The latest in my series of interviews is with Kenneth Mackenzie, designer and founder of popular clothing label 6876 – a brand famous for its focus on quality and fabric innovation.
Cheers to Kenneth for the interview.
What is your background (if any) in the design / clothing industry?
Originally I studied graphics and then fashion and I worked at various magazines and design companies on internships. After graduating I worked as sales director at Duffer of St George for five years.
I've noticed that 6876 is named such due to the 1968 student riots in France and the emergence of punk. Do you therefore feel that 6876 has a certain rebelliousness about it and doesn't go about things in the conventional way?
Yes it was more a mentality than any stylistic details as well as the fact that these movements were a great influence on me. However i also had this view that the concentration had to be on the product and the brand, not specifically me as i hated all the ego-led fashion mentality of naming a brand after yourself. Check Run DMC Rock Box for the best put down of CK.
Why did you want to set up your own clothing label?
Basically i didn't really want to work for other people anymore and i thought i might have something to offer. Of course you never really know.
What is the ethos behind 6876?
That it is an independent company with good product, interesting concepts and it is fairly priced. Above all its a pooling of ideas and people with a modernist mindset.
Where are 6876 garments produced?
Currently they are produced in Portugal, Slovakia and the UK. Previously we have produced in Italy as well.
Is 6876 popular across the globe or is it a brand which is predominantly popular within the UK?
We have a good UK following but there is also a strong market in Scandinavia, Japan and the USA.
A lot of your clothing is popular with the football casual. Why do you think this is?
I'm not too sure but I think the casual scene has a loyalty towards its brands and doesn't tend to be dictated to by anyone. I think they are keen to wear and search out smaller, less marketed brands.
6876 is relatively hard to find due to the limited number of retailers who carry it. Has this been a deliberate move and what benefits does it carry with it?
It's a complex situation. We found it very difficult to continue the twice yearly collection system and also i felt it was becoming outdated so we moved to rolling product and decided to work on more collaborative projects. However sometimes it is tricky to find the correct manufacturers so it takes time to release product and we have our own online store so it is not in our interests to sell to a large amount of retailers.
Would you ever want to see 6876 become a larger brand or are you keen to maintain it as a small label?
If the situation was correct then yes I'd like to change the way we work but sometimes "the grass is always greener" mentality isn't necessarily so simple.
Where does the inspiration for your designs come from?
That's a huge question! Inspiration is taken from military, work wear, vintage sportswear and re-interpreting classic items. It's so hard to pin point as it is so personal and sometimes it might just be a fabric that sets off an idea or a reaction to move in an opposite direction. As for my obscure references maybe that's better left to another time but it could be a photograph or a film – anything.
What has been your favourite item that you have designed?
The ones that don't sell! In the old days my favourites didn't always sell. It's hard to choose as there's now different eras as in a smarter look, a more sportswear look etc.
A jacket that will come back as i feel it can be done better is a double Harrington we made in Italy around 2000. It's basically two complete jackets that button together and quite a few friends have it and are always telling me to re-issue it. Anyway i am on a 90's 6876 head at the moment. It's odd as people ask always ask when particular jackets are from and i sometimes forget they are ten years old.
6876 has become renowned for technical innovation in many of its designs. Have you always been interested in researching and implementing new fabrics?
The fabrics have always been key to the brand and it's one of the parts of designing that is the most interesting to me. I have a huge admiration for the real innovators in the textile area.
What other designers / labels do you admire?
There's brands that I admire for different reasons but unfortunately they are too indepth to list here. Among them are Patagonia, RRL, Filson, Vintage REI, Yoshida Porter and Alden. On a more fashion head there's Margiela, Dries Van Noten and Junya Watanabe. Plus there's just certain stores that I like – Old England in Paris, Kapital in Tokyo, Farlows in London. I also have many military and workwear items.
Following your recent collaboration with the Regent Belt Company, can we expect more collaborations with other labels in the future?
We have one major collaboration with a technical outwear company for AW11 which is going to be very good... but I can't reveal yet.
The Capandula jacket was an enormous success and has now become a very rare item. Are there any plans to "reissue" certain jackets in the future or is the focus on constantly evolving the designs?
It is only in last few years that I've become comfortable with the idea that i have a relatively large back catalogue and that at times it is okay to delve into that so now I think there's a marriage of newer designs and some re-interpretations.
What can we expect from the forthcoming winter collection?
Most of the collection is made in the UK with very high quality Military Barathea's so although modernist in design, it has a classic 6876 more clothing than sportswear feel. Although it's NOT Heritage in feel, in anyway shape or form - death to fake Heritage!
What are your future plans for 6876?
To get our production facilities running more smoothly so that we can release more product and make sure the two joint brands are successful.
No comments:
Post a Comment