Camden, North London, 1984. A group of friends begin an enterprise that would eventually lead them to starting the UK’s first streetwear label. The Duffer of St. George was conceived as a way to get off the dole, make a bit of cash to bankroll a bit of clubbing and enjoy a period in early 1980s London when you could still have access to a manufacturing base that would knock up some limited runs of t-shirts, jackets or trousers and still not break the bank.

The Duffer of St. George became arguably the UK’s first clothing label dedicated to Streetwear. Equally influenced by and influencing the London club scene of the day, Duffer took it’s lead from the smart working class kids of the UK underground to become a global success story with customers all over the world, 20 stores in Japan and a healthy mix of cultural style guru followers. Many of Duffer’s design team then would themselves go on to form their own clothing line’s that would make a Duffer of St. George family tree that could make the house of Windsor blush.

As the Duffer of St. George celebrates its 25^th anniversary and relaunches with a ‘back to basics’  small but tight collection, we meet one of the original founders, Marco Cairns, at his studio (still based in Camden) to discuss Duffer from its humble beginnings as a market stall selling vintage clothing to where it has evolved today. And to think that at one point they had to make a decision between starting a car wash business or working on the market…

Glenn: Your origins began in selling vintage clothing. How did this come about?

Marco: Well, basically we started at Camden Market because we had nothing else to do really. We were all on the dole. It must have been 1983-84 and we were going round buying up all the old stock and deadstock from Army and Navy surplus stores.

G: So, were you specifically interested in the military surplus look?

M: No, it wasn’t just that. Actually, the first stuff we really did was a very English type of look. It was kind of like club ties, blazers, flannels and brogues and all that kind of thing, which was all happening back then, which is also very relevant today.

We were based in Camden and there was nobody else doing what we were doing at the time, so we were drawing a big crowd for our stuff.

We found an army and navy surplus store out of town in Dagenham and we would regularly make the trip up there once a week and take a bit of stock at a time.  We started wholesaling it as well because there was so much of it and that’s when Japan came along. We were sending vintage Levi’s over there and stuff like that. Then we found a shop in Portobello and ended up moving there. Eventually it was getting harder and harder to find decent vintage stuff so we started going to the States, to the rag yards and places like that.

We kept the best stuff back for ourselves and started doing limited production runs and that’s how we started getting into manufacture and doing our own stuff.

G: Was this around the time that vintage denim started to get really popular? Big E Levis etc?

M: Yeah, we were there. We weren’t the first ones to start doing it but we were involved in that at the time.

G: The scene in London back then, was this pre-Acid Jazz?

M: Yeah yeah, it was a long time before that. This was all around the time when magazines like The Face and ID were starting. There was also a magazine called Blitz and another called Sky. I don’t know if you will remember them? A guy called Ray Petri, a stylist, he’s dead now, very tragic. Well, he was getting us a lot of press. He had an agency called Buffalo and they were coming in and using a lot of our stuff and that really gave us our first big push.

G: Was any of this by design? Did you have a business plan?

M: No, we just fell into it. There were four of us at the beginning and we were all going to clubs and just part of the whole scene.

G: I have a friend who was a big fan of the (mid-late 80s) Acid Jazz scene and when I told him I was going to interview you he wanted me to ask you whether The Duffer of St. George was influenced by, or was itself an influence on Acid Jazz?

M: Acid Jazz? I don’t know really? I don’t really know how it all started? We were running a couple of clubs at the time, just playing records and that.

A friend of mine who I was working with was asked to DJ and the only records he had where old ones, so he just started playing them! It’s like with most things that become popular, the media has to put a name to it and they labeled the ‘scene’ Rare Groove. Next thing you know, it was called Acid Jazz! I don’t even know where it came from but eventually Duffer got associated with that scene.

G: So, the vintage garments you were selling must have influenced your collections back then?

M: We weren’t really doing collections as we are now. In them days it was more about doing odd bits and pieces. We were doing limited runs of say, six styles. Reproducing stuff.

G: Were you doing any sportswear?

M: Not really, it was more vintage Americana, Preppy kind of stuff. It’s kind of what we’ve always been wearing since we were kids.

G: Where did the American influence come from? Was it considered or did you wear what was readily available?

M: Well, it goes back years! When I was really young there was the early Skinheads and then the Suedeheads and they were heavily influenced by it all. That Ivy look of button down shirts, V-necks, Chino’s or Sta-press trousers. It kind of started from there and worked its way up to the soul clubs and then Rare Groove and Acid Jazz. It was all the same thing, just with different names! Different titles. It will probably called something else next year..

G: Were you surprised by the success of Duffer? I remember first buying your stuff years ago from a shop in Manchester called Geese.

M: Well some of those shops were stealing our gear. I used to fax them artwork and they would just print it off on to t-shirts! (Laughs)

Success came when we moved from Portobello to D’arbly Street in Soho. That was when we started doing what the press called ‘Oldskool’ sportswear. Again, we were going to the States and bringing back Adidas Superstars and Puma States and stuff like that. We were also bringing back all the old puffa jackets and hoodies etc.

That’s when it really started to take off.

G: This was the height of the Acid House scene?

M: Yeah, Black Market Records’ shop moved two doors down and everyone was going in there buying their tickets for raves. It was kind of like another scene had started.

G: I remember back then, in the very early 90’s up in Manchester buying Puma States, Adidas Gazelles and Superstars, 80s Deadstock and them being £20 a box. Seeing these same shoes sell for £100-300 a pair now is incredible.

M: We were selling tons to Japan and we would go to New York to find them. We got told there was a source on Canal Street but when we got there the was nothing left. I was on my way back from one trip when I saw this old Leather store with one pair of shoes in the corner. I knocked on the door and asked them if they had any more and the geezer just said ‘yeah, what size do you want?’ I said ‘How many pairs have you got?’ He locked the shop up and took me down to the basement. It was fucking dripping wet and he only had one little light bulb dangling from the ceiling but it was wall to wall Adidas boxes. There was all sorts of different Adidas. Snakeskin shoes, everything! There must have been about 300 pairs in there! We boxed them all up and bought them all for $2-3 a pair.

We took them back to London and we were selling them for £60 a pair. We’d put proper fat laces in them and everything and stuck them in the window of our shop. Fucking nuts!

G: (Pardon the term) but to see ‘trainer culture’ now and how it has grown is just amazing.

M: Oh yeah. We actually went to Puma and asked them to remake the shoes how they should be. It took months of negotiation and in the end they said no. They said they don’t go back, they only go forwards because they are a sportswear company. A year later, they went and did it!

G: What would you say makes British Streetwear unique compared to the US?

M: I’m not sure? Britain is an island and it’s quite small and I think that English kids are kind of tribal. They either want to be this or that or belong to a certain group. Which translates differently in the States as it’s a lot bigger.

It’s a lot smaller in the UK, which makes it more intense. Kids always want to be something else and part of something new.

And in the past scenes have had time to grow out of the media spotlight. Magazines try to have an influence but by the time they get hold of it it’s become too commercial.

G: Duffer is seen as very British and in terms of Japan (where they have 20 stores), they seem to love to buy into the heritage. Do you think that is where your success and appeal stems from?

M: Yes, definitely. The Japanese are really into it and they are very committed. When they get into something its always 200%! They want to know the full history, why we do this or why we make that like that. They want to know every move.

G: Do you ever create anything in particular for the Japanese market?

M: Yes, we do special stuff for them all the time. They are always asking for something a bit special.

G: Anything we should know about?

M: Well….. There’s a new shoe called Duffer Dap’s that is doing very well over there. We might launch it in the West next year?

G: Where do you start when beginning a new collection? What are your process methods?

M: I don’t know. The process has already started. Everything we do is just updating the classics. I might see something that triggers an idea but that’s as far as it goes. We’re not influenced by trends, we just do the classics.

G: And finally, what do you have in store for the relaunch of the Duffer of St. George in the UK?

M: Well the first hit will be quite small. You won’t really see the full range until October.

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