The influential Northern Quarter retailer will return online in September, with co-founder Nigel Lawson back at the helm...
Oi Polloi, the influential Manchester menswear retailer, is set to relaunch.
Founded in 2002, the shop became one of the Northern Quarter’s defining independents, opening at a time when the area was still a developing creative enclave of the city.
Over the following two decades, Oi Polloi built an unrivalled reputation far beyond Manchester – even opening a branch in London in 2015 – and was known for its mix of outdoor clothing, sportswear, casualwear and own-label pieces, as well as a distinctive tone that helped set it apart from more conventional fashion retailers.
The business also became known for championing brands like A.P.C., Norse Projects, Margaret Howell and Folk, as well as exclusive product drops with the likes of Adidas. Its relationships with emerging fashion labels would go on to shape contemporary menswear, attracting a community of customers drawn to its spot-on curation and sense of humour.
Oi Polloi closed its Thomas Street shop after the JD Group, which had purchased the business in 2021, shut it down in 2023. However, ownership of the Oi Polloi name remained with its founders, allowing the brand to now prepare for a return.
Co-founder Nigel Lawson will lead the relaunched business, while fellow co-founder Steve Sanderson has stepped away to focus on his own projects.
“After a period away from the industry, I’m really excited to be bringing Oi Polloi back,” said Lawson.
“When the doors closed on Thomas Street, we always wanted to find a way to bring it back to life, it was just a matter of getting everything in place. The idea is we’ll start with a stripped-back selection made with the Oi Polloi magpie eye and we’ll feel our way forwards from there.”
The relaunch will begin with the return of the Oi Polloi website in September, alongside plans to revive the retailer’s own-label clothing.
“Some of the best-selling stuff we stocked was our own-label clothing, and in the time I’ve been away, I’ve been bringing some newness in with that,” added Lawson.
Further details on the website, product selection and the wider direction of the business are expected to be announced in the coming days.
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