Three young creatives based in Winchester, UK, discuss the future of fashion and the process of launching their own clothing companies. Sheesh Magazine chatted with Jackkapon of Sabai, Toby of EARL, and Wolfe of Bored as Hell about how to create a brand from your bedroom and give an insight into what makes a dream a reality.
1. SABAI
18-year-old Jackkapon Khongkhao launched his clothing company at the age of 14. “I used to go down to the skate park and all the guys there would wear Supreme and Palace stuff,” he says, “I thought they were so cool but back then I didn’t have a job and got like £2 pocket money a week.” After buying a screen printing kit off eBay and learning via YouTube, he started his creative career by making fake Supreme and Palace t-shirts. “That was cool for a while, but it wasn’t very fulfilling.” Jackapon then decided that it was time to create his own designs, and Sabai was launched, “I wanted to do my own thing, and I’ve just kept on doing it since.”
What’s the meaning behind the name Sabai?
JACKKAPON: Sabai is a Thai word that means relaxed, comfortable and content. There isn’t a direct translation into English, so I like to think that sabai means to try to be at one with yourself, to understand the world around you, appreciate and enjoy more and to have a sense of purpose. No one’s perfect, but it’s all about wanting to be better, I guess.
What is the creative process like when making your clothes?
JACKKAPON: It’s basically me at 6am and I haven’t slept. I’m just there in the dark and I’ll have an idea and then I write it down on my phone. I’ll either go on Photoshop and put some things together, or do a little sketch. Depending on the design I’ll either put the whole thing together myself or work with some of my friends, like Bracken, who does lots of illustrations for me. She does a really good job, and then I’ll just edit them and we get them made as a screen and just mess around. It’s not really strict at all. We just have ideas and bounce them off each other. We’re really making clothes that we want to wear ourselves.
What was the first design you made and what has been your favourite design so far?
JACKKAPON: The first design I made was the Ferrari logo but with an elephant instead, because you know, Thai theme, and it just said Sabai underneath. It was a pretty good one, but my favourite design is this cool t-shirt and it’s basically a girl who’s eating the letters of Sabai on a fork. I made that randomly in college for a graphics project, but I switched out the letters and messed around on Photoshop and it worked out really well. Most of my best designs are ones that I don’t think about too hard. Just do things that make sense and mean something to you.
What lessons have you’ve learned from starting your own business?
JACKKAPON: You’ve got to manage your money and really be on top of things. It’s much better to be prepared than to be unprepared and it’s important to give yourself room for error. I don’t think people should be so hard on themselves. Mistakes are bound to happen. It’s all a learning process.
What are your plans for the future of Sabai?
JACKKAPON: Probably to just continue what we’re doing. We’ve got so many plans and designs right now, but it’s just about managing money and actually being able to make things because of constraints of doing it all yourself. I’m going to expand into different types of clothing we haven’t done yet. We’re gonna get into homewear, accessories, and just keep doing cool things. Whatever we think will be cool, we’ll just make it.
2. EARL
18-year-old Toby Quick launched EARL in September 2020 and creates designs influenced by his love for skateboarding. Through EARL, Toby is able to express his creativity and connect with his followers whilst sharing his passion for skating all at the same time. “EARL is about creativity,” Toby says. “To me, creativity is doing whatever you want and doing it for the sole reason that it’s what you truly want to do.”.
How has skateboarding influenced your designs?
TOBY: My life revolves around skateboarding and has since I was a kid. Skateboarding is all I know and all I can ever imagine being able to influence the clothing I make. For example, the London tube design was thought up on the way to Mile End skatepark in London whilst I was sitting on a crowded train. I’m also thinking of working with graffiti for future designs which I feel goes hand in hand with skateboarding.
What is the meaning of EARL?
TOBY: The actual name Earl comes from a cactus I got when I was four and has no other meaning other than that.
Do you have other current projects besides EARL?
TOBY: Right now I’m just focusing on being creative and trying to learn to do whatever seems interesting, like pottery or creating a life-size graffiti stencil. I’ve got lots of other ideas I’m working on, like a podcast and more skate videos, but at the moment I’m just waiting for this lockdown to be over so I can put lots of ideas into full effect.
What are your plans for the future of EARL?
TOBY: Decks, more decks, better clothes, better designs, and hopefully a short length EARL skate video.
3. BORED AS HELL
23-year-old Wolfe launched his clothing company in early February of 2020. Bored as Hell showcases sustainable designs and recently worked in collaboration with a local vintage store to create unique one-off pieces. “I’m mainly making things that I want to wear,” he says, “the fact that other people enjoy it too is a bonus.” Wolfe’s favorite part of the creative process is seeing his hard work come to life, “When you see someone appreciating a piece you have poured countless stressful hours into, it makes it all worthwhile”.
Why did you start your clothing company?
WOLFE: Clothing has always been something that I wanted to get into. I’m an avid follower of US streetwear but nobody likes to pay over £30 for shipping. I got tired of missing out on these pieces and didn’t feel as though there was anything in the UK market that pushes that same style. So with that in mind I spent the entirety of 2019 learning, testing and trialing ideas before my first drop in 2020.
How would you describe the clothes you make and what inspires your designs?
WOLFE: I really hate using the term “streetwear,” but it was a term born from activities with a discernible edge which I think is the best way to describe the clothes. If a design can spark a conversation, be that positive or negative—in the case of Bored as Hell it’s usually negative, most notably our 69ing devils design—then it’s doing its job. At least that’s what I think. I’ve found that people are scared to admit that they take inspiration from things. They try to pretend that all ideas and designs come from themself and nowhere else. That just isn’t true, inspiration is everywhere and I try to take inspo from as many places as possible.
What goes into making a design a reality?
WOLFE: Time, a whole lotta time.
Do you have any other creative projects besides clothing?
WOLFE: Since going full time with Bored as Hell I have not had much time to focus on many other creative projects. I’d like to get back into making art, just last week I made a piece that had nothing to do with Bored as Hell and it felt great.
What are your plans for the future of Bored as Hell?
WOLFE: More, but just on a larger scale. It’s still early days for Bored as Hell, I’ve hardly shown what the brand is capable of. More collabs is something I want to do. There’s a lot of unnecessary hostility between brands which isn’t needed, there is plenty of space for us to all grow together.
Don’t forget to support these young designers by keeping up with all their brands on Instagram! And for more young creatives to support, check out 3 Small Brands to Look Out For.
