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Wayne's
earliest memories are of his Mum and Nan dressing him up as
Elvis or a Beatle and being paraded up and down Morecambe
Pier. Ah bless!
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Wayne
was born in Morecambe and Gerardine in Padiham, in 1961. Wayne moved
to Blackburn and spent most of his childhood there and in 1981 he
met Gerardine at Angels disco in Burnley. They fell in lurve and
then hot-footed it down to Camden Market in London to sell the contents
of their wardrobes on a small stall.
They
quickly realised they could make some cash from fashion and Gerardine
started selling her own designed and self-made clothes in the big
smoke, and before long, US store Macy's was clamouring for her stuff.
The Red or Dead label was born and the pair gave the fashion business
a kick up the backside, by restyling Doc Martens as cool foot clobber.
Soon, their own footwear designs became the fashion item that everyone
in the 80's either drooled over or proudly strode the streets in.
Red
or Dead became a worldwide success, the Hemingways won awards upon
awards and after 21 consecutive seasons on the catwalk at London
Fashion Week, they called it a day and sold the label for a shed
load of cash.
Despite
living down South for over 20 years, Wayne still misses his hometown
and regularly pops up to get his fix of the Lancashire vibe. To
make him pine even more for the good things in life, we gave him
the chance to get misty eyed about his home county.
How
did you rate Rovers' performance this season?
"fan bloody tastic...v enjoyable season...a little town with
a club with a big heart"
What Lancashire grub do you miss most?
"pies from the bakery @ bottom of mellor brow + Hollands of
course + cheap currys from Whalley Range"
There are rows and rows of terraced houses in Lancashire - would
you demolish them and start again or teach people how to customise
their space?
"some need to be demolished leaving room for some great green
open spaces for kids and adults to sit, play etc + some more modern
housing dotted in within the old terraces can look grt...old + new
can live together...we would love to work on a big scheme in/around
blackburn"
What Lancashire characteristics have influenced what you are
today?
"humour, humility, ability to graft, loyalty"
Blackpool Tower - naff or cool?
"an icon"
These
days Wayne and Gerardine are parents of four and have switched their
design talent, vision and enviable enthusiasm to the homes revolution.
They're both working on a project for a new housing estate and are
determined to change the face of new houses in this country, to
make them affordable, individual and cool. As damn fine Lancastrians,
they will surely succeed.
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