovon.com
Joakim Jansson
_www.1-up.com
Blam
_www.blanka.co.uk
Chris @ IdN
_www.idnproshop.com
Darren Firth, the original founder of Occupy (was WIWP) has managed the brand and all its associated activities since its launch in 2003; from collaborative projects and promotions to full scale exhibitions and printed publications.
True to the projects collaborative nature, Occupy continues to achieve its goals with the valuable help of the following people.