Freshly Baked Goods Are Just What We Need Right Now. Thank You swanstreet.!
swanstreet. is an independent London based apparel clothing label that creates quality pieces for skaters, surfers, dreamers, artists, and everyone in-between. swanstreet. are authentic as they come as all of their clothes are designed and printed in the UK. swanstreet. talk to us more about their freshly baked goods that keep your wardrobe crisp and their side-line of throwing awesome parties.
All your pieces are designed & printed in the UK. In terms of logistics and costs, how does that compare to having your clothes produced abroad?
Of course, getting them done overseas would be cheaper; understandably it’s a route that a lot of brands choose to go down. However, it is important for us to shop local, supporting the smaller UK businesses, which is why we use independent suppliers that specialise in producing smaller runs with great attention to detail.
The brand is centred around skaters, surfers, dreamers, artists, and everyone in between. Have you got an ideal muse in mind?
We would not say that we necessarily had a muse. The whole basis for the brand was to make clothes that we would like to wear ourselves. So, to risk sounding very self-indulgent and up ourselves, we would have to say our muse (if we are sticking with that word), is us. The current streetwear market comes with some ludicrous price tags as well as a complete impossibility of availability in certain cases. We wanted to design and make clothes that suited our style and that we could wear every day. We don’t have a particular group in mind that we’re creating our clothes for – if you want to wear it then wear it. The last thing we want to do is create a pretentious brand, we are here for everyone.
Your Instagram page describes you as ‘Freshly Baked Goods’. Can you clarify that for us?
We are not trying to produce the same, worn-out designs as everyone else. What we make is cooked up fresh, new, unique, served to you keeping your wardrobe crisp.
You were due to celebrate your 2nd Anniversary at EartH Bar & Kitchen in Dalston with Crazy Cousins on the line-up. How will you be celebrating instead and what can we expect over the coming year?
A big part of our brand is throwing awesome parties as well as creating our clothing. T – one half of swanstreet. – has a background in promoting and planning raves, and so he has always been keen that we bring this element of music and dance culture to the brand. We love to bring people together, friends, family, and anyone who wants to get a little loose, showcase some of our latest and greatest designs, as well as get some special guests on the decks to show off their skills. We are lucky to have a diverse circle of super creative individuals who we can call upon to help us make these events special. In terms of later in the year, the 2nd Birthday event is on hold for now, and once all of this madness has settled down; we plan to go ahead with the event and get a new date locked in.
We were really grateful that everyone involved agreed to push it back. That’s actually something that this wild situation has shown us, everyone has been really keen to pull together, and keep a scene alive – a scene that is in dire need at the moment. Outside of music and parties, we’re looking to set ourselves up with a physical location on a permanent basis. We’ve thrown some pop-ups in the past, which have been great; bringing together groups of people as well as bringing us some awesome exposure and having our clothes fly off the shelves. But, getting ourselves settled and posted up somewhere is the goal; a shop with a studio out back to do the designs would be the dream.
In your own opinion, how is swanstreet. different from any other streetwear brand out there?
We aren’t simply pumping products out, trying to make quick cash and a name. We put so much time, effort, and attention to detail into everything we create – even if we have been working on a piece for ages and it doesn’t quite feel right, we’ll scrap it rather than putting it out for the sake of it. There is a genuine love that is poured into the design of each piece.
We’d like to think of ourselves as unpretentious. We don’t care what other brands you wear, or what circle you run in. Fashion is for everyone, and we’re trying to create a brand that reflects that. No judgement here, no exclusivity making you feel you aren’t good enough for us. We like what we make, and if you do too, amazing. If you don’t then no qualms, you can’t win them all.
