The Story Behind My Petrolhead Doodle – The Icons That Built HELS

If you’ve ever wondered where the all-over doodle print in my Icons Collection came from, this post is for you. The Petrolhead Doodle is more than a pattern — it’s a personal visual diary of my life in car culture, creativity, and everything that shaped my journey into building HELS.

Doodling From Day One

Before I designed streetwear or appeared on TV, I was a kid who doodled on everything — school folders, notebooks, desks, and even my hands. Drawing was my language. It was how I captured ideas, moods, music, cars, people, and moments long before I knew those sketches would become part of my career. That raw style is something I’ve never wanted to lose. So when I began designing my own clothing, bringing doodles back into the process felt completely natural.

A Pattern Built From Memories

The Petrolhead Doodle started as one small drawing — then became another, and another, until I realised it could form a repeatable pattern. I taught myself how to tile illustrations to create seamless all-over prints for fabric and streetwear. This doodle is one of my favourites because every symbol has a story:

The skull is a a nod to the custom garage where my automotive journey began. The skull appeared in the logo of the first workshop I ever worked in — a reminder of where the grind started.

The 4-Speed gear pattern symbol represents my first ever car: a manual, four-speed Mk3 Ford Fiesta. It was freedom — late-night drives, listening to music and meeting friends.

The cassette tape is because music has always been a constant in my life. I used to make mixtapes for my car and even design custom cassette covers for myself and friends. This doodle is a direct tribute to that era — and to anyone who remembers the magic of ripping songs off the radio.

The ‘90s smiley is a symbol of pure nostalgia. I grew up loving ‘90s pop culture, rave aesthetics, and bold graphic icons — so the smiley had to be there. 

The Dice is a classic symbol from old-school custom car culture. Fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror were once a rite of passage — and they still make me smile. I have furry dice in both my cars and they appear in my Classic Collection too. 

The hearts, stars, arrows, flowers, are all positive symbols… small pieces of the mindset behind my brand: creativity, joy, individuality, and the freedom to express who you are.

From Doodle to Fabric

Once the doodle was complete, I turned it into an all-over print for the Icons Collection — a process I taught myself from scratch. Every line was drawn by hand before being transformed into a repeatable pattern for hoodies, tees, accessories, and prints.

The black-on-white version is especially meaningful because it keeps the look raw and authentic — like the actual notebook doodles that inspired it.

Why It Matters

This design is more than artwork - it’s a snapshot of my early days in the car world, the things that inspired me, the music I live for, the culture I grew up in and the creative instincts that eventually led to HELS. 

Every time you wear a piece from the Icons Collection, you’re wearing a part of that story.