Dean Webster | One Nine Zero Six : Interview by Scott Rapson
We recently featured the launch of new menswear line One Zero Nine Six and we were delighted to be given the opportunity to have a few words with the man behind the brand, Mr Dean Webster. He kindly took some time out of his busy schedule to answer questions about where they are at.
Hi Dean, firstly thanks for giving us some of your time..
Hi Scott, my pleasure.
Scott: Talking of time, can you enlighten us of how you became involved with the brand One Nine Zero Six?
Dean: The ONE NINE ZERO SIX by GYMPHLEX project first came to my attention back in early 2007, when the idea was initially being discussed with other colleagues also working in the industry.
My name had somehow been loosely mentioned in conjunction with the project, however the timing wasn’t right for one reason or another, so matters didn’t progress further until the end of 2009, when I received a personal message from the MD of the company asking if I’d be interested in consulting on an exciting new Made In England project. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to find out more. Here we are seventeen months later and just about to enter into our second season.
S: Does the fact that the brand has so much history make it more difficult or easier to come into the marketplace?
D: In terms of the brand having a 105 year history and with the ‘heritage’ tag being much-maligned these days, it initially came with a certain amount of unnecessary baggage which could have been a potential millstone, hence the reason it was felt that we had to approach the project with a more progressive design viewpoint than would have been expected from a company with our history. So I guess the answer is yes, more difficult.
The fact the Gymphlex has such an illustrious past is fantastic but something we consciously decided not to purport directly in terms of brand image or product. Although there are many references to be found in the current collection that reflects our past, the links are more emotive rather than literal translations.
The challenge to find a new ways in which to translate the history of a brand, whilst also remaining true to its’ origins, is constantly demanding and one that requires greater thought than to simply produce ‘authentic’ or ‘replica’ product.
For us, ‘heritage’ should say more about attributes, attitude, craft, service standards and reliability, not a perception of how product should look. Buyers and press alike are currently judging us on what they see presented to them in terms of product and not the history behind the brand, which is both positive and refreshing. The company back-story is a bonus.
S: Leading on from that then, what do you think One Nine Zero Six will bring to the industry, which has seen somewhat of a resurgence over the last 2 years?
D: This is yet to be seen, although hopefully, we’ll continue to develop our own particular design vision, play our part in supporting what’s left of the manufacturing industry in this country and do so with a certain sense of style, whilst ultimately, making clothing that men wish to buy.
S: We’ve seen a glimpse of your AW11 collection and it’s seems that your coming from a ‘classic’ perspective, did previously working with the likes of Burberry and Barbour influence you at all?
D: Not really, although I respect both brands and what they’ve done respectively for British menswear, I especially like the recent Barbour collaborations with ToKITO.
I think that at ONE NINE ZERO SIX, we feel strongly the direction we’ve decided to take in producing clean, contemporary menswear (with ‘classical’ overtones) is relevant in today’s market and is an exciting concept to further develop.
S: Finally, what do you envisage for the future of the brand?
D: I believe that the future is very bright for companies that truly wish to continue to push themselves forward in the pursuit of pure product and a simplistic, functional design approach. Our intention is to develop strong working relationships with the best makers we can find, using the finest quality fabrics and trims, combined with a forward thinking design ethos in order to do so. Hopefully the market shall embrace the idea.
The fact that the ONE NINE ZERO SIX brand has been name checked as being a part of a return to progressive, clean styling is an encouraging sign and can be attributed to the current MD of the company, James Greenlees (4th generation Gymphlex), without whose support the project would not be possible and to Jeff Griffin, whose vision and sense of modernity needs no introduction.
We are in the process of building a team, albeit a small one at this point, of like-minded and dedicated individuals that are forming a particular vision of how Gymphlex might look for the next 105 years.
Whilst looking back, we shall always strive to look forward. That’s progress.
S: Thanks for your time Dean, and most of all good luck with the future of the brand..
D: Thanks Scott, I’m sure we’ll need it.