Interview with Cool As Leicester

I caught up with Gabby over at Cool As Leicester to tell her more about our the brand and what is planned for the future. 

How did the new brand come about?

Hello! So I have always been interested in fashion; it was part of my family history. My grandad had a hosiery factory in Leicester during the 70s & 80s, he taught me how to sew and make t-shirts from template to finished product. After working in the fashion industry for nearly 12 years as a mix of retail and fashion design I decided to put pen to paper, create some designs and set up the brand.

Tell us a little about Klatch Co?

I take inspiration from our love of music, street art, design and skateboarding. Growing up with these influences I felt a sense of community, especially when surrounding myself with people who shared the same interests. This became the foundation of Klatch and how I wanted to create a brand with community in mind. Which ties in with the meaning of Klatch: an informal social gathering at which coffee is served. I interpret this as meeting up with friends, having some drinks and sharing those interests.

What are your favourite products in the collection?

It is very tough to pick a true favourite out of the current products as I am very proud of each product released so far.

However – I have spent most of the colder mornings in the comfy OG Beanie then find myself in our District snapback cap paired with our globe crew style socks.

Who are some of the brands you look up to?

A brand that’s had a big influence on us is KROST New York. Founded by Samuel Krost, the brands ethos is about supporting your friends and helping the local community through charity work, donations and volunteering. These core values resonate through our brand. I have been lucky enough to work on Samuel’s brand in a previous job and still keep in touch. I also look up to Ronnie Fieg (founder of KITH) as we share a similar attitude towards product development. Ronnie Fieg only creates product that he is passionate about and wants to wear. He surrounds himself with designers who also share that passion to create the best products.

What makes Klatch unique?

A big factor in what makes Klatch unique is the fashion experience I have working with manufacturers and fashion suppliers. Each product is designed in house by me, sampled, tested and then redesigned to meet my high specifications. I take pride in our product development process to ensure I release the best product possible. Not many young streetwear brands will go into this level of detail from the start and tend to use ‘off-the-shelf’ blank caps, beanies, t-shirts and apply their logo onto it.

Tell us about Klatch’s charitable work?

Men’s health is a topic very close to our hearts, especially over the past couple of years with lockdowns, therefore we have committed to donate 10% of our annual profits to Movember charity. Men’s health, typically mental health, is a very taboo subject within male groups and I want to help bring it to the surface. 

Where do you plan to take Klatch Co in the future?

In the short term I will release more product throughout the year by introducing more SnapBack cap options and our crew style socks. During the next year we plan to build our e-commerce and social media presence. In the next couple of years I plan to release bags and other small accessories.

I want to cement the brand as a premium independent accessories brand that releases high quality product for everyday life. Having fun and being creative along the way is part of who I am, so I welcome anyone to join us on the journey and be part of the community.