When were the first steps to start Universal Works taken?
The last days of October 2008, the company I was working for in London told me they could not pay me the 3 months salary and expenses they owed me and could I wait for 6 months and work for nothing!! SO i decided maybe if I was going to work for nothing I would work for ME, and the timing was maybe right for me to start the company, I think menswear buyers and the public and maybe the trend of the time was more interested in the type of product and style I wanted to make, wanted to offer the world, and so it was!
What were the first Universal Works items to go on sale?
We made a 40 piece collection of garments and offered to to UK retail stores through a London based showroom in January/February 2009, the first pieces were then in stores for Autumn 2009, it was a lot of jacket and Knitwear , with shirts and pants too, we had 8 stockists the first season mostly they are still stockists some 12 collections later.
What are the main inspirations behind the brand?
What are the main inspirations behind the brand?
I have a fashion background, worked for some of the best of the Britain's menswear, but also a love of street wear, and British youth culture, casuals/punks/ northern soul boys etc. somehow I wanted Comme des Garcon to mix with Stone Island via Savile Row , but for inspiration its mostly the old man on the number 47 bus wearing an old tracksuit top with smart suit trousers and battered sneakers with a raincoat and trilby and a shopper bag, yet somehow looking cool and not giving a fuck about anyone else!
When was it decided that Universal Works should open a shop?
Was that always the plan? Not sure I ever had or have a plan, plan seem to get in the way of life really, I just get on with things, the first store on Lambs Conduit St, is very small so not a big risk which is important when you fund all this yourself, and we loved the street and the opotuneatly came our way at the right time.
Do you have a favourite item that you have done so far?
Yes all of them !! well maybe the knit work jacket, it was in the first winter collection and still in very winter, its a sort of sold plain "milano" knit cardigan that looks more like a proper jacket, its made in Nottingham with guys I have worked with for 25 years and I wear it every winter.
Despite your experience within Men's fashion, would you say it was still difficult when setting up UW?
Despite your experience within Men's fashion, would you say it was still difficult when setting up UW?
Well 25 years experience makes it a lot easier than form scratch for sure but YES it was difficult but its what I do and what I enjoy, its much more difficult to do it keep doing it well, if you want to do it consistently well it is anyway.
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