Henri Lloyd X Nigel Cabourn

To mark the launch of the forthcoming Henri Lloyd x Nigel Cabourn collaboration project we travelled up to Newcastle to visit Nigel at his studio HQ. Home to his incredible 4000 piece  archive we learnt about the design process behind the collection and his love for collecting vintage.

“So the Henri Lloyd project, I met Henri personally about 1988, I got on really well wth Henri.

He was a lovely man, very knowledgable and he really looked after his staff.

It’s now run by Swedish people, when I got the job first thing I said was let’s see all the heritage. The guys in Sweden had bought everything, all the stock and all the vintage

So I went to Sweden and they had maybe about 10 boxes of full of vintage, there was young kid there of about 30, he is the head of sales we went through all the whole fucking lot with me and we found all the pieces that we referenced, we went back to 1968, there might have been some 65 in there, it started n 1962

So I was able to cherry pick the pieces I liked and I added in a few things in myself, vintage pieces that were not theirs, which suited the brand. I did some clever things with it, I found a velcro pocket that had a flap over the pocket, it used to have a piece of velcro like a long L under it. I thought fucking hell if I just put another piece of velcro there I can turn it into fucking H can’t I?!

So all the Henri Lloyd jackets have a H underneath, then I took the H and I plopped it on the back and did a giant H in velcro and put a pocket on it. It wasn’t such a hard job to design because I had a lot of inspiration for it.

I’m privy to all the best vintage around, all the best collectors in the world so if I’m doing a project I  know roughly what I can find. These are prime pieces here really.

We’ve also done a big sweat with a H on, it’s come from the Champion, I’ve got some great Champion stuff, I collect Champion, I collect Patagonia.

About 1978 I started collecting vintage. It was just by chance,  Paul Smith used to work for me in the 70’s. He actually worked for me from about 72-75 he was selling Cabourn, he got me into all the London stores because he only had one shop in Nottingham in those days.

He showed me this RAF jacket, British from the 50’s that had a button and tape on it, a slide button and tape. The jacket itself was pretty cool, and he said ‘Nige you should be doing stuff like this, this is a good move for you going forward.’ I says ‘Paul you’re fucking right I like this, I said where did you get it?’

He said I got it in the flea market, I said will you take me, so he took me the next day and I couldn’t believe it! All of sudden I realised there were whole markets. I mean was about 28 at the time.

You know you’re stupid sometimes, I started the business late 60’s and it took me some years to figure out where my inspiration came from.

I had this conversation with Paul and that was the start of my love affair with vintage from 78.  I got all the inspiration I could find from 78-79 and I went to Paris and fucking had it off like you wouldn’t believe, this was before Stone Island started with the outerwear, I was the first in there with it, that type of military inspired outwear, I was right in there in 79

I went in to the 80’s and I had such good outerwear in the 80’s. I’ve still got Paul Smith’s jacket, it’s not that special really, I actually took the collar off and put a leather collar on it to do something I wanted to do as well, I’ve still got that jacket.

I’m very inspired by British, especially British Army, British Navy, British RAF, they’re key. And then the next thing that really inspires me is mountain clothing. I’m very interested in George Mallory being supposedly the first man to get to the top of everest who fucking disappeared 800 ft from the top, they say he fell from the top but nobody knows!

I’m also very interested in Edmund Hilary because he was the first man to get to the top with Norgay Tenzing and of course he was the first man to go North to South on a Tractor in Antartica. I’m really interested in mountaineering, Antartica. I’ve got a lot of books on Military clothing and of course with really good pictures so I can really see what I’m doing but to do a really good job I have to go out and buy the piece generally. I might see something in a book I really love then I have to go out and fucking find it.

The skill of this is you have to find the clothing, clothing has to have a concept of a time, you take the concept, you take the year, you take the look, you follow it, not copying it but being inspired by it.”

Henri Lloyd X Nigel Cabourn launches 30/1/20 at midday 12.00 GMT.

Interview: Ollie Evans

Portraits: Jake Ranford

Editorial: Joe McDermott

Model: Nasty Brian

Matthew Manning aka King Kuza is a Birmingham based photographer who takes raw portraits of friends and family in and around Handsworth. An area that represents the city’s wide diversity and cultural mix, his work showcases the characters and stories that make the city what it is. This is real life.

We went up to visit Matthew and spend a day in his life to get an insight into his working process, Japanese influence and the Russian martial art of Systema.

Where are you from?

England > Birmingham > Handsworth Wood

How does your area inform your photographic work?

I’ve only started to explore my area in photos recently and I’m going to say I find it majestic and ugly at the same time. You make up your own reality, I’ve meditated in the park in my area, I’ve witnessed violence in my area, watched the carnival go past my house, we have a pagoda, there are summer fetes, people selling drugs, bikers. It’s kind of made me embrace whatever aspect and it shows me that it’s not ever simple, things are quite complex and I love it.

What are your aims with your photography?

I don’t really see myself as a a photographer. I used to draw a lot before taking photos but I started to have panic attacks at college and used to get very fidgety when I sat down to draw, so taking pictures was a better outlet because you only have to rely on your eye. I have an aunty that was pretty obsessed with me when i was younger  and documented a lot of me growing up, she probably has taken shy of 500+ photos of the family. I went to her house the other day and she gave me all the photos as I want to have a section on my website of me when I was younger. When I was going through the photos of myself it actually made me cry. Then I thought to myself how cool would it be for future  generations to dig up my photos and have a more cinematic experience of life through a previous family member’s life. If something happens that I enjoy I always wonder how i can relive it again, so I guess I’m using photography as a medium to crystallise moments of my life.

How do you choose your subjects?

I rarely take pictures of people i don’t know and i don’t try to filter who I take photos of, I asked my nan if i could take her portrait the other day and she replied “cant you just use the old ones that we have, everyone’s ugly now

What makes your work unique?

My decisions. Everyone has a unique perspective but I think in the current generation we don’t champion our differences, instead we try to come together on the common thread. I like to explore the bits of me that are more personal. Also the fact that I used to meditate that’s changed me a lot. I liken meditation to having a new TV, first couple weeks its huge, you love it watching lots of movies on it then couple weeks in you cant feel the hugeness anymore. Meditation has taught me to keep the TV huge so things that may seem small and insignificant and maybe overlooked by  someone are sometimes epic to me.

How important is family in your work?

Its important because its as personal as you can get, I used to rack my brains on how I could keep the things that I create original and through buddhism I came across the gem of self inquiry, all the jewels are there, so yeah its quite important.

 

Do you come from creative family?

Yeah my dad used to collect vinyl and was in a pretty big b-boy group back in the day. I have an uncle that does wood working, the other has a masters in animation and my other uncle works as a graphic designer but he can put his hands to a few things, he used to do some bad boy photorealistic paintings. I also have an aunty who is a textile designer and a cousin that does animation and illustration. I’m like the abomination, Ive actually tried out most of things .

What influence does Japanese culture have on you? Where does that interest come from and what inspires you about it?

My mom’s brothers used to buy a lot of imported things from Japan: books, Games ,toys etc but I wasn’t allowed upstairs at my nana’s when people came round to play games or just in his room in general. I used to spend a lot more time with my father and his side of the family and they are quite religious so going to my nana on my mom’s side getting glimpses of stuff now and again was quite stimulating. At that time my take on Japanese things were quite grungy and dark seeing movies like Ninja Scrolls ,Guyver and even the games, the settings, characters and the contents were quite mature. When I got a bit older and started to collect my own things I started to get interested in the more vacuous stuff, Japanese aesthetics, sensibilities and their affinity which nature. I think i find it inspiring because I have a real fascination with the duality of things so for instance I like dark things and lighter things and how they coexist. An example, a samurai in a flowery shirt chopping another samurai down. I love shit like that.

What is Systema? Where does it come from and what does it give you?

Its a self defence system that originates from Russia and was developed for normal townspeople so they could protect themselves from surrounding countries that were invading. It’s quite interesting to look into, it has ties to the Russian Christian Orthodox Church and was actually banned from being taught in Russia at one point. The best explanation that I’ve heard is if you apply yourself to learning Systema you can obtain the intent of a killer while having the looseness of a cat. It heavily revolves around control your breathing, fluid movements, removing tension from your body in stressful situations and physical confrontation. Its made me quite resilient and has given me a fresh perspective on how fragile the body actually is and why its important to stay on the moral side of things when it comes to dealing with conflict.

What motivates you to create?

My family and my friends! without sounding to cheesy but I’m just an extension of them and feelings that I have that I want to make tangible. Ive always found it magical seeing things created from nothing and the impact that it can have on people.I hope to add to the pool of good creative work.

What does the future hold for you?

I’m programming a startup, working on a leather accessories brand and writing a high fantasy graphic novel. Hopefully something gets traction so I can have my time to create more shit.

See more of Matthew’s work here:

http://www.matthewyakuza.net/

https://www.instagram.com/kingkuza/

Portraits of Matthew & behind the scenes shots: Jake Ranford

Video: Dennis Corrigan

 

It was no mean feat getting to Ant’s garage. However, after successfully navigating my taxi driver through a maze of unexplainable road closures and Bedfordshire country lanes, I spotted the Autosportivo sign glistening in the sun from a distance and readied myself for what can only be described as a shrine for Italian motorsport.

Walking into the garage you quickly notice everything is Italian themed; from the cars, to the white walls with green and red trim and even the Abarth emblem stuck onto the post box. My eyes are instantly drawn to the reason for being here – the Lancia Delta Integrale. Two of them at that! Although they’re sat quite unassumingly under some covers, the unmistakeable bodywork of the hot hatch prevails and I recognise that I stand before rallying icons. That being said, the Lancia’s history hasn’t always been a racing one. “Before the Delta became Integrale it was just a normal five-door family hatchback” explains Ant, as he leans back into his Abarth racing seat styled desk chair.

“Lancia was doing rally at the time, ‘group B’ had just been banned and they needed a replacement for the 037, so Lancia put a four-wheel drive system with a twin cam 2-litre into the Delta and entered it into rallying… and it bloody won! As the years went on they modded the car so much – bigger wheel arches, sixteen valve engine…It won six WRC titles in a row which is what made it so legendary. No other team has ever done that.”

Ant tells me that Lancia had to put a certain number of Delta’s into production due to the fact that they’d entered it in rallying. Nearly three decades later though you’d seemingly have better odds on catching a solar eclipse. “These days when you jump in one and drive round people go mental over them” he says with a smile, “I was out on the motorway in my new Delta Evo the other week and people were slowing down to take pictures and wave at me! I’ve been in Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s, you tend to get a lot of people sticking their nose up at you, but with the Delta you feel so special and respected behind the wheel.”

The Delta Integrale’s disappearance from the roads can be largely attributed to the value of hot hatches from the 80’s and 90’s shooting up in recent years. It would appear that, much like in fashion, car trends are cyclical and hot hatches are in right now. As such, they command a much higher price now than they did when they were first marketed. “A decade ago you could pick up the latest ones for around ten grand, now they’re fetching sixty and I’ve seen ones go through car auctions at eighty!” claims Ant staggeringly.

“Renault 5 Turbos, Fiat Uno Turbos, Cossies… all of them! Rich people are buying them and just storing them like pieces of art and watching the value go up. Problem with that is you’re not getting regular guys that can afford them and use them anymore, which is why you don’t see many of them about these days.”

When I ask how long he’s been passionate about cars the answer is simple – his whole life. “Being Italian I’ve always been into Fiat and Alfa, when I left school I got an apprenticeship there working in the garages” he recalls. “My parents wanted me to go work in computers but I hated it, I was just trying please them. All my family are in the salon and hairdressing business; my brother is celebrity barber – he cuts Lewis Hamilton’s hair and people like that, my sister is a hairdresser and my mum and dad own a salon that I actually worked in when I was younger. I used to proper hate touching old women’s hair and stuff so knew I couldn’t follow their footsteps.”

To his own self admission, Ant’s life “took a bad turn” in his twenties and he found himself in some tough financial situations and even bankruptcy at one point. Nonetheless, he’s optimistic about those formative years and treats them as a crucial learning curve to future success, “eventually I went back to cars” he states positively. “Around six years ago my cousin told me I should set up my own garage because I’m so passionate about Italian cars, so I sold my Alfa Romeo 147 GTA to fund the business and just followed my passion. I’m sat here today so I guess I must be doing something right”.

Yet, it is not simply by chance that he has been so successful in this venture. Ant starts every day at 4:30 am, goes to the gym and then heads straight to the garage, “there’s a lot of hours that go into this” he tells me, before excusing himself to quickly finalise a car sale on the phone. The hours are undoubtedly paying off though – clients drive in from as far as Scotland to get work done on their niche Italian models and Ant has built an online presence which puts him at the centre of the Lancia owners’ stratosphere.

 

I found the Lancia Delta scene to be quite an exclusive tight-knit community, did that influence your decision to create the owners group?

“You are right about that actually, I’d tried to organise meets with owners but they tend to be a bit older than me and only really socialise with their own kind. That’s why I started the Lancia group on Facebook around two years ago, every day is about learning for me and I feel like you should never be afraid to ask questions. I’d rather ask questions then sit in my garage and get it wrong. I also couldn’t find a community out there specifically for Lancia Delta’s, I had found a site online but you had to pay to be a member. I figured social media is the way forward and there wasn’t a page on Facebook were you could ask questions or anything so I just thought, “what the hell” and started it. Now it’s got over a thousand members.”

How important has social media been in terms of business growth?

 “When I first started out it wasn’t that big of a thing but advertising in the local papers is prehistoric so I started the Instagram account and began posting up rare stuff, I noticed that people would like and share it to others which really helped me grow and reach more people.”

 Why did you choose to specialise in niche and classic Italian cars?

 “I’ve always driven Italian. I think German cars are boring, Italian cars have flare and you don’t see them about as much. Don’t get me wrong, if you want a nice reliable car go get a German…but Italian cars, when u drive them, you feel the road different. Jump in an Integrale and compare it to an Audio Quattro, you feel the passion behind the wheel of an Integrale. As an Italian I think I’m biased but no other car brand interests me. I worked at Audi for a bit so I have a soft spot for them and my guilty pleasure is the Honda Civic Type R – I’ve had a few of them. Other than that I’ve always been massively into my Italian cars.”

The comparison between Italian and German cars is an interesting one. Although the term ‘hot hatch’ was originally coined by Brits in the 80’s, fans of the class will know that some of the first hot hatch models came from Italian and German engineers – the Alfa Romeo Alfasud and the VW Golf GTi respectively. Their lightweight construction meant they could outrun a Ferrari 308 on country lanes while also clocking in a shade over nine seconds from 0-62mph on a flat straight. This sent ripples through the industry and laid the path for a wide range of competitors to be created by other manufacturers; cue the Ford Escort XR3, Renault 5 Turbo and Pegugeot 205 GTi.

By the 90’s however, European hatchbacks made way for a large influx of Japanese manufacturers, the most widely popular model of those being the 1.6-litre VTEC Honda Civic Type R – Ant’s guilty pleasure. The Type R spawned the increased availability of aftermarket products, helping to the further the hot hatch subculture that was steadily growing in the UK. Ant believes the answer is easy when questioning why the hot hatch has been so popular amongst British drivers for nearly forty years, “it’s just the style of them – three doors and fun to drive.”

Ultimately, it might not be the worst idea to keep models like the Delta Integrale stored safely and in good condition. They’re reminiscent of an almost extinct breed at this point and there are plenty of newer hot hatches for teenagers to race around a multi-storey car parks. Ant has a theory that the reason these 80’s models are so expensive now is because, “all the people that were in their late teens when they came out are in their forties now and they’re just paying whatever price to own their dream car from when they were that age.”

So I guess my final question is – had you always dreamt of owning the Delta?

 “Yes. Always been the dream. I’m thirty-five now and I said to myself before I turn thirty I want to own one, and I got it. Now I have two and I look at them sometimes like wow…how did that happen? That was my dream car and I managed to work hard and achieve it. I even drew an Integrale for my GCSE Art project! I could be having the worst day ever, I’ll take a look at the cars and it just cheers me up straight away.”

Huge thanks to Ant at Auto Spiritivo Bedford.

Follow his social media:

facebook.com/autosportivobedford

instagram.com/autosportivobedford

twitter.com/SportivoAuto

Interview: Nicholas Borghesi

Photography: Jake Ranford

Tell me about LQQK, how did it all begin?

LQQK Studio doesn’t have a official date that we opened our doors. Much how we still operate we are constantly discovering new interests and how we can build on them. Primarily we started as a print and design studio where multiple people could share space. It evolved into a specialized screen print studio, and now we are still morphing into more of a creative “agency” that focuses on brand development through print techniques.  Also LQQK Studio is just a clubhouse 🙂

How did you first get into the screen printing side of things? 

Band posters and shirts . Independent music is my entrance into printing. Being the guy who could deliver small runs of shirts or posters to local bands or artists without making a dime in the process. I became a talented printer this way, but was so damn broke.

It feels like you guys have a really natural organic approach to your products where do you find inspiration?

There are a few ways LQQK finds inspiration. Its usually 2 part. First being from a cultural perspective.  Everyone at LQQK loves Skate culture/ fashion, Rave culture / fashion, Casual and Hooligan culture / fashion, and Classic Italian Menswear.  We are constantly intrigued by all those eras and styles.

Part two is technique and materials. We are obsessed with fabrics. We find reasons to use certain fabrics because we are so excited about them.  Same with printing, we love developing a way to print and showcasing with our designs. Being commercial printers we have the benefit of troubleshooting and researching cool ways to print by servicing other clients. Its like subsidized research and development.

How important is community and sharing ideas with friends to the LQQK philosophy? 

Community is everything. Collective energy is how we operate. I think it is crucial to share ideas and take ideas that are given, without a dialogue creative output easily becomes a feedback loop.

You have a collab with one of my favourite brands Paul & Shark, how did that come about?

I have always loved Paul & Shark. Vintage items remind me of an Italian spin on Polo. What never made sense to me what the lack of presence in the US. This being said, my friend about a little over a year ago told me the showroom he works for started representing P&S.  Immediately I asked him to reach out and see if they would be interested in a project. About a month later we were out in Milan meeting the owner Mr.Dini and the entire Paul & Shark team to start a 2 season collection.

You also made a Vans collab last year with two in combination I’ve seeing a bit of a Paninaro influence going on, is that a look that ever travelled stateside? 

Vans was always our top choice for collaboration. We love classic design. Being able to modernize a old style that has slipped from the contemporary vocabulary is always a dream for us and Paninaro style is iconic, and definitely a massive influence.  The US is just catching onto has sick those classic brands are and hopefully this P&S collection isn’t too far over any ones head. 

What are you plans for the future with the LQQK brand?

Make rad shit for dope people.

Interview by Ollie Evans

James Massiah is a poet, DJ and musician from South London whose work delves into themes of ethics, mortality and sex. Imaginatively redefining the boundaries of creativity, he has garnered attention from some of the most revered cultural institutions and global brands of our time. We sat down with James on a vibrant day in Streatham Common to talk personal philosophies, being a multi-faceted creative and early road-rap influences.

 

What sort of environments did you grow up in?

I grew up just down the road in Mitcham, my nearest cousins to me in age lived in here in Streatham and I spent a lot of time at their house. We often went to churches in Balham, Wimbledon and Brixton. At the youth services you’d see more contemporary styles of worship involving drums and bassline grooves whereas at usual services there would be an emphasis on hymns and more traditional forms of worship. I guess I experienced both sides of it you know, people have ideas of black churches being like over the top but that wasn’t really my experience growing up and although it was predominantly black, there were definitely a diverse range of backgrounds in my church.

How was your love for poetry born?

A combination of church and school. Everyone does English in school and there are poetry modules within that which I was really drawn to at the time. You realise you can trigger different emotions in people with the words you use and you kind of start to enjoy it. As far as poetry and church, one of the youth pastors came to my house once and saw a poem I had written in school on the family notice board which he thought I should read in a service, that pretty much kicked off my career as the resident poet of the church. I ended up studying English at university, poetry wasn’t given much space in the curriculum but there was a place for it in church until I became an atheist and then there wasn’t really a place for me anymore in church.

Much of your work focuses on themes of mortality, ethics and sex, what is about such topics that you are drawn to?

I’m really into the school of thought of amoral egoism, self-determination and the idea that there’s nothing absolutely right or absolutely wrong and it’s up to each and every individual to make their own choices within the context of reality. For me there’s a lot of things I didn’t do because I thought they were wrong. For example, I didn’t get with guys or I didn’t take drugs or I didn’t even get with girls, these were things you just didn’t do because it’s wrong. Even beyond being a Christian there’s stuff that’s socially looked down upon. I try to avoid being didactic in my work, but everything an artist does has some sort of reason or philosophy behind it and so even if I’m explicitly saying to someone “don’t go church, do drugs instead” it’s in there subtly, it’s me kind of talking about what I see and talking about the lives of the people I admire and putting it all in a form that’s palatable.

Who would you say has had the biggest impact on you as a poet?

Big influences are EE Cummins; Gertrude Stein, Alice Oswald, George Orwell, Roald Dahl, Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Kanye West, Jay Electronica, Francis and the Lights, Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan, George Carlin, Dave Chappelle, Richard Prior, Eddie Murphy… But the person I can say who’s impacted me beyond their writing is Ayn Rand, her ideas really influenced me. Mostly through watching her interviews on the internet though one of my favourite books is Anthem by Ayn Rand, it’s almost a precursor to 1984 by Orwell, Rand wrote a lot about egoism and the idea of it being rational to do something in your own interest.

You’ve mentioned Charlie Dark as an early mentor, ‘towing the line between music and poetry’, was he influential in you branching out into music and being a DJ as well?

I met Charlie around 2008/09, he was doing the Nike Run Dem Crew in Shoreditch, I was chilling with Skinny Macho at a point in time when he was already going to all the early Boiler Room, NTS stuff and all the funky house raves in South, he was there at the centre of it all and I was sort of beside him throughout this time. I knew Charlie as a poet primarily and Skinny was my best friend who was getting into DJing so I was sort of bouncing between them as we were all in the same running club and would always end up at the same after-parties or whatever else. My dad had shown me Benjamin Zephaniah and John Cooper Clark videos so I was aware of poets that had done stuff before but I guess in a more recent time Charlie Dark was definitely a major influence.

You’ve been commissioned by Nike, Selfridges, Tate modern, The Guardian and many other big organisations, does poetry play a role in the world of modern marketing?

It definitely does. Since I’ve started doing adverts a lot more brands have seen and referenced them and people have got more work through that. In a weird way, working for these agencies and corporations has helped me develop my writing skills because I find myself thinking more about why I might be wording a sentence a certain way. The funny thing with many brands is that they approach me not because they care about my work or even know it but because of how I look and who I’m associated with and they think it’s cool to have that as part of their image too. Everyone is using everyone for everything all the time, which leads back to the whole idea of not caring about such things because I’m getting to a cheque, even if it wasn’t a cheque its more just about your life and what you want to take from the situation.

You’ve mentioned Wiley and Dizzee Rascal as influences and in previous interviews have mentioned being a fan of early road rap, how does your work intertwine with those genres and your experiences from that era?

My next project is going to be referencing all that. My last project was called Euthanasia Party and it was about a bunch of people who died in 2007, in that period of my life I saw the craziest shit and it really impacted me so Euthanasia Party served to cement that time. With my next project I want to re-create a lot of the videos, styles and characters that I saw in those early road-rap days, they were so dynamic and a lot of them now, for drugs or whatever else, are in prison or have lost their minds and have been completely forgotten. To me they were some of the most important poets, artists and filmmakers of that time. I’ll be out doing a set playing Travis Scott or whatever but in my head I’m thinking I just wanna play some Tempman! (laughs) I never do; I think I’m going to start though.

What themes will you explore in your next project and when will it be dropping?

I’m still deciding what the name will be but this next project is about someone who dies in the future and the idea that someone’s life can be carried on even after they’ve passed and how people immortalise them. When someone dies you put their name on a t shirt or you put their name in your bio on social media, I want to really unpack that and think about the idea of living forever and how would it be if someone’s social media profile took on a life on their own or if there was an algorithm that allowed the profile to live on. What if some young gangster who died had this Facebook profile that kept updating itself even after they’ve gone almost like a second consciousness? I feel like one of those rappers in interviews always pushing back my projects but I feel like it has to be this year, it’s got to be this year man. Do you know what? I want it to be done by the end of the month actually… actually, I might do it this weekend fuck it!

 

http://www.jamesmassiah.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jamesmassiah/

Interview: Nicholas Borghesi

Portraits: Jake Ranford & Joseph McDermott