Stuart Trevor, the founding mind behind AllSaints and a streetwear visionary since the ‘90s, is back—and this time, he’s not producing a single new garment. His latest project is a radical fashion brand Stuart Trevor built entirely on upcycled vintage finds, custom-labelled and designed with a rock’n’roll spirit. Based out of a creative Hoxton loft, the brand challenges the industry’s waste culture while serving one-of-a-kind style that screams authenticity.
What made you return to fashion with a brand that proudly doesn’t produce any clothes?
I was mentoring some young start up businesses that have a positive social and environmental impact a few years ago. I introduced them to investors, they all asked me if I’d launch another brand. I told them the last thing the world needs is another clothing brand but they loved the upcycled vintage I was wearing and after about the 10th time I thought “what about a clothing brand that doesn’t produce any clothing?” They all loved the idea and the next thing I knew I’d launched it , 750 people turned up at the launch party and now it’s going mental and the people absolutely love it!
You’ve built cult classics like AllSaints and worked with Reiss—how does Stuart Trevor the label rewrite your legacy?
Well this is a lot more authentic and interesting, it’s perfect for this period where there really is far too much clothing on the planet so we take existing clothing and make it look cool.
How did your fascination with David Bowie and post-punk style shape the identity of your latest venture?
Well it’s a major part of the aesthetic from the logo to the style of the clothing – anyone that’s into post punk, indie and rock’n’roll will appreciate this – there’s a hell of a lot of cool cats out there that get it.
You say creativity comes from scarcity—how does that principle guide your design and production process today?
I find the creative process easy when you start off with original vintage finds, the quality is better, mostly everything’s available in limited quantities so when it’s gone it’s gone – I move onto something else and we keep the ball rolling.
Your Hoxton studio feels more like a creative commune than a showroom. Why was it important to make the space part of the brand experience, and how has East London’s creative energy shaped that vision?
We love inviting all kinds of creative people into our space, we’re building a community of like minded individuals who appreciate what we’re doing and the amazing space – I’ve been in this vintage loft for 20 years – it’s a similar vibe to when I started All Saints in Worship Street in 1994.
From military deadstock to artist-collaborated parkas, what’s your process for curating and reinventing each one-of-one piece?
I relabel each piece, tag them individually with a little patch that I sign, date and add the model/ customers name on – they’re truly limited edition one offs personalised exclusively for each customer.
How do you hope to shift how consumers think about value, fashion, and the rush of “buying new”?
We love having something totally unique and exciting and so far everyone we meet loves what we’re doing – we also try to make it affordable and collectible – it feels better than buying new – new is old news – old is the new, the futures in the past.
What’s your take on the current state of the fashion industry—what urgently needs to change?
There’s far too much overpriced, overproduced and poorly made fashion brands – luxury used to mean quality over quantity and limited edition – the new luxury is hand crafted upcycled vintage finds made exclusively for customers.
Looking back, what lesson from building AllSaints are you applying differently this time around?
It’s a different concept, the world’s a different place and what we’re doing is the future of fashion.
Congratulations on being on the map for the first edition of foldthe.word how did all come together?
I’ve known Eulan for years and I will always support anyone who wants to get an exciting project off the ground.
What does foldthe.world mean to you?
Looking forward to meeting loads of new people and sharing the love around our amazing community.
You’ve said your goal isn’t just to make money, but to make impact—what do you want your fashion legacy to be?
“I don’t know where I’m going but I can promise you it won’t be boring!” David Bowie – This favourite quote means everything to me.
xxx
This interview is part of Foldthe.world series. Foldthe.world is a collectable art poster distributed around Shoreditch, combined with curated insiders map helping you to shorten distance and time made by TOANDPARTNERS productions and supported by Made in Shoreditch Magazine.
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