We had the pleasure of visiting Universal Works HQ in Nottingham to meet the team and founders David & Steph. We chatted all things brand building, doing things properly and with integrity, and the importance of our partnership. We're really proud to stock Universal Works and be trusted by them to take on their deadstock and samples, to bring to our customers in our curated stores.

Here's what David had to say about their brand...

How was Universal Works born?
We both spent our careers in the clothing industry, Stephanie studied design at university and went on to work in both retail and production based jobs at Paul Smith, where she met David who was the production manager at Paul Smith at he time, he went on to work for other leading UK designers. In late 2008 they made a decision to continue doing the jobs they loved but for themselves and start their own brand. 

How does the brand think about sustainability and retaining value in your pieces?
We have always been interested in trying to make the work and home lives more sustainable, more just, and more equatable. And a big part of the reason we started the business was to show we could be a successful clothing brand and still CARE about the way we worked, the impact we made and the way we treated our suppliers, our staff and our customers.

What influences Universal Works design?
Life! Film music art, all the things we love really, its an ongoing slowly moving, slowly evolving journey.

How has the brands founding ethos creating honest, timeless menswear held up as the brand has grown - what does "honest clothing" mean to you now versus then?
I can honestly say its NOT changed we still believe in the same things, doing things in the same way, being the same people today as we did 17 years ago when we started, it has not and will not change as long  as we are here in the company. We strongly believe we have to be honest and have integrity.

Tell us about your production, how do you find the makers you want to work with?
Well a lot of that is experience and years of working in the clothing industry, and we try to stay loyal and build with the same makers, not change them if we can, but grow with them, build with them. We do find new makers occasionally and add to our portfolio of partners but it’s a long process, and often comes from recommendations and long term contacts we have. We are looking for people who think and act like us to partner with really.

The brand motto is "Peace Love Soul" - from the heart, with honesty and integrity. How do you live that?
Well it's been our strap line from the beginning, I stole it from a small restaurant I went to on my first trip to NYC many years again, a soul food restaurant but the owner told me it's not a line about soul food, but that all he did came from the soul, from the heart, so we always said when and if we had our own brand it would be because we would do it from the soul, about our passion not about money, and again we live this every day, everything about the product and the type of company we build has to be from the soul. It has to have meaning and be honest and have a purpose, add value to the world not take from the world.

What does success look like for Universal Works in five years - is growth even the goal?
Success is firstly making product we are proud of and continuing to do that, after that growth is not an end in itself but if we can grow the business and stay true to our values then I think growth can be a good thing, if we are force for good, for decency for business with integrity and that values people and the planet then growth can be good to show that good businesses can succeed and create valuable meaningful jobs and maybe dress us all well along the way!

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Shop Universal Works in our stores in Margate, Dalston & St Leonards.

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Photographer: Monwar Hussain - Studio Mon