Paul Owen
Liverpool School of Art and Design
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: P.B.Owen@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 1122
Paul Owen is a British Designer and Academic based in Liverpool. Paul has spent over twenty years in the design industry, from Designer, Brand Guardian, Art-Director to Design Consultant working with agencies such as BBH, Interbrand, McCann, Vital, Medina and Conran + Partners. Having specialised in visual communication he has been involved in branding, advertising and editorial for many national and international brands including; Timberland, Gieves & Hawkes, John Smedley, Hackett, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Stella McCartney, Barclays and Barclaycard, helping develop identity systems, advertising campaigns, brand promotion, look books and retail solutions. Today, Paul works as a Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Communication programme at Liverpool John Moores University, where he is the Founder and Creative Director of www.wearefashion.co.uk and the award winning UN_FOLD Magazine. His work can be found at www.owenstudio.co.uk
Paul is also a practice-based researcher, and is currently exploring a number of research projects. Most recently, working in collaboration with Westminster Menswear Archive on the Locating Menswear project, to find out more please see https://www.mensweararchive.com/locatingmenswear
Other ongoing collaborations include working with Transalpino on a series of project surrounding the project 'The Fashion of Counter Culture, obsession, style and place'. These explore the impact of branded labels in respect of Terrace Casual fashion. The project has a focus on working class men, their interest in vintage sportswear labels, and document how their obsessions, style and dress codes evolved and how this informed a sub-culture. It also seeks to reveal, restore and clarify current knowledge of Terrace Casual fashion starting with the birth place of this phenomena: Liverpool.
Further projects include;
Walker Art Gallery x UN_FOLD Magazine:
UN_FOLD presented a special edition 'Art of the Terraces - Youth, Style and Identity' in exhibition format to be included in the pioneering exhibition that considered the culture of football ‘casuals’ through the medium of art. UN_FOLD Magazine is an annual publication and gives a voice to the next generation of young designers and creatives. As a research project it aims to explore teaching and learning strategies, student perception and engagement, and questions the quality, depth and integrity of outcomes in learning terms when working on a ‘live’ projects as opposed to an ‘academic’ briefs.
https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/AOTT#section--the-exhibition
'Milestone' is an ongoing project that explores the role of visual language within Art and Science, in particular how imagery can be used in communicating the physical and psychological aspects of cancer and it’s treatments. This work is primarily focused on narratives expressed through experimental image making, typography and the printed form, aspiring to change the ‘uglyness’ of the subject matter.
- Sole-Zine; documenting British Trainer [Sneaker] Culture in the form of a pull-out poster-zine, Liverpool 2020 - present.
- Moving the goalposts; print for I Don’t Love Soccer Because Soccer Has Never Loved Me exhibition, Liverpool, 2018,
- Disruptors of the Fashion World, Manchester, 2018,
- Space Dust; exhibition at Northern Eye Festival, 2017,
- Damaged Blood Cells, print for Project 26.2 at Millennium Point Birmingham, 2017,
- ‘A digital glitch of identity’ print for Ice Cream for Crow, MAKE North Docks, Liverpool, 2017,
Languages
Welsh
English
Degrees
2013, Coventry University, United Kingdom, MA Graphic Design (Distinction)
1996, University of Salford, United Kingdom, BA (Hons) Design Studies
Academic appointments
Senior Lecturer Fashion Communication, Fashion, Liverpool John Moores University, 2014 - present
Associate Director Design, Live Events, Teaching & Learning., Design, Birmingham Metropolitan College, 2013 - 2014
Programme Leader Interactive & Design Practice, Design, Birmingham Metropolitan College, 2008 - 2013
Postgraduate training
MA Graphic Design, United Kingdom, Coventry University, 2011 - 2013
PGCE, United Kingdom, De Montfort University, 2005 - 2007
Journal article
Owen P, Owen KJ. 2024. Sole_Zine 09 The Block P Issue - The Liverpool Style Protagonists Representing the Culture of ‘110’s’ Sole_Zine 09 The Block P Issue - The Liverpool Style Protagonists Representing the Culture of ‘110’s’., 09 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Ragonese E, Marriott-Smith G, Owen PB, Burke L. 2023. ‘Beyond the Gate’: A resource for release planning Probation Quarterly, :45-49 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Owen K, Owen PB. 2023. Sole_Zine 08 Mad on Adidas Owen K. Sole_Zine 08 Mad on Adidas, 08 Author Url Public Url
Owen P. 2022. UN_FOLD Magazine Issue 08 Art of the Terraces Nov 2022 Owen PAUL. UN_FOLD Magazine, 08 :01-76 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen KJ, Owen PB. 2022. SOLE_ZINE 07 COMMUNITY Owen KAYLA, Owen PAUL. SOLE_ZINE 07 COMMUNITY, 07 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen K, Owen PB. 2022. SOLE_ZINE 06 TRIMM TRAB Owen KAYLA, Owen PAUL. SOLE_ZINE 06 TRIMM TRAB, 06 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen KJ, Owen PB. 2022. SOLE_ZINE 05 STEEL CITY Owen K, Owen P. SOLE_ZINE 05 STEEL CITY, 05 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen KJ, Owen PB. 2021. Sole_Zine 04 CUSTOM Owen K, Owen P. Sole_Zine 04 CUSTOM, 04 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. 2021. UN_FOLD Magazine Issue 07 Culture in Quarantine June 2021. Articles: Archive: Print is dead - Long live print. UN_Edited: Voices from industry. UN_FOLD Magazine, 07 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB, Owen KJ. 2020. Sole_Zine 03 CONVERSION Sole_Zine, 3 Public Url
Owen PB, Owen KJ. 2020. Sole_Zine 02 RESTORE Sole_Zine, 2 Author Url Public Url
Owen PB, Owen KJ. 2020. Sole_Zine Sole_Zine, Author Url Public Url
Owen PB. 2019. UN_FOLD Magazine v_05 Owen P. UN_FOLD magazine, 2000 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. 2018. HISKIND for UN_FOLD magazine v_04 Owen PB. UN_FOLD magazine, 2000 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. 2017. UN_FOLD magazine v_03 Owen PB. UN_FOLD magazine, Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. 2016. Youth Culture [Britishness] UN_FOLD magazine v_02, v_02 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. 2015. Print is Dead; Long live print. UN_FOLD magazine, 1 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Conference publication
Owen K, Owen P. 2024. Locating Menswear Forum: Liverpool www.mensweararchive.com/locatingmenswear, Locating Menswear Forum (Part Two: Liverpool) Author Url Publisher Url
Owen K, Owen PB. 2023. Sole-Zine Obsession, Style and Place Owen K, Owen P. FTC FUTURESCAN5: Conscious Communities Exhibit Report, FTC FUTURESCAN5: Conscious Communities Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB, Owen KJ. 2020. Fashion at the periphery Chicago Fashion Lyceum, Chicago Fashion Lyceum Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. 2020. Globalising Men's Style My Mersey Paradise, The Fashion of Counter Culture- Obsession, Style, Place Globalising Men's Style Author Url Public Url
Owen P. 2019. Community ID: The fashion of Counter Culture - obsession, style and place - (IFFTI) 2019 IFFTI 2019 conference Author Url Publisher Url
Owen KJ, Owen P. 2018. Disruptors of the Fashion World. Textile and Place Conference Author Url
Owen P. The fashion of Counter Culture - obsession, style and place - Fashion, Costume and Visual Cultures (FCVC) 2019 Fashion, Costume and Visual Cultures 2019 Author Url Publisher Url
Owen PB. milestone [it’s still personal] LJMU Exhibition Publisher Url Public Url
Report
Ragonese EL, Burke L, Owen PB, Marriott-Smith G. 2023. Evaluation of the Beyond the Gate Magazine pilot at HMP Liverpool Evaluation of the Beyond the Gate Magazine pilot at HMP Liverpool Public Url
Other
Owen KJ, Owen PB. 2022. Big Ideas at LJMU Research event Owen KAYLA, Owen PAUL. Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Chapters
Owen PB, Francis J, Shannon L, Keaney M. 2020. In Liverpool 359 iD Magazine Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Books (authored)
Owen PB. 2018. The Fashion of Counter Culture Obsession Style Place Gallery Guide 1000 Liverpool John Moores University 978-0-9576173-4-6 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. Milestone Author Url
Artefact
Owen P. ADLINE
Performance
Owen PB. Star Dust - The Northern Eye International Photography Festival Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen P. Milestone - Talking about self initiated projects Author Url Publisher Url
Owen PB. Bright Lights [for milestone] Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. A Grand Exposition Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. 26-2-Art-Project - Blood Vessel Damage - Mile 18 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Exhibition
Owen KJ, Owen PB. A Fractured Identity Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen P. 'Moving the goalposts' - I Don't Love Soccer Because Soccer Has Never Loved Me 2018 Author Url Publisher Url
Owen PB. The Fashion of Counter Culture, Obsession, Style and Place Author Url Publisher Url
Owen PB. Fashion of Counter Culture - Obsession, Style and Place at LACESOUT! 2018 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. LJMU X SUES Exhibition Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. Milestone [titanium] Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. play | travelling without moving Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen KJ, Owen PB. Sole-Zine 07 The Community Issue Exhibition Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen K, Owen PB. Sole-Zine 07 The Ultra Community exhibition Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen K, Owen PB. Art of the Terraces exhibition Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen P. UN_FOLD Magazine ART OF THE TERRACES Youth, Style and Identity Atrium Gallery exhibition Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen P. UN_FOLD Magazine in collaboration with ‘Art of the Terraces’ major exhibition at The Walker Art Gallery Liverpool, National Museums Liverpool. Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB, Owen KJ. C.P. Company Exhibition: The Goggle Jacket: How Design Innovation Can Build a Community. Author Url Publisher Url
Owen P, Owen K. Sole-Zine x The Block P: For the love of ‘110’s’ Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen PB. Hope for Authenticity Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Owen K, Owen PB. Sole-Zine X The Block P: The Liverpool Style Protagonists Representing the Culture of 110s Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Conference presentation:
SOLEZINE at FTC FutureScan5, FTC FutureScan5: Conscious Communities Conference, University of Leeds, exhibition. 2022
Other invited event:
Sole-Zine talks to ART & DESIGN FOUNDATION students at LJMU, LJMU, Liverpool, Invited to talk about the Sole-Zine posterzine project by PL Mark Roughley at LJMU.. 2021
Sole-Zine talks to FIT NYC, Online - New York, USA, Invited to present SoleZine at The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, USA, by Professor Yuniya Kawamura.. 2021
Sole-Zine talks about Trans-Discipline practice, Liverpool, LJMU, Sole Zine invited to talk about Trans-Discipline practice with MA students at LJMU with John Byrne.. 2021
Fellowships:
FHEA, Higher Education Academy. 2015
Teaching qualification:
PGCE in Further & Higher Education. 2007
Media Coverage:
Plexus Cotton educational project - change the way the world looks at cotton
ADLINE (now The Drum) What you think about shock tactics in advertising.