On the hunt for the UK’s top independent retail stores we stumbled across Wood, in the great city of Manchester. To find out just how they cracked in to the thriving retail vibe on Manchester’s city streets, I asked them a few questions. Tersam’s the man with the plan, take a look here to find out what his story is:

Whats your name and what do you do?

My name is Tersam Sangha from A Shop Called Wood in Manchester. We are a retail store, design team and recently launched our house clothing brand Cyrus Wood. The belief is that we can and ought to try and embrace diversity from all angles of life, fashion, music, art and general style can all be bought from all corners of the world but 99% is all the same, we are that 1% that actually want to build a community of like minded people from around the world.

Tell us the story of Wood, where did it all begin?

The store came about as a reaction to the mass of cheap, throw away fashion that was being poured down our throat on a 24/7 basis. I used to collect big E Levis and Adidas sneakers in the 80’s; the emphasis was always on quality and design. This was all lost in 2003 when the beginnings of the store came about. It was impossible to find any of the clothing that we wanted.

The brands that we first carried in the store when we opened on June 21st 2004 were all dear to our heart and we felt close to their ideals. Silas, Perks and Mini, Surface to Air, Birdie, YMC, Horace, Fred Perry, Call of the Wild, Maharishi, Henrik Vibskov and loads more. These brands have gone through allot of changes as has the store.

We were blessed to have worked with some of the best talent around, that included Kai and Sunny, one of the best design teams in the world. They designed our logo, artwork and the whole graphic feel of the store. The logo font for Wood came into one of the best font designs book shortly after. They then redesigned our website for us in 2008; we are obviously big fans of their work and will always work with them whilst on this journey.

Very early before the beginnings of the shop we met Russell Waterman from the Silas and Maria family Silas and Amos, these guys held that natural quality that a good brand should have that shines through, they worked as a family and treated us with the most genuine attitude that is very hard to find these days. This influence d us to work with genuine people (Gimme 5, Denim is everything, PAM etc.) that have the rare talent to see something special way before anyone else.

How did Manchester like the store? Did you find it hard to build up that faithful customer base?

The store was a tremendous success from the minute we opened our door, customers quickly became friends and that grew exponentially. The methods were to work with only the best people around at that time, be genuine and only do what you truly believe in.

What is it that you love about your area, are you proud of the area you’ve built Wood’s home in?

The Northern Quarter of Manchester has a family feel to the area, we love, there were 28 record shops in the area alone when we started. As teenagers we used to sit downstairs in the basement of Eastern Bloc, where only friends were allowed and pioneers of the music scene were allowed, we also used to frequent Dry Bar which was at one point the best bar in the world and possibly one of the first in the UK at the time of the Hacienda.

So yes, the area holds a special place in our heart.

What have you got going on at the moment, any interesting projects for 2010?

2010 has kind of reinvigorated my passion for the clothing industry, it became impossible to find a brand that was special, that wasn’t sold in every city around the country, and we decided to unleash Cyrus Wood.

Cyrus Wood is the name of the company that owns the 2 stores and website and now the brand, It was always part of the plan in 2003 when we began this journey, the reason it’s called Cyrus Wood is two part, firstly one of the best pieces of cinema very made The Warriors and the leader of all and secondly as part of a one of my favourite artists in the world Andy Goldsworthy and his book called Wood.

This is a combination of ideas that could not be further apart, but managed to capture my imagination and best exemplify how I felt about the arts as a discipline.

Born out of a dissatisfaction with an over saturated menswear market, Cyrus Wood aims to restore a sense of uniqueness to menswear, creating a brand that is limited in run and availability.

We dropped our second part of the first collection in January 2004 and it sold out within a few weeks, this was a collection of shirts in corduroy, gingham, and a beautiful cotton drill, Also shirt jackets in Wool. It uses only British fabrics and is Made in England; it is a paramount ideal of Cyrus Wood and we feel passionate about this fact. From the first moment that I used to visit the woollen mills that my family worked in and the shoe factory that my mum worked at, that I used to visit as a 12 year old, I fell in love with this industry. It pains me deeply that the government allowed the Capitalist executives to sell the soul of the clothing industry in this country to the Far East. Factories all in Manchester and Leicester, fabric mills in Yorkshire and Lancashire closed over night when the likes of Marks and Spencer’s moved production over to the Far east, and these companies even used the management teams from the UK to train the staff in China on the pretence that they will never produce outside of the UK and they then called them and cancelled their contracts and factories had to close overnight.
The Italians and French managed to protect their clothing industry unlike the crooks over here.

Without getting too political , we would like to stress that Cyrus Wood is about design and not just concepts like most others out there, it’s about special fabrics, a great fitting garment that our customers will grow to love and that will become a staple part of their wardrobe.

Made exclusively in England, the label is quality driven with quality fabrics manufactured in only the highest quality factories in the UK.
Cyrus Wood is not street style. Cyrus Wood is not disposable and it is especially not Fashion. Cyrus Wood is a faith, an idea, a belief, a Tribe.

Cyrus Wood is a utilitarian menswear label for the conscious man’s wardrobe.

For people interested in starting up an independent retail venue, what would you tell them that you wish you’d known back when you opened?

Fashion is inevitably one of the most immediate expressions of culture and the most pervasive one. You need to think about the clothes we wear, how they are made, where they are made and who made them, put the craft back into clothing. It is important to keep the workmanship high, our lives are so divorced from the source of things, we need to reinforce quality craftsmanship and engineered garments. This is what makes fashion exciting and gives its depth that we can use to mark our own achievements.

It will encompass your whole life, enjoy the ride.

What have been the absolute high points of the store?

When we started selling out own label in 2008, customers could not keep their hands off the garments, when they walk into the shop and tell you that one of your designed garments have become their favourite garment and they have to stop themselves from wearing it every day (…so buy another one)!

What are the future goals for Wood, what do you want to have accomplished by the end of this year?

We will be visiting our friends from around the world, building our tribe and having a good time.

Making music, art, love and clothes. Watch this space, Cyrus Wood will be entering phase 6 and be going into some of the best stores worldwide and be working with some Heritage British Brands, cannot say too much now, I will holla back when we are ready to let you guys know.

Bubbling on the underground for the last 6 years, 2010 see its foray into the public conscience.

So in other words, watch this space cats! This brand will be not only spreading the (retail) love all over Britain but conquering the world in on the menu too!

Our new venture, of which we will be exploring and expanding over the next few months is a features section. We will be interviewing some of the most exciting movers and shakers around the UK, along with some special but not necessarily commercially recognised people.

We will be featuring artists, musicians, bands, retail stores, individuals, and keeping the focus on THE BEST OF BRITISH. Features will go live on the 1st of every month.

I hope you enjoy what we’ve got in store for you, feel free to re-post interviews, providing you send us the love back with a return link. If you’re interested in getting involved in guest feature writing then drop us an e-mail to one of us on our CONTACT page. RISE out.

Featured so far:

Trousers London (www.trouserslondon.co.uk)

Phantom Limb (www.phantomlimbmusic.com)

HUSH (www.hushstudio.blogspot.com)

Mini Viva (http://www.miniviva.com/)

Dan Mumford (http://www.dan-mumford.com/)

Waste (http://www.wasteyourself.com/)

Hot Chip (http://www.hotchip.co.uk/)

Mark Jenkins (Fat Seagul) (http://www.fatseagul.com/)

Chris & Tibor (http://www.christibor.com/)

No-One Store (http://www.no-one.co.uk/)

Supremebeing (http://www.supremebeing.com/)

Resurrection Store (http://www.resurrection-online.com/)

Paul Sid / Retreat (http://www.retreatstore.com/)

Over the past 10 years Supremebeing™ have firmly established themselves on the UK clothing landscape, and they don’t want to stop there. They have managed to superbly negotiate the difficulties of keeping the soul, excitement and independant feel in a very successful highstreet brand. Based out of Cambridge and coming with a burgeoning reputation for forward thinking and directional design, we got to chat to David Newman about the goings on at Supremebeing™.

What’s your name, where are you from, what do you do?

Hi there, my name is David Newman I was born in Cambridge UK and I’m one of the team at Supremebeing™.

How and why did you start Supremebeing™?

We established Supremebeing™ in 1999 Yoc / Mozza / Skuff and myself in Cambridge, some screen printers, artists, designers and entrepreneurs. Born from a love of graphic design, art and streetwear, the belief was that with talent and hard work we could make a career from what we love. We had great designs; it was up to us to make it happen. The team began with tee and hoody prints that would become the foundation of the brand. It was here that the name Supremebeing™ first appeared; a strap line to a graphic which depicted one of the designers’ left hand missing part of a finger lost in a bizarre chip shop accident! This was Yoc, his mum used to call him a Supremebeing and said to him, that in the eyes of god we are all equal!

Created first Amongst Equals! All Supremebeing’s.

Renting a space at the screen printers where we once worked, we developed our own print techniques and produced a huge catalogue of graphics. The new designs could be printed to order from a stock of blank tee shirts in a rainbow of colours, giving unprecedented speed and flexibility. Supremebeing™ grew organically, evolving from graphic to garment design, and moved into new areas in response to meeting and taking on new talent. Our handmade ethic continued year on year as a base of like-minded customers steadily built around the world.

Today the apparel and footwear ranges still retain the original concepts of creativity, passion and exceptional design Supremebeing™ was based on, and it is committed to offering quality product with no gimmicks and a touch of good humour. This is our culture, our scene. We were sick of brands repackaging our culture and selling it back to us at ridiculous prices. We wanted to make clothes that represented who we were and also that our friends could afford…”

We funded it all off our own back and whatever we made from sales we put straight back into the company, the same as we do today!

How many people currently keep Supremebeing™ running day to day?

At our base in Cambridge there is a full time team of 14 of us:

Design: Yoc / Skuff / Billy / DQ / Sammy / Mary /

Web: Trip / Amy / Meado

Marketing: Simon

Logistics and Finance: Mozza / Kerry / Matt / Pete

Part time: James / Duncan

I fall somewhere in there too! I also feel that all our distributors around the world need a mention and our agents in London, its actually quite scary the amount of people that are involved with Supremebeing™ now day’s, we have over 10 distributors around the world who employ on average about 4/7 agents, the family is growing weekly, and the love we feel form the people we meet is amazing, without all involved we would never be where we are today and where we are going!

How did you make the shift into large cut and sew ranges, what was the first cut and sew piece you ever produced?

We started printing on hoods and crews as well as t-shirts then we meet a girl called billy about 6 years ago who was in her 1st year at Uni in Nottingham, she came and did work experience with us and we all developed a girls snowboard style jacket and some dope mens trak tops! From there we meet more designers and sort of taught ourselves with help from friends how the cut and sew world worked, Our first full collections we produced in Portugal for jersey and the jackets we made in China through a friend in Korea!

We still look back and try and work out where this big transition was but it was and still is very Organic, it’s all about the people we meet and how we help each other out!

Time lines are infinite they never seem to end so as far as how long did it take, we feel we are still very much on the journey! We also produce quite a large collection of sneakers twice a year, this is looked after by the one and only DQ the street cobbler! Keep your eyes peeled for all future development

Was the brand self sustaining in its growth, did one collections profits fund the development of the subsequent ones increase in collection size?

We design things hope people like them and buy them, then use the cash we make to invest in the next collection / ideas and so and so on! We do it for the love, We just try to keep the rollercoaster moving and hold on tight!

Was there a specific turning point when you feel the brand ‘took off’ as such?

Its nice to hear you feel we have blown up already we feel there is so much more love and passion to put in! Meaning hard work and time, we feel so lucky everyday and yet still feel a bit slept on! I still feel we have so much to do to get out there more!

How was the bricks and mortar flagship store experience, and the positives and negatives of moving to a web flagship?

We loved our old store, we were just in the wrong location and never really had the cash we needed to put into it! Rent in our hometown is so high! The shop inspired people so it served its purpose, shame it never made us any cash! To be honest it just lost us money, since going only on line we are starting to see some return!

We are looking at opening a space somewhere out there soon; in the mean time we are web focused!

The Supremebeing™ x Nooka watch is one of my favorite collaborations of recent times, how did that come about?

We like Nooka™, and originally met them at a show in Barcelona when they had just launched and chatted about a colab. We then went to see them in NY a year or so later and did the colab, we love colabs and are looking at doing many more in the future

How do you feel balancing the independent exclusive side of things with the more easily accessible highstreet face of the brand?

We are carful who we work with and generally work with nice people, it’s so difficult to have a balance, but I feel we have done well to maintain the brand and keep to our core values!

What is the vision for Supremebeing™ now, where do you want to head with the brand?

Keep it going / create more beautiful products for a beautiful future / take the brand to more people so they can feel it the same way we do! Our next big areas we are focusing are the US / China and as always the UK.
If you could collaborate with one artist, brand, musician….anyone.  Who would it be and why?

Hendrix or Bob Marley but im sure the team will all have the favorites! And shame they’re not around to do it meaning my choices. Living artist I guess I would say someone like Neil Young.

To keep up to date with the big news relating to Supremebeing™ head over to their website HERE, and to buy some of the immaculate product head to UNIFY SHOP!

Paul Sid is a true connoisseur of casual wear, in the game for many a year, and the mind behind the exciting brand RETREAT. Retreat has gained many fans and followers since its inception, and the down-to-earth nature behind the brand continues to drive it forward with an authenticity that sets it apart from other brands on the scene. We got a chance to pose a few questions to Paul and quiz him about Retreat and more!

What’s your name, where are you from, what do you do?

My name is Paul Sudron (Paul Sid for short) and I am from a small seaside town in the North east of England called Hartlepool. I am the creative director and owner of Retreat which is basically a part time project for me which allows me to continue with my passion for creativity and art. I have a full time 9-5 job and I’m a full time family man so I can only focus on Retreat in my spare time.

Tell us a little bit more about Retreat.

I started Retreat in 2005. The initial aim was to just release a few graphical designs for t-shirts for myself and my friends. I was bored of the designs which were being made by some of the established brands and thought I could release some designs which were both different and which could compete with these brands.

The name Retreat came about from our own personal opinions both politically and socially. We feel that some of our designs may express personal feelings and we may occasionally question international conflict, but our final aim is not to solely preach, but to produce some fresh and original powerful graphics for you all, whiles having fun along the way.

What’s your vision for Retreat over the next few months / years?

I don’t really look too much towards the future when it comes to the brand as you never know what is around the corner. I’m a little surprised we have lasted this long. It’s a tough game to get into, and an even tougher one to maintain.

Our main focus is to create solid designs that cater for all markets, and not just the manufactured ones which have been aligned to a specific scene. Applying mainly discharged and waterbased inks, we aim to produce garments to the highest quality.

Who are some of the other brands out there who you look up to?

From growing up I got into the skateboard brands which really got me into the graphical side. From Santa Cruz to Powell. The designs were always colourful and eye catching. I then moved onto the early pioneers of what is now known as Streetwear. I liked brands such as Supreme and Bathing Ape but over the last 8 years I haven’t really followed any of them as they don’t inspire me.

Brands and designers I do like include Answer, The Trilogy Tapes, PAM, Will Bankhead, Ben Drury to name a few. I wouldn’t say I would like to emulate any of these brands. I get inspiration from their designs and blogs but never try to release anything other than whats in my own head.

Would you like to move into cut and sew wider range collections in the future?

We did release some cut and sew striped tees a few years ago but to be honest it’s not something I’ve thought about much. It would be nice to be able to put out denim and stuff but right now the focus is just good designs for tees and sweaters.

If you could collaborate with anyone or any brand who would it be and why?

We have already collaborated with Vaughn Bode and The Bode Estate which was a dream come true for me. I have been a fan for many years and to be given permission to adapt one of his pieces for a Retreat release was amazing.

In terms of collabs I’m not too bothered although it would be nice to have say Will Bankhead do a design for me or to be able to work with the likes of The Jean Michel Basquiat estate or Andy Warhol estate.

As a designer, what is inspiration for you?

I get inspired from things I see everyday. All of creation, my wife, my kids, 80’s movies, things in the past growing up, The Beastie Boys, UNKLE, Hip Hop. The list is endless

Do you have any other exciting projects coming up worth noting?

Hopefully I’m gonna be doing some designs for a local dance/hip hop crew from Hartlepool. They are called Ruff Diamonds which consist of about 13 kids who seem really talentedand passionate. Continue to do some designs for The Candy Bithces who are based in Birmingham and to continue to drop limited designs for Retreat.

Any shoutouts you want to give?

Big shoutout to my wife Vix, Molly, Charlie and little Jonah, all my mates, Doof Industries, Zorra and the rest of The Candy Bitches, Mick Knaggs and anyone else I’ve forgotton!

Keep up to date with everything that’s going on at Retreat by reading the blog and becoming a fan on facebook.

Liverpool’s largest independent clothes store Resurrection have created quite the name for themselves. After getting in touch, we got a chance to sit down with Rob Pritchard and find out from the owner himself, just what’s going down over there!

Whats your name, where are you from and what do you do?

My names Rob Pritchard and I own and run Liverpool’s largest independent - Resurrection with my wife Lisa. We stock a vast and varied mix of brands including Carhartt, Lee, Zoo York, Merc, Converse, Onitsuka Tiger, Fly 53, Fred Perry, Religion, House of the Gods, Amplified and too many others to list. About 110 in all. We also stock a massive range of men’s and women’s vintage.

Ace, I personally can’t get enough of vintage and good ol’ Fred Perry but what’s Resurrection’s story, and what was the drive to make it work?

I founded Resurrection in 1988 when I was a student at Durham University. Originally it was a small stall that I used to run at the Student Union building once or twice a term. I’d take £100 on a good day and that seemed like an awful lot of money at the time as I was always broke. It was originally a purely vintage offering and stayed so in fact until about 2000. I started the store because I needed to make some money. I already loved scouring the charity shops, boot fairs and jumble sales for clothes for myself. One Easter holiday I decided to buy a bit extra so I could sell it on. I had some really cheap places I knew about and the initial stock cost about £40. It was a big gamble because that was pretty much all I had.

My father had died a couple of years earlier and my mum wasn’t in a position to bail me out if it all went pear shaped. After I graduated I carried on with the markets. I borrowed £700 off my sister and brought a really inappropriate old Land Rover to move stock around in. It leaked and stock often got ruined. It also drove like a tractor and did about 12 miles a gallon on a run. I soon paid her back although she still goes on about how she helped me out. In 1991 I opened a stall which was about 8 foot by 12 foot in the Quiggins Arcade. My Mum really helped me out in the early years by working on the stall when I was away buying or doing other markets. She became a well known figure herself on the Liverpool scene during these years and all kinds of people still ask about her. She still did odd days in the shop up to 4 years ago.

Over the years it increased in size and by the mid 90’s was making me good money. Lisa joined me in 1996 when we got married. Her input really helped move things on as she had a formal sales training and she also proved to be an excellent womens wear buyer. This isn’t why I married her though - when I met her I thought “what a Hottie”, and I still do now. In the last 4 years we’ve moved out of the Quiggins Arcade as the inner city development forced its closure. The move into primary retail space really was a big risk but it didn’t take long before we were making a big hit.

That’s quite a history! But what were the customers saying? Within the area, how well was it received at first?

Our first “big” store was at 25 Bold St. It was 3000 sq ft and seemed enormous. We opened that in 2006. We were in it 2 years before we’d outgrown it and now we have an 11000 sq ft store at 17-19 Bold St. The store’s always been popular. Even when it was a tiny stall in the Quiggins Centre we’d attract all kinds of customers - high profile bands and actors, young professionals, old professionals, students, normal people, Norwegians, all sorts. We’re definitely not corporate and people get that about us and believe in us. We also do things the wrong way sometimes just to see what happens. Like me buying that rubbish Land Rover all those years ago. We say it’s the Resurrection way. The staff play a big part in all this. I let them do their own thing as long as they are productive and don’t hurt anyone.

In terms of product we sell whatever I think people will want. I always aim to buy things that people will get pleasure from owning and wearing. I still get excited when I find amazing product, whether it’s something I would personally wear or not. Having such a varied customer base allows us to stock a really eclectic mix of brands and product. I still like to work on the shop floor when I can and have a lot of contact with my customers. I have so many regulars they alone could keep the business going. Some have been coming in for nearly 20 years. I’m only 41 so that’s nearly half my life.

When I select items from a collection I think in terms of buying for these guys. These guys are aged 9 to 70 so it gives me plenty of scope. Obviously with the brands we stock we appeal mainly to the 15 to 35 year olds, but there really is so much more. I find it hilarious when someone comes in who we’d have loads of things for, but for some reason they get overwhelmed by the offer and walk straight out again without really looking. It happens about twice a day when I’m on the floor. I get a real buzz when someone comes in and I think “now here’s someone we can’t possibly have anything for” and yet they get what’s going on and start finding things, or better still they start to get into stuff they didn’t even realise they would like. This happens a lot and gives me a real buzz. I feel like the store’s really made a contribution to their life.

What is it that you love about your area, do you have a big sense of pride in the locality?

I love Liverpool. I’m originally from Warrington which effectively should make me a second class citizen in the city, but I receive very little abuse.

My family were all originally from Liverpool and I grew up absolutely in love with the city. When the city was a real mess in the eighties I was so biased I still thought it was an amazing place. I love the people here, I love the scene, I love the architecture. I find it hard to fault the place.

I don’t like all the Smack Heads. Apart from that it’s a fine place.

Damn smack heads! So, what have you got going on at the moment, any interesting projects for 2010?

There’s always stuff going on. We like to do a lot of collaborations with local bands and artists. In-store gigs, photoshoots, exhibitions, that sort of thing. The web sites quite a big thing at the moment. It’s been live now for 4 months and we are shipping all round the world. So far this week we have shipped to New Zealand, Isarel, Germany and Russia and it’s only Wednesday. With the web site we will be carrying on the Resurrection tradition of not following the rules. I take notice of them, but then I think it’s best not to be restrained by them. For example, we have done the smart thing and attended Ecommerce courses, contracted an Ecommerce marketing company and taken on someone with lots of web experience, so that we have all the essentials in place. Now it’s all working and making money we can start to have some fun with it. There’s some funny stuff hidden in there for people to find. Just mischief at the moment but we’ve got the time now to really go to town on it. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from our on-line customers and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved so far. I didn’t think I’d be able to get my head round it so quickly being a bit of a techno phobe, but I like systems and some would say I was borderline autistic. It stands me in good stead for a lot of things in business.

You sound like quite the natural business man but for people interested in starting up an independent retail venue what would you tell them? What do you wish you’d known back when you first opened?

I knew absolutely nothing when I started. I think that’s good because you have to work out your own way of doing things. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone. They’re probably best working it out themselves.

So there is hope for the clueless entrepreneurs! But for you personally, what have been the absolute high points of the store?

Each time we expand and it works is a massive relief, if not a high point. Jared came in when he was hosting the MTV awards in Liverpool last year. He bought over £1000 of gear and loved the place. It didn’t mean that much to me at the time because I didn’t know who he was, but I really buzzed off the fact that although he was a very wealthy Hollywood star he homed in on the basement which is the part of the store that really reflects the origins of the business. It’s where all the Moddy/Indie gear is as well as the men’s vintage and he spent nearly an hour down there looking at everything. Every time someone finds the basement for the first time and really appreciates it, it reassures me that despite all the expansion over the years, we haven’t sold out. We’re still true to our roots, and what’s more people like what we’re doing

It’s Febuary now, the new year has barely begun but what do you want to have accomplished by the end of this year?

I want the website to be fully established and turning over good money. I always want the store to be the best it can be, so that goes without saying. I’ve been toying with the idea of opening a store in another city for years. I’m always put off by the fact the Liverpool store may suffer as a result. I’d rather have one brilliant store than two good ones. At some point it would be interesting if I thought I could have two brilliant stores, but we’ll have to see if that’s this year or not. I certainly won’t be sitting still anyway.

So, it sounds like Resurrection know exactly what’s on, and what to where whilst doing it. Kudos to the Pritchards for the epic creation of the Resurrection store.

Impenetrable lyrics and dancefloor grooves conducting the masses with the noise of a synth have always been the characteristic traits of HotChip, and they don’t disappoint with the new record.  Lyrical recurring themes of ‘love’ and its transforming power, and the oh so recognizable 80s house and disco sounds comprise a huge new album from them. ‘One Life Stand’ launches today [Feb 1st] and we managed to get them for a phone interview even amidst their busy rehearsing schedule.

Please introduce yourself and your preferred instrumentation.

My names Owen, I play whatever I want when we are recording!  I play a Roland SH101, Moog little phatty and I play bass and guitar.

Where did you guys meet, how did Hot Chip come about?

I’ve known Alexis and Joe for eighteen years; I met them in secondary school in Elliot, a school in Putney, South London. The rest of the guys we met in various ways, I joined the band in officially in 2002 having left Art school, which I went to for four years. I did a painting course, did a year in London and three in the West Country.

Likes and dislikes of art school?

Likes…the freedom of the art school.

The dislikes…I suppose freedom!  I had too much of it, I didn’t know what to do with myself.  I definitely need a little bit of structure in my life.

You’ve got a new album (One Life Stand) which releases today [February 1st], how has it been making the record?

We enjoy it quite a lot; we took a year off from touring which gave us the luxury of time in order to record. We’ve never really had that before, we have always done things quite off the cuff and quite quickly.  This was our first pay monthly album, everything else has been pay as you go before, and so this was quite a commitment for us which I think is reflected in the music.  We had time to explore things, and make those phone calls we never made before.

Was it a natural progression going back to the studio?

Yes I think so, you know in a way it was a bit of a reaction to our life experience.  Exploring the use of different instruments that we don’t usually have on tour like pianos, violins, and to do it in a way that wasn’t too grandiose.  Including it with the sound that we already have and to be able to incorporate the live stuff as well.  We had time to thrash things out, not like on a rock album that has strings just shoved on it, we wanted to make sure things fit together.  I think the instruments we chose went well with synthesized sounds too. We used some steal pans which go well with arpeggiated keyboard parts, and soft pad sounds go well with strings and things, they went together quite harmoniously we thought.  We also worked with other people like Peter Gabriel before; we were more open to working with other people, so we had Charles Heyward play some drums and our friend Tim Bravado who Alexis had been doing some recording with come in and put down some steel pans for us.  We also asked our live drummer, Leo Taylor, to come in and play with us to kind of liven things up.  It was a good experience.

Sounds like there is a much larger range of instrumentation used on the record, would you say there are any other specific influences on the record?

Well it’s a wider range of instruments on the record but in a way they kind of gelled more cohesively.  On the last record we kind of explored both ends of our spectrum, we had quite slow ballad songs and then very up front fast numbers.  This is by no means a slower record, it’s still similar sort of tempos but it has different layers which have an ability to grow, so that’s a nice feature I think.

Would you say, for people who have already heard the other albums, that its a change from that or rather next progression?

Well its easier to say it is a progression, but it isn’t like that, people want bands to make some sort of huge leap and then are often disappointed if the band makes changes.  They get to know and like a band for a certain ‘thing’ and if they were to literally add strings to their bow and change direction there’d be uproar; “They’ve gone keyboards, they’ve gone rock, or this way or the other”.  

I was struck having spent a year on the record, and hearing our very first record played in the local pub where we filmed our first video for a single called Playboy. It was like its quite similar to the first album in a way, because it is quite personal.  Our first album was very bare and quite clunky, and this new one feels quite…I hate to use the word mature because it makes it sound like we are getting old, or that we are full of ourselves, but it does feel sort of grown, it feels like its evolved.  So it’s a change, and I think it will surprise some people who are only familiar with our singles, but they are nice surprises, not shocks.

After finishing the album, I’ve heard you’ve been in the studio preparing for tour, how’s it been going?

That’s been going pretty good!  It’s quite hard for us because we do things the wrong way round, usually you’d have to learn your own songs, everyone test drives them, then spend time in the studio, then lay it down.  Whereas we construct things together then they become their own beasts, and we have to tame them afterwards, then unleash them.  Sometimes that’s a positive thing!  Maybe its like some kind of safari or something, capture the animal then raise the cubs and set them free!

Do you guys spend most of your time in London?

We are all in London now.  We were all born in London, myself, Joe and Alexis are from South London and Felix lives bang in the middle of town, in Central London.  Al was brought up in Leeds but he’s been living down in the east end for 6 or 7 years now.  Sometimes I have to ask Al for directions when I’m in town, he knows it better than I do now, but that’s just the way it is being a Londoner sometimes!

To London as a whole… Thumbs up or Thumbs down?

Well I suppose thumbs up…increasingly thumbs up.  I think having been lucky enough to go around and see other cities, you gain a sense of home for one, but also you see your home afresh.  I never really went into town when I was a kid, I sort of hung around parts of South London, so it still feels like an exotic city to me. It’s still quite exciting.

What is planned for 2010, any other interesting projects on the horizon?

We have a few things, we are helping a friend, well two friends with a film they are doing.  A few of us are doing the soundtrack for that.  Alexis and Joe both had solo albums out just before the release of this album, so they are a bit burned out…well… done.  We are all focussed on doing Hot Chip stuff for now, and touring and then getting back into festivals.

And finally…if you were to have one ‘go too’ clothing brand of choice, who would it be?

Well, we were in New York recently doing some promo stuff for the album and although we had very little time off, Joe and Alexis went to the Supreme shop there. Generally when we are in London, we like to sort of go to charity shops and things like that, but we try to put things together ourselves. We aren’t good at sewing or anything, but we prefer the individual style.

Click Here to Pre-Order the Album One Life Stand.

Mark Jenkins is the definition of a man with his finger in many pies!  London based t-shirt head, but with a lot more interesting projects bubbling away than most of the usual crowd.  A t-shirt blog gaining more notoriety by the day, and an exciting internet startup for the educational sector, we were lucky enough to get to hear more about what he’s got going on over the next few months.

What’s your name, where are you from, what do you do?

Hi, I’m Mark Jenkins. I’m from just outside London, but now live here and I’m a freelance web designer, developer, blogger, tshirt addict and general internet addict. I work part time for Time Out London and I’m also a director in a new internet startup for the education sector called Trashed (www.trashedmag.com)

Chris Liu and Tibor Matyas are the guys behind one of the most forward thinking and progressive accessory labels around.  “The concept and inspiration of the label comes from London with its exciting mix of history, style and the futuristic modernity of the adjoining City.”  Their use of premium materials, and seemingly never-ending search for perfection in the field of luggage and bags makes their product second to none.  Already getting huge press coverage from the likes of I.D, Selectism, and many more.  We got to sit down with the guys behind the oh so special gym bags and pick their brains!

Introduce yourself to the RISE readers!

We are Chris Liu and Tibor Matyas, designer duo behind the fashion accessory label Chris&Tibor. We live and work currently in East London.

What caused you to start Chris&Tibor?

The label evolved from Chris’ seemingly simple quest for the perfect gym bag. It was in 2006.

What does Chris&Tibor mean to its consumers, how would you describe the typical characteristics of the brand?

The Chris&Tibor bag is a statement piece. It is challenging, exclusive, fashion forward and creative. Not for everybody!

Following on from that, what are the essentials of a piece of luggage / bag for you?

A bag is a practical piece of fashion and for that reason it has to be well structured and strong. When we design we like to use and mixing some unusual and trendy materials with leather, giving a distinctive look to the bag.

Where do you do all your production, and where do you source all the materials you use in your collections?

We have been doing production exclusively in London at the beginning. It was helpful as we could oversee everything closely. We have outgrow that small London factory, quantity is multiplied and with all the collaborations we cannot rely on just 1 factory anymore, we are working with different factories in different locations. Sourcing interesting and quality materials are also important, there are some big fashion tradeshows in Paris and Bologna, every seasons we are travelling to these events.

What has been your highlight so far with the current lifespan of Chris&Tibor?

It must be the UK Fashion Export Award which we won in the new exporter category in 2008. Our collaboration project also a cornerstone for the brand, we have been working together with some fantastic designers like Walter Van Beirendonck, Juun.J, Veronique Branquinho and Romain Kremer.

What do you have going on at the moment, and what do you have in store for 2010?

The most important current project is our online shop. We have been doing wholesales in the past 7 seasons and we realised that there is no future in fashion without mono brand store. We see the e-shop as a first step towards to our own retail. Visit our website (www.christibor.com) and blog (blog.christibor.com) for the latest news and updates. We launching our women bag collection and there are also lots of new collaborations coming up in 2010.

What’s your new years resolution, an official record which we’ll hold you to later in the year…?

Resolution because of New Year? Nothing really. But there is a phrase we always say between ourselves: Just do it!

Chris&Tibor have just started a facebook fanpage so for all of you socially networked individuals, head over to HERE and show them some love!

It’s not a lie. I love Denim. Exclusively, jeans.
I have dreams about them, not actually dreams, but more future goals as to one day my involvement with something to do with jeans. Who knows? Maybe bring out my own brand or something! However, keeping on the purpose of this lil’ feature, I promised myself that I’d delve into my very narrow perspective in the world of jeans and dig out my top 10 selection that either transcend time, or are generally beautiful ‘garms’ for this new era of 2010 I am privileged to enter into.

Fits I generally go for are slim straight/ or a slim tapered fit and I’m a huge fan of the raw denim scene but i made the effort to slip in some others ranging in the low to mid end price range. I could have included the classics in there…but WHY? Just let this expand your knowledge base a lil so you keep your eyes open for those ‘wonder’ finds like I have and remember, jeans have gotta fit YOU! If they don’t fit well or mold to your shape then you can forget it, they wont work.

In order for masses of people not to bombard our inbox with hate mail towards me on my choices know this.

It’s an opinion, based on fact.

….and I’m bias.

Don’t worry, it’s not a countdown.

(1) Edwin SEN Raw Selvage 10oz Slim Fit Denim Jeans (Bought from ASOS at £38 rrp. £109.99)

One of the most lightweight and beautifully crafted pairs of Raw Selvage jeans I own. Featuring a straight slim fitting leg and high rise, zip fly with contrast orange flash and stitching, cinch back and then the cherry is really the selvage detailing on the coin and rear pockets. mmmmm. Typically there’s the leather patch on the side also with enough showing that if you slapped on a belt, you’d still see the tab…for all those who are truly vain. The denim really does feel lush.

(2) Blue premium raw selvage ‘TOKYO’ slim straight fit jeans by St.George by DUFFER (Bought at Debenhams at £18 rrp. £60)

NOW, these were a FIND! Seriously Debenhams selling Japanese Selvage Denim for £18?! The fit was totally what i was looking for to do some experimenting. Being straight, the leg opening was slightly wide for my liking, so a few adjustments (taking 2″ off the leg opening width and a slight taper from the knee) and they fit and feel like a high quality Raw pair of 501’s! They’ve even been mistaken for a pair. Button fly, rear white duffer leather patch, Selvage detailing on the coin pocket, 5 pockets, purple tartan hemming and pocket linen and I’m laughing! 4 months in and the wear is showing nicely! The photo above is slightly deceiving as the rise is comfortably high and not hugging as it does suggest.

(3) Meltin Pot REDUX Organic Limited Ed. Jeans (Bought from TK MAXX at £8 rrp.120+)

Meltin Pot had a new 15 piece organic collection hitting the shops called Redux in 2009. Each pair of the extremely limited edition jeans are dyed and washed with natural products such as wood, coal, jam, earth and yoghurt. The style of the jeans is inspired by the workwear of the 1930s and also apparently the Bauhaus artistic movement. There’s the ‘gumf’. Another pair of rare beauty. The finish even feels organic due to the most random ingredients used to do so. The thing I love is the super high rise making the crotch sit low (screams ‘ghetto’) AND has original bracer rivets as illustrated above…however i never wear bracers, so they just look cool. The fit is slim with a large taper to the leg so it hugs any hi-top footwear. In fact i doubled the turn ups on them to reveal a nice ’selvage-esque’ light blue edge on the seams. All in all a top 10 favourite find, and I havn’t seen another pair yet.

(4) LEVI’s DNA Seasonal Slim Tapered Hot Road Red Tab Jeans (Bought from End Clothing at £89 rrp. £115.00)

When these first were unveiled I knew I ‘needed’ a pair. Through some strange circumstances I actually got to try on a test pair and loved the feel in them and the pre-worn (GASPS) look worked perfectly. A year passed and I didn’t see them anywhere. Then I moved to the North East and something happened. I don’t know what happened exactly but I found them and I couldn’t let the moment pass without leaving with a pair. There is a few alternatives in the DNA range but the Seasonal Hot Road slim and the straight leg alternative are personal favourites. Denim history is apparently what you’re investing in. Levi’s went the full way to remake the classic Levis Red models with exaggerated features on stitching, oversized pockets and detailing, tags and buttons.

The wash is dark and also slightly fades to your natural contours after extensive wear as the bluevine was highlights fading areas like the knees. Again, definitely a pair to invest in if you admire the unique look and don’t want to be caught wearing the same pair as someone else.

Leg openings on the Seasonal’s are the widest in my top 10 collection, sitting nicely over a pair of all stars (covering the top 2 eyelets on a pair of 9’s) and hug nicely on the calf and side of the thighs when the weight is on the hips and not the waist. If you ever see them definitely have a try.

(5) Humor Santiago Jeans (Bought at £45…can’t remember where.. rrp.£95)

DEFINITELY, a favourite when it comes to the (currently ‘in’) carrot shaped jeans. No one does it better!

I first noticed Humor on a trip to Holland years ago and then Denmark almost 2 years ago when I saw a trend of brightly coloured tees with the classic headphone symbol slammed on the shoulder. Scene kids with the Santiago’s and Hummel Stadil Kicks and I thought, “this is so gonna catch in the UK”

Oh and it has! Humor have a mega exciting range coming to shops like Ark (Leeds),Yakuza (Sunderland) and UNION (Newcastle) and I salute them for embracing the Danish influx of influence upon the UK fashion scene.
Raw washed denim jeans from Humor with a rounded carrot leg shape. These cool new jeans feature a contrasting seam throughout with a button fly and panel crotch. I love how the button fly is half covered showing part of the contrasting white buttons and the glorious top button logo. The front of the jeans feature two pockets with one hidden coin pocket whilst the back of the jeans feature two large u shaped pockets. The classic Humor logo is embroidered on the rear waistline in the form of a patch. It is also embossed onto the buttons of the fly, eyelets at the back and a logo tag is attached to the rear right pocket. White eyelets also feature at the jean pockets. They’re intended to gather slightly at the top of a pair of hi-tops and for the crotch to sit real low. Nice.

If you’re interested they’re currently on sale at XILE

(6) Nudie Thin Finn Dry Organic Ecru Embo jeans (Bought at £42.50 rrp. £110)

The thing with Nudie jeans however is they really employ the ‘each to his/her own’ philosophy and so my opinion on this matter really is mine…based on fact. For the fit, I prefer these than the silver detailed Nudie Jeans Co Lab Bengt 16 Dry Indigo (avg. £140) or the Nudie 14oz Masa ‘made in Japan’ jeans (avg. £140) as a Nudie style (both currently sold at Oi Polloi). 10.75 oz denim from Turkey is a light but acceptable weight, especially when summer comes round, heavy weights can become a chore rather than a ‘wearing in’ pleasurable experiment. I had some major disappointment in acquiring these from Coggles, but i found it in my heart to forgive them (seeing as how there store is beautiful and their Marketing Director Rob is a quality guy) and got my hand on a pair. Worth it? Always.

Info?
Mid rise anti-fit five pocket organic cotton jeans in dark dry stretch denim (so 2% lycra is in there). Low yoke with skinny leg cut. Contrast stitching and white embroidery at back patch pockets instead of the classic contrast stitching. Signature logo leather patch at back. Zip fly.

(7) DR.DENIM Raw Selvage ‘Terrance’ 14oz Jeans (Bought at JOY Leeds at £18 rrp. £90)

Ok so if you don’t know, nor have ever heard of Dr.Denim firstly go over and check out Darryl de Necker’s Blog.

That should tell you all there is to know about the European gang.

These are most likely to be my most underrated jeans that i own. Premium Selvage denim that molds beautifully to the wearer and keeps some weight behind it. The ‘Terrance’ is my favourite fit, simple in design, ergonomically sound, weighty and bearing a deep indigo shade that many of my others are not close to. And for only £18 at joy, again, sever lol’ing was had as they feel more expensive, look more expensive, boy even taste more expensive than most.

Simple in design, and again not a common pair of jeans. you should also check out their website, it’s pretty boss.

(8) Trousers London ‘Trousers 6′ (rrp. £169)

I like our friends over at Trousers London. I like their vibe. I like their ethos. The important thing however is I like their denim.

One of my favourite and consistent brands has (of course for me) hit the nail on the head again with Trousers 6.

‘A sleek and streamlined skinny jean in organic denim with jaunty check lining’ and jaunty of the highest degree it is indeed.

100% Raw Organic Denim, Silver coloured metal-ware bearing the Trousers London motif, slim fitting, limited edition (so limited, each pair carries a unique ID number) jeans that are REAL high quality, so high, I’m not sure I want to wear them but simply frame them. I mean just look at those front pockets son! Maaaaaan. So much indigo I can smell it through the jpg. Nice taper, Nice slim, contour hugging fit, nice contrast stitching, nice seam curvature…just plain nice.

For funsies, the jeans are presented with their own Trousers London cotton carrier bag.

(9) A.P.C New Standards (donated! rrp.£110)

….They win every time…in context of wear that is, not denim comparison.
APC New Standard, a slim, regular-fitting jean. Standard to low rise, narrow hugging leg, very slightly tapered from the knee, giving a fairly narrow hem.

The Facts: Button-fly, 5 pocket style in dry red selvage denim. First button is engraved A.P.C. Paris pres du Luxembourg.

The common knowledge about these bad boys, is that they stretch….significantly. More in width then length. I mean I’m a size 32″-33″ waist standard, yet I slid into a size 30″ and could move. I prefer these over the other models such as New Cure (just didn’t feel right!) and Petite Standards (suffocated my calf’s). They’re a slightly wider cut yet still slim and fitted on me but again, it depends really on how much you size down.

Most of the Raw enthusiasts boast owning a pair….I can see why. However, still broaden your horizons my children.

(10) The Hundreds ‘Curson Denim’ (donated! r.r.p $138.00)

I guess if you really want  a pair you wont see anywhere else go state side. The Hundreds are one of my favourite collaboration brands, yet this pair of their exclusive jeans is a beauty. Ever seen gold and silver selvage lining? Well you have now! A slim fitting cut with silver hardware and gold trimming, a black jags patch on the left waistband (Americans….) and gold and silver signature jags embroidery over the left back pocket. Really I havn’t seen anywhere else boast the same trimmings…unless you want to go really extreme and shell out on a pair of Red Monkey Jeans. I like simplicity and ‘crispness’. These do just that. The size above is slightly big on the model, i prefer to size one down so they hug a little on the leg yet leave breathing space.

Like you care.

So, who’s happy?

BELIEVE.

Teresa Skrgatic is the co-owner of Jaguar Shoes which operates a small fashion boutique, No-One, as well as a Bar and exhibition space, and The Old Shoreditch Station cafe-bar. No-One is based in the Shoreditch area of London, and has been stocking international leaders in fashion, such as Via Snella. The store also sources from local based talent, and is the stomping ground for style-savvy individuals within the Shoreditch area.

Whats your name, where are you from and what do you do?

Teresa Skrgatic, from Essex (yeah yeah I know!) I am co-owner of JAGUAR SHOES which includes no-one shop, dreambagsjaguarshoes bar and exhibition space and The Old shoreditch Station cafe-bar.

How did the beginnings of the store come about, what was the drive to make it work?

When we opened dreambagsjaguarshoes at 32 Kinglsand Road, London, E2 A we wanted it to be a bar, exhibition space and retail outlet but as it became more successful as a bar, we found the retail aspect impossible. So, we decided to open the shop and cafe within the Old Shoreditch Station building at 1 Kingsland Rd, E2 8AA. It offered the same buzzy, social atmosphere but it allowed the shop to operate independently. We stocked clothes, artwork, toys that we liked and clothes that our friends made.

Within the area, how well was it received at first?  Did you find it hard to build up that faithful customer base?

We were really well received in the first place.It was great in the beginning, really raw and buzzing. It was all built on a serious shoe-string budget but people could see we were creative and young and trying to do something different. That was about 8 years ago. From then on, we had to learn the industry and made alot of mistakes along the way. We have a loyal cutomer base now because we have been here a long time, we really support new talent and we keep things genuine and fresh. We really really try to stay true to our roots.

What is it that you love about your area, do you have a big sense of pride in the locality?

I am really really proud of the locality. Shoreditch is/ was amazing. The people are the best, particularly in our bit of Kingsland Road which is a bit more down to earth. We live and work in a little bubble I think! When I occasionally find myself in a chain-filled shopping centre somewhere, it reminds me how lucky we are to live/ work in such a creative, inspiring community. The web is so great for that too. If you are living out of London and feeling uninspired, you can go online and get a taste of what is out there- like Farfetch.com (we are a part of this brilliant website that unites some of the worlds best independent boutiques).

What have you got going on at the moment, any interesting projects for 2010?

We will be pushing forward with our retail website www.no-one.co.uk and farfetch.com. We will be evolving our collaborative JaguarShoes merchandise which includes illustrated t-shirts, limited edition prints, and illustrated plates and mugs. Plus we will be promoting and enjoying the amazing traditional Sardinian pizza and pastas that we now serve at dreambagsjaguarshoes all day. You can get lunch for £5 and it is delicous!

There will also be some amazing parties, events and exhibitions. Keep updated at www.jaguarshoes.com

For people interested in starting up an independent retail venue, what would you tell them that you wish you’d known back when you opened?

Dont try to do everything at once, it will all come together but it takes much much longer than you think.

What have been the absolute high points of the store?

The opening was a buzz! It’s also the best feeling to get nice feedback from customers. It makes what you are doing worthwhile.Celebrities shopping in the store and good press has been great too.

With us being just a little way into the new year, looking ahead, what do you want to have accomplished by the end of this year?

Hmmm, I am still working on my new year plan of action! Watch this space…

Head over to No-One and show them some love!