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| Tucked away in the Northern Quarter of the city centre, a stones throw from the former Factory /New Order owned Dry Bar, the long established Afflecks Palace and numerous other cool shops and bars, Oi Polloi came to prominence nationally and probably internationally when they launched their website, Their reputation had been cemented long before that though. In May 2002 Steve Sanderson and Nigel Lawson took on what they described as the ideal building to house their new business, "We didn't look anywhere else, the shop on Tib Street was ideal, not only because it suited what we wanted to do but also because it was handily placed for a beer in Cord" joked Steve. Back in 2002 though, the area was a bit of a wasteland. While Afflecks Palace and Dry Bar existed a stones throw away, the area had more than a hint of gloom about it.. The gloom still remains but in a strangely cool, good way. In those four years, Oi Polloi has gone from Manchester's best kept secret to Manchester's worst kept secret. The emergence of it's website has awakened people to them and brought their previously obscure brands of outdoor clothing to a wider audience. "it's a double edged sword really" explains Nigel. "We were the first to bring Fjallraven back into this country. It was worn by the upper rankings of casuals in Manchester dating back to 79, 80 and 81 and we started selling it as soon as we opened in May '02. It took off straight away, For three and a half years we were the only people selling it and since we launched the website it's become massive for us, but the exposure has meant all the other shops are now going out and buying it in." The concept of Oi Polloi was born out of an obsession with looking good. "It was just an interest in clothes really I think" All different types of clothes from different eras over a fifteen to twenty year span. We were both into similar things and decided to give it a go." says Nigel. On spending time with Steve and Nigel you gradually get a sense of their genuine passion of what they do. "The trainers thing is part of growing up and living in Manchester. It's about functional outdoor clothing too...trainers with rainwear." explains Nigel. Steve continues "It's kind of moved on a bit now. In the late 70's and early 80's people were taking sportswear and reappropriating it as a casual fashion. That's gone on for years and years but these days what's on offer is available on the high street, it's available everywhere. The product is crap. There are few things that come through that people still like but for the true trainer afficionados it's killed it." So if reissued adidas aren't up to much, what else do we have, I ask? "We sell Jacoform" says Nigel, "And for us that's like an equivalent of the Adidas Korsika or Palermo. It's still made in Germany as they were. The quality is amazing, the shapes are good and everything about it is cared for. The overall shape of the shoe is thought about whereas with the reissues of adidas they're just taking an image and a colourway of something that they haven't actually got. If adidas still made trainers like they did in the 70's, more people would like them". "It's not totally about the originality and what's old. That's just part of it. The contemporary stuff is just as important as the classic stuff. It's the balance between the two that's unique and makes it stand out. This brings our discussion around to the current brands they stock, what's popular and why. We'd previously touched on Fjallraven but Nigel explained more, "We knew about the brand and there was no-one selling it so we went and got it. We were the first in the country selling it and it took off straight away." Norrona is another which has the potential to go the same way as Fjall in football circles. It's no surprise because like the arctic fox it's really well made outdoor clothing which dates back to the early part of this century and also looks the part with well cut jeans and well chosen trainers. "A friend of ours went over there and said everyone in Norway was wearing Norrona. He said it's a bit like that Fjall stuff you sell, We went and looked at it and said it was on a similar tip but was more army than trecking. There's a dry finish to the jackets but it's a natural water protection as opposed to Gore-Tex." says Nigel. "In the time that we've been open though there's been a massive swing back round from Gore-Tex to cotton outdoor stuff. All that development and people are now deciding the natural fabrics are better in extreme weather." Steve tells us. With Oi Polloi being credited as the people who brought Fjallraven back out of the underground I was curious to find out what floated tehir own personal boats. In unison they both agreed that Margaret Howell stood out. They also cited 6876 as another favourite. Perhaps these two brands best illustrate the whole ethos behind what Oi Polloi is about. The clothes they make are dripping with the thought that has gone into designing them but in a very understated way which to the untrained eye would make them boring, but to the trained eye makes them perfect. "It's as if it was designed with us in mind." Says Nigel of Margaret Howell. We ask about their own brand of Oi Polloi clothing, something they've been selling since winter '02, "We did a few cable knits and stuff like that and the aim has been that each time we do anyhting it gets better than the last stuff" says Nigel. "It's all about sourcing the right stuff". Having seen and bought Oi Polloi stuff in person I can only agree. Other than top quality garments and cuts the Oi Polloi label features the shops' signature Magpies which nods towards the 'talent steals, genius borrows' motto of the shop. "It's always two magpies, though" says Nigel. "All about superstition". The origin of the motto is usually attributed to Oscar Wilde but is also the name of a Morrissey bootleg album released in 1997, bringing the Manchester thing full circle. The reason they like the phrase so much is because it explains what they're about. Anyone with a bit of nous can take something sucessful and copy it, but it takes someone with a bit extra to take something that works and put their own slant on it. We asked Nigel what plans Oi Polloi had for the future, whilst explaining his plans for world wide domination he was interrupted by Steve - "tell him about the R Newbold thing Nige", "Yeah" agrees Nigel "We've done a collaboration with R Newbold." Sadly for us at Proper magazine this potential scoop is now pretty much common knowledge. R Newbold was originally a work-wear company, established in 1885 but were taken over by Paul Smith in 1991. They were relaunched and their collections only sold in Japan. Nigel went on to explain that Oi Polloi and R Newbold have been working together to design a range of clothing that will only be available in Japan and Oi Polloi itself. Not many shops that have been around for just four years can boast something like this. interview by Mark Smith for Proper magazine. for more information on Oi Polloi check out their website. |
| The name Oi Polloi is derived from the ancient Greek expression "Hoi Polloi" which literally means 'the many' or 'the masses' in a derogatory sense. The phrase crossed over into English in the 1800's when it was necessary to be familiar with Latin and Greek in order to be well seen as educated. Having a vocabulary which included the phrases like Hoi Polloi was one of the things which set the speaker apart from the commoners. To some Hoi pollo means the upper classes,,,posh people,,,snobs but this is incorrect. The Hoi Polloi was more traditionally used by those types to describe the working classes. This is where the link to the shop 'Oi Polloi' comes in. When deciding on a name, the owners settled on 'Oi Polloi' mainly because of the working class connotations which fitted in well with their desire to provide clothing which originated with the more dapper amongst the working classes, They also decided it looked better without the 'H'. |
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Schindler Lifestyle opened in the town centre 18 months ago after spending time a couple of miles away in the quieter but probably cooler commuter district of Heaton Moor. After 5 years in Heaton Moor the owner Josef Schindler decided it was time to freshen things up. "We’d been there 5 years and done quite well but there comes a time when you want to move on. We wanted to do stuff to improve the old shop but in the end thought a change was better." he explains. "We looked around and saw that Stockport town centre didn’t really have anything like us. It was all high street stuff. USC, Bank. Our Kurt became a shareholder and we got this place".
Joe had run the old shop on his own but seeing the scope for something good he welcomed the opportunity to work with his brother Kurt. "He’d worked in Manchester at a shop called Zico for years so he knew his stuff. He looks after the shop floor so I can spend more time on buying and sourcing new stuff. It works really well. He’s great at what he does. featured brands: Adidas, Victorinox, Casual Connoisseur, 6876, Lyle and Scott, Saviour, 80s Casuals,Penfield, MHI. |
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| The bods behind One True Saxon opened a new store in their spiritual home of Nottingham. The Casual Tailor in 2007. I've had a close sort of bond with OTS as I was wearing their gear from the off, there's not many times I can say that about certain labels, but I got onto this sharpish and was the first at our place to wear it, that's not snobbery that's a fact. I've since watched it grow and take a whole new direction - arguably one I was not too keen on, their original stance was great, but then they started to look like they were going to cater more for the 'Soccer AM' generation and lost the exclusivity factors when they went to Scott Sports and thus the mainstream. But the opening of their new store,looks like the OTS' ethos of old. What looks a greatlittle store, full of gentleman's clobber and accessories, from socks to smellies and bags to wellies it's all covered here. Nicely tucked away in some bland-but-trendy looking backstreet in the heart of Nottingham's Lace Market. Not too dissimilar to Manchester's Oi Polloi in that they've chosen a decent location, which people who want to find it will find it, and there's even a buzzer on the door to get in, it could have been very easy to make a Bank or USC type chain store, so for what they've done I doth my tweed hat to them! |
| Meat hooks, cleavers, and butchers' blocks aren't normally what you expect to see in a menswear shop, but then this menswear shop is in Shoreditch, just off Brick Lane, slap bang in the heart of London’s “alternative” scene, and is, after all, called “A Butcher of Distinction”. One of about 200 businesses housed in the Truman Brewery – the creative hub of London's East End – this quirky store has made every effort to live up to the reputation of its thriving location. Specialising in preppy style clothes for those who like the stealth-wealth look, polo shirts, sneakers and toys (current, vintage or dead stock) boys - young or old - will find something to dress up in. Head here for Ralph Lauren, Levi’s Vintage, Loomstate and traditional footwear from Tricker’s. |
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| featured brands: 6876,John Smedley, Stansfield, Steven Alan, Silas, Ralph Lauren, Levis Vintage, Trickers. |
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| Recently opened in Leeds, Kiosk 78 is a haven for quality, superior denims stocking the more obscure and exclusive brand imported from Japan for the denim fanatic. We stock an exclusive range of menswear and Japanese selvage denim, many of our brands are unique to Leeds and much of the Japanese selvege denim and clothing brands we stock are unique to the UK, until we opened these brands were only available outside of Japan in a denim boutique in New York, and a handful of other shops around the world. Our store ethos is all about quality and subtle streetwear alongside the finest range of selvage denim available in the world today. These denim brands we have are small labels from around Japan who produce their products in a homage to manufacturing techniques of old. Created on vintage looms for much greater quality in much smaller quantities. They are dyed with natural indigo on ancient rope dye machines to ensure the centre of the fibres remain undyed allowing a natural fade that will be unique to each individual wearer. These jeans age beautifully. Detailing from these brands include hand stitched button holes, natural indigo usage, vintage washes, hidden rivets (cowboys used to insist on these as so not to scratch their saddles) and chain-stitching on vintage machines for a truly authentic look. Each brand uses a different colour stitching on their selvage edge to distinguish its brand, which is recognisable when the wearer flips the cuff at the bottom of the jean. We have a selection of raw and one wash denim in store. featured brands : A.P.C., Folk, Nom De Guerre, Margaret Howell, Studio D'Artisan, Warehouse Company, Skull Jeans, The Flat Head, Shofolk, Superga, John Bull. |
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| The Casual Tailor |
| One True Saxon The Lace Market 14 Malin Hill, Nottingham, NG1 1JQ |
| Featured Brands: One True Saxon, Berghaus, Clerk and Teller, Oi Polloi, Hunter, Grenson, Brady, Corgi, Truefitt and Hill, Tootal and Pointer. |
| 11 Dray Walk, Old Truman Brewery, E1 |
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| A Butcher of Distinction |
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| Oi Polloi 70 Tib St Manchester, M4 1LG |
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| Kiosk 78 7, Duncan St, Leeds, LS1 6DQ |
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| Belushi DesignerTags 75 Main Street Dickens Heath, Shirley, Solihull, B90 |
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| Schindler Little Underbank Stockport, SK1 1JT |
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| Ragazzi 37-39 St Georges Cres, Wrexham, LL13 8DB |
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| { NOW CLOSED } |
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| Garbstore 188 Kensington Park Road, Portobello, London W11 2ES |
| Garbstore aspires to be and draws its influence from what can be coined unfamiliar Vintage.
Their aim is to create familiar garments, not outlandish pieces, garments with a foot in the past and look to the future, nodding at a couple of things along the way. Pieces have been re-imagined and made ?istorically new?The aim is to be free from image or cultural reference. Focusing on product and quality Garbstore provides an opportunity free from contextual image. Ian Paley formerly of R Newbold, Paul Smith and One True Saxon's own label Garbstore is a winner, stylish menswear, with impeccable detaling sits along side premium denim. Garbstore's flagship store in London's trendy Portobello, Notting Hill not only stocks seasonal clothing from Garbstore but other labels too, from the likes of Steven Alan and Engineered Garments, to more under the radar brands such as Mountain Research Post O'Alls and Japanese brand Bedwin. |
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| Albam 23 Beak Street, London, W1f 9RS Old Spitalfields Market, 111a Comercial St E16BQ |
| Albam make great clothes at affordable prices. Simple styles in great fabrics that you can wear everyday rather than on those rare occasions that never seem to happen. A refreshing label that's made right here in the UK, British made, British quality which you cannot say the same for many labels today. 'Paying through the nose for great quality because that is the shop's mark up made us think if we could do it our way. So we set up on our own and learnt the hard way, inspired by others who are doing good in the clothing world and beyond' . We are an independent company so we can listen to you. We develop and produce our clothes in the UK because we think the extra cost is worth the great quality. If we don't make a line in the UK it is because we haven't found a quality high enough to hang our hat on'. Featured brands : Albam's own collection, and collabs with Quoddy, Trickers and plenty of accessories including bags, belts, wallets and publications such as Monocle and The Ride. |
| THIS PAGE IS UNDERGOING CHANGES. AND WILL BE UPDATED WITH FRESH IMAGERY AND CONTENT IN DUE COURSE. |