Now this one is mainly for the boys, although these clothes look equally as amazing on us girls (Anything they can do, we can do better!).. I have found a new up and coming brand called Sailor85 or "S85" as they are also known. Mainly aimed at you bearded and tattoo folk, (although, it is not restrictive and pretty much anyone could pull these garments off), this brand simply takes sailor themed pictures and slogans and puts them on funky clothing.. I use the term "simply" very loosely because some of their designs are very complex and very clever, which is probably what I appreciate most about this brand. Their products range from tops, to hats and bags! I wanted to find out more, so I contacted Craig who mainly runs the brand along with his wife (how cute!) Craig seems very humble and isn't after grabbing money which is very refreshing to hear and simply designs and sells these clothes because he enjoys doing it, which is definitely something that I greatly respect.
1. What inspired you to start a clothes business?
'Sailor85' is mainly ran by me, Craig, with the help of my wife, our 3 year old boy and our daughter who has just turned 1. It's been something that I have been thinking about doing for a while, however I have a full time 'proper' job that involves working a number of different shifts including throughout the night. I have used social media for the past few years and follow pages such as 'Beards & Tats' 'Tattoo Society' 'BeardCircus' etc along with brands like 'Abandon Ship', I became aware of some of the smaller independent brands that were producing some real quality products and but also some that to be honest I thought maybe we could do something a bit better...so I decided if I was going to have a go it should be now. I have a bit of previous experience working in fashion retail, but in fairness this has been a massive learning curve and everyday I'm trying to improve the brand and progress.
2. How long have you been around and what do you think will make you successful?
We have just completed our first 12 months, I'm not sure if we will be successful or not, or even how success should be judged, but we are enjoying it and whilst we are doing that we will carry on. If we can produce something that somebody likes and would want to wear then I guess that's a success in its self. I've tried to make it clear from the start that this is not simply about making quick money. We support local businesses and use local printers and embroiders along with doing most of the running around, packaging etc myself.
3. What makes s85 different from the other clothing brands?
There has been a massive boom in similar brands to us, some have been around for a long time and are enjoying a great success. New brands are starting up every day and I have already started getting emails asking for advice about how we started up. To be honest I'm not sure I am qualified to give out any advice but if I am able to help out I will. I realise that Big Beards and Tattoos are very fashionable at the moment, I've had a beard for the past 6/7 years and my tattoo collection is growing all of the time. While our brand currently 'fits' with that style of fashion and lifestyle, I hope that we are also offer a bit more and appeal to a wider range of people.
4. Why should people purchase from yourselves and not more well known clothes shops?
We are trying to offer something a little different that we think is cool and affordable, If people decide to buy from us that's great but at the same time if I see something that others are doing that I like or think is worth people having a look at then I'm happy to promote other brands and push people in another direction, for example people like 'Acid Injection' and 'Wilderness Apparel' amongst others. This might mean less sales for us, but it's not just about making money for us. If I can make a bit of extra Beer & Tattoo money that's awesome!
5. Plans for the future?
Hopefully a couple of new Tee ideas we have will be printed and ready for the summer, along with some SnapBack caps. There's a couple secret of things that I would like to do if we can find the right supplier in time for the Summer. We also hope to get out and meet some of our customers this year and attend one of the Tattoo Conventions and hopefully a music festival as a trader. This is something we are working on.
Just some of their designs below... Prices start from just £15
I'd like to thank Craig for taking the time to getting back to me, and I hope to do a catch up interview to see how the brand is progressing after summer. For more information or to purchase their products, get yourselves to www.sailor85.bigcartel.com/
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