Welcome to Brand To Watch, a style column from COMPLEX UK where we spotlight the very best emerging brands from out of the UK and find out what makes them tick and what their vision of fashion and the future looks like.
Welcome to Brand To Watch, a style column from COMPLEX UK where we spotlight the very best emerging brands from out of the UK and find out what makes them tick and what their vision of fashion and the future looks like.
Birmingham-based streetwear brand SLMPD is all about community.
Founded by music producer and fashion enthusiast SNY, the imprint began life in 2014 with a mission to tell a story through its garments, and has since gone on to bring a new and refreshing perspective to British streetwear. Driven by a positive standpoint, SLMPD combines high-quality craftsmanship with an even grittier street influence. Aimed at streetwear enthusiasts of all ages, the label’s range of sustainable, often limited-edition drops feature embroidered designs and contemporary motifs across hoodies, joggers, T-shirts, and accessories.
Since launching eight years ago, SLMPD has amassed a loyal following of mavericks through its ability to embrace elements of playfulness and art. Designed with maximum comfort in mind—from cosy camo prints to graphics which pay homage to the brand’s hometown—it’s clear that despite operating outside of London, the Midlands-residing imprint is doing more than most.
To find out why SLMPD should be on your radar, we caught up with SNY to find out about the brand’s early beginnings, the importance of community, and goals for the label moving forward.
COMPLEX: What motivated you to start SLMPD?
SNY: When I think about it—subconsciously, I’ve always been a fashion-head and sneakerhead. Growing up around older siblings and cousins dressed in the latest Avirex jackets and Akademiks tracksuits throughout the 2000s definitely resulted in me having a passion for fashion without even realising. I also studied business management at uni before dropping out, and I always knew I wanted to start my own company. Having a business background along with a passion for fashion ultimately led me wanting to create a clothing brand.
Could you tell us more about the story behind the name?
It’s quite funny because it originated organically from me and my friends using the word in slang terms for just chilling around and being quite lazy. As humans, we all need time to ourselves, to relax and slump off, in whatever capacity that may be. This is really the fundamentals of the brand, along with an emphasis on quality, comfort and cosiness.
But this is where the juxtaposition comes in: with SLMPD being an acronym for Success. Links. Motivation. Passion. Drive, it’s not all about just being lazy and chilling. We want to create comfy, premium pieces that speak to fellow ambitious-driven people in whatever field, from the creatives, freelancers, business-owners to the nine-to-fivers. Oh, and we just decided to spell slumped as SLMPD because it looks way cooler!
Does anyone on your team come from a creative background?
My team is very small, but the majority of us are creatives. Most people know me as a music producer in the 2010-2019 era. I built my name around the grime, bassline and UK rap scenes in the Midlands before creating a little buzz for myself down in London, too. I’ve worked with some of the UK’s biggest artists, from Frisco and P Money to Bugzy Malone. Being able to establish myself as a creative in the music scene helped establish who I am, creatively, and what I’m about. I’m grateful for it because it allowed people to hear my voice and see what I’m doing a little more than if I was just starting out without any prior knowledge or experience.
What fuels your creativity and drive?
It may sound cliché, but my passion is my drive. Being so passionate about something makes me want to continue and pursue it by any means necessary. In regards to what fuels my creativity, I would say just everyday life. I like to create from things I see and experience. Things like everyday surroundings and conversations can spark that creative energy where I’ll want to rush home to get that idea down so I can make something new.
Can you break down the inspiration behind your apparel?
SLMPD® is inspired a lot by Britain’s city and music culture. We design for the everyday person, no matter their background, as well as for those who speak the universal language of fashion. Also, actually seeing people walking around in the brand inspires us to keep on going forward.
Talk us through the design process. Who do you have in mind when designing your pieces?
Most of our main pieces are graphic-based, but we also have a lot of minimalist pieces that mix together and speak to a wider audience. Our graphic tees and hoodies are loved by our community, so with those we tend to focus on specific themes. These can vary from holiday-themed—Christmas, Halloween, Valentines—to seasonal, to things that reflect the culture we live in. Most importantly, our pieces are typically aimed towards the millennial generation. Streetwear has no age limit.
What makes SLMPD stand out from the other streetwear brands in the market right now?
We like to defy all stereotypes and be freethinkers and free spirits. SLMPD is a brand that speaks for people who like to be different, think different and do different things. We don’t seem to follow “trends” or what other brands are doing—we do what we want to do and what we think looks dope.
Our followers also have a huge hands-on approach across the brand. Utilising social media, we’re able to let them vote on specific colourways, drops and designs, with the ones getting the most poll votes being put into production. It’s a very direct process, which means that they’re not only feeling like they’re wearing something dope, but they’re also part of something and have created something. It’s more than a clothing brand. We’re a community.
What’s it like running a fashion brand so far away from London?
I think running a clothing brand anywhere in the UK is a very hard thing to do. There’s a lot of stress that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see. In regards to exposure, access to certain facilities—and events being outside of London—certainly makes things harder. But no excuses! Again: the passion outweighs it all and we plan on doing some big things in London very soon.
Can you give us an insight into the production of your products?
So, from the design stage, most of our stuff is then sent to be screen-printed. We also work closely with an embroidery company who do all our embroidery pieces. I’d love to dive into cut-and-sew, which hopefully will be a next chapter for the brand.
What have been some of the challenges and highlights since the launch of SLMPD?
One of the biggest challenges was doing all this solo for so many years. Trying to be a graphic designer, website designer, photographer, marketer—all at once!—is a big task. Learning about delegation and finding the right team of people is the biggest blessing. Some of the best highlights would be actually seeing people who you don’t personally know wearing your stuff in public; that will never stop being a sick feeling.
Also, seeing my peers in the music industry representing the brand and being featured in GQ were both huge moments for us. But the main highlight has to be our pop-up events; they’re always lit and the right energy, and I’d advise anyone to come through to any of our future pop-ups to come and see the vibes for yourselves.
Who would you like to see wearing your designs?
I’d love to see Pharrell Williams wearing SLMPD one day. That would be lit! A Billionaire Boys Club or Human Made collab, maybe!?
What can we expect from SLMPD going forward?
Consistency! A lot more dope designs, for sure. We’re extending our product range with things like homeware, and we’ll be hosting more pop-ups as well. SLMPD® to the world!
Head to the SLMPD webstore to cop the brand’s full range of pieces and click here receive updates on its new releases, special promotions, and discounts.