Interview - Steve Sanderson

Established under the moniker "talent borrows, genius steals", Oi Polloi was set up by Nigel Lawson and Steve Sanderson back in 2002. In the eight years that have followed, Oi Polloi has been a resounding success; establishing itself as one of the finest menswear shops in Britain and pioneering many brands previously unheard of on these shores such as Fjällräven and Native Craftworks.

The shop has recently moved out of its premises in Manchester's Northern Quarter and we thought it would be a great time to see how things are going for them. Co-founder Steve spoke to us about many things, including the relocation of the shop, his almost lifelong obsession with clothing and his future plans for Oi Polloi.

You have recently relocated Oi Polloi. How is business going?
The new store's worked out very well – better than we expected. We were a little bit worried about how our core customers would react to the change but it's cool; everyone seems to love the new store.

Have you always harboured an ambition to run your own menswear shop?
I'd suppose so, yeah. Before this I used to cut hair which was something that I really just fell into after a spell at art college. I was pretty good at it. However, I was far more obsessed with clothes and shoes than I ever was obsessed with cutting hair.

How long have been passionate about clothing for?
I've been into clothes from a pretty early age. I think it all started when I was around seven or eight years old. I don't think I appreciated the full extent of what I was about to step into. Things started to get properly out of hand when I started secondary school. It's been an obsession ever since.

Had you any experience in retail or the menswear industry prior to Oi Polloi?
No, none whatsoever except from buying clothes for myself. However, I had run my own business before Oi Polloi was born. When we first set up the shop, I was cutting hair in the basement in order to bring customers into the store. I've learnt on the job, mainly. I don't think I was a bad student – it's pretty easy learning about a subject you love.

What prompted you to set up Oi Polloi?
It's simple really. There was a total lack of good shops selling the type of clothing we wanted to wear. The actual idea to do it ourselves came about at a friend's birthday party. It was the usual night of talking bollocks except this time we actually went out and did it.

How would you sum up the overall philosophy or ethos behind Oi Polloi?
It's about good design, classic design, quality, substance, heritage & style.

Was it hard finding the right location for the shop?
No, we already knew which shop it had to be.

Oi Polloi started out selling a lot of vintage gear – old Lacoste and deadstock adidas – but no longer does this. Do you ever envisage a return to stocking vintage clothes or do you think it's best left to other shops?
It's best left to other shops now in all honesty. We've got enough on our plate as it is and there are some great vintage shops close to us.

Oi Polloi has developed gradually over the years. How did you drive up interest at the start and how do you promote the shop now?
It started largely as word of mouth and then we discovered the Internet. The rest as they say, is history (sorry). Once we got the web site up and running that's when people started to notice us a little bit more. We were just trying to turn what we'd done with the store into a web site. There was no grand plan, other than a spot of world domination.

As well as the shop there have been other extensions of the Oi Polloi 'brand' such as the collaborations with R. Newbold as well as the publication of the Rig Out. Are there any other areas you're looking to try your hand at?
I don't want to give the game away too much.

We've been busy sorting Pica Sounds music collaborations. There's also more to come from the Rig Out as well as further clothing and footwear collaborations. Oh, and we're working on our own label – Cottonopolis. Remember where you heard it first (maybe not quite first, but near enough).

Would you say there's been a secret to Oi Polloi's success?
To be honest, there's been no secret to the success of the store.

What brands are you planning on working with?
There's going to be more Oi Polloi collaborations with Henri Lloyd and Norse Projects.

Is more money made from online sales than in store?
It's a big growth area in terms of sales online but so is the new Thomas Street store.

Part of what makes Oi Polloi different to other shops is the fact that you're constantly searching out new brands and styles, often before many other shops are there. Is this done deliberately in order to make Oi Polloi stand out?
It's not deliberate, it's just what we do. We can't help ourselves.

How do you find these brands?
I think we find these labels because we are always on the lookout. We never stop.

Would it not be less risky to stock more established labels or do you feel that people are always on the lookout for something new, no matter how obscure?
It's definitely not just about being obscure. We don't want to be wearing the same stuff as everybody else. The differences are subtle. That's the game, we know the difference and appreciate it more than most.

From a personal point of view, what are your favourite labels that you've stocked?
This list could go on and on, there's so many. Some of the my favourites have been Engineered Garments, Gitman shirts, Ralph Lauren, Lacoste (polo shirts), Levi's Vintage, Burlington, Clarks, Persol, Yuketen, Arrow, Superga, Gloverall and so many more.

What other shops are you a fan of?
I was a big fan of J. Simon and Hurleys back in the early eighties, and Aspecto later on that decade. Duffer was also great in the early nineties while Liberty's was pretty decent in the late nighties and eartly noughties.

Thanks for your time Steve – it's really appreciated. One final question: ten or fifteen years down the line, where would you like to see Oi Polloi?
As one of the best men's clothing shops in the world. It's not much to ask, is it?

Jimmy Jazz would like to extend a big thank you to Steve for answering our questions. If you haven't already, check out the Oi Polloi shop or website and get with the programme, already!