Social media has broken down the barriers between fashion fans and the industry’s elite, leaving behind a wasteland of hype and trends; one day you’re hot, the next day you’re not. In this ever-changing market, Manchester’s own Sampaix Studio have their anchor firmly nestled in the seabed of streetwear’s up-and-comers.
We spoke to the brand’s CEO, Jared Knight, and marketing wizard Ben Davidson on what makes their brand tick…
In 10 words or less, what is the Sampaix aesthetic all about?
Thinking inside the box – Sampaix was started with very limited resources and knowledge. Times have changed, but the trial error approach and DIY attitude are at the core of our development process.
A common praise of Sampaix is the heavyweight, durable fabrics – how do you guys manage to consistently maintain high levels of quality control?
The life span of our product is always a conscious thought; my favourite pieces are older than me. I would like to think that Sampaix pieces would follow a similar timeline.
We want our products to last and for people to enjoy wearing our products for years to come and help move away from this idea of disposable fashion. The majority of our products are produced locally then finished in-house; this is how we manage to maintain a consistent level of quality.
Every collection features off-kilter, unique colour choices. What goes into the process of your colour scheme development?
The most recent collection “Growing Pains” featured colours that we’ve used in the past. The colour schemes came from the beauty of aerial views of rice fields in South Asia. The current project is a refinement of those initial colour pallets.
The recent “Too Many Lies” t-shirt went down a storm – what was the thinking behind that piece?
“Too Many Lies, No One Is Achieving” – is a lyric from Sade’s “When Am I Going To Make A Living” that I feel is relevant to a lot of things that are happening today. The pressures of social media have created a smoke and mirrors generation, we’re all guilty. Hence why the graphics are monochromatic.
How has Paris shaped what Sampaix is today?
Paris is in the DNA and was the birthplace of Sampaix. After living there for a short period of time, it gave me a sense of exploration of which has influenced my design philosophy and shaped what Sampaix is today.
In the same breath, how has Manchester shaped Sampaix?
After my time in Paris, I came back with the energy to start this brand and Manchester gave me the focus to propel this forward. Manchester is an industrial city where work gets done; there is little room for laziness, the hardworking spirit is definitely in the air.
How would you like to see Manchester as a creative hub develop in the future?
We plan to focus our effort on building a strong creative/design house here in Manchester. Many young creatives often leave Manchester to seek work and stronger networks within this industry due to the lack of opportunities outside of university. We want to continue to work alongside a range of local talent, from young creatives to experienced seamstresses.
If you could style any 3 celebrities in Sampaix, who would they be and why?
I don’t know man, anyone who’s PayPal ready…
We’re really focused on building a core audience and understanding our consumer.
