Having a vision to create a legacy is a daring dream to many. Executing you’re blueprint and making it a reality is what makes those innovators stand out. On a journey towards being earmarked as a focal entrepreneur in the fashion world is Junior Clint.
His story begins with education and studying business at University. Honing these skills was a steppingstone into creating the iconic brand Clints. Five years later, this brand stands to diversify its audience as September 6th will see the inaugural Clints Festival make its debut on home soil in Manchester.
On board are legends of the game and some set to be introduced into the limelight. From Mike Skinner to K-Trap to Deed0t, a host of stars will make Eccles there home on Saturday evening as the fashion world merges itself with music.
Ahead of the anticipated event, we caught up with founder Junior to explore his mindset in creating the festival, the origins of Clints, fashion from a business perspective and much more.
So Junior, September 6th will see the debut of Clints Festival. How are you feeling ahead of this, and what can everyone expect on the day?
“I’m really excited. It’s been long overdue. We’ve always loved putting on events that bring people together. Having this opportunity where people can experience us in a different form whilst tapping into our merch is a great opportunity. It’s an opportunity to collaborate with everything we’re into from music to fashion to food and entertainment. It’s good that we get to explore that avenue.”
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Being a fashion designer, what gave you the idea to integrate a music festival into your brand?
“I think it’s just for the love of what we do for the culture. Music is second nature to design. I think taste is always an element of it. We have a real diverse selection of artists at the festival. Even though it’s a new space for us, it combines everything that we’ve been doing of just loving the sport.”
Can you give us the backstory to how Clints came about?
“Clints was founded in 2020. Prior to starting Clints, I was studying Business at Uni and didn’t know what to do after. In my second year, I took a gap year to figure things out. In that space of time, I picked up new skills and read new books like Shoe Dog by Phil Knight who is the founder of Nike. Combining what I was reading and the skills I had from learning how to use a sewing machine, I transferred those skills to handmaking shoes, and it just sparked something. Sharing this work allowed me to see that people were actually interested which is the first thing when starting anything. I’m very fortunate to have it function as it does now which is far from when it was just an idea in my bedroom.”
How long did you have the idea for?
“I couldn’t really pinpoint in but 2017 is when I started handmaking products but even then, the idea was only just work in the industry or footwear. I never thought it would have worked out the way it did!”
Were there any brands or individuals that you drew inspiration from?
“At the time, Virgil was doing amazing stuff at Nike. He was doing interesting collabs with them which showed the structure of the shoe, everything was printed with the Off-White tag. Seeing someone like you in an industry which is quite gatekept, it was always going to be an inspiration. Growing up and just being a fan of good work, naturally its lead me to the same path.”
Clints is five years old now. What’s been your personal highlight during this time?
“There’s a few highlights. I would say opening a flagship store in August 2022. That was a milestone because it was something I never imagined. When the opportunity landed, it took a lot of responsibility and thought. We had to put things in place to make sure it was sustainable. It’s turned out to be something which I can’t imagine not having! Any opportunity we’ve had to collab with brands and up-and-coming designers have always stood out too.”
In terms of when you have new merch being released, how do you prepare the rollout and promotion?
“For us, our style of doing things is slightly different. We don’t do as many rollouts, but people know what to expect from us product-wise. We might do mystery boxes, themed drops, we’ve done games for footwear concepts. It changes every time.”
From a business perspective, what would you say is fundamental towards keeping the brand successful and evolving?
“There’s so many. It’s putting out fire’s half of the time! I think as long as the intent is there and you don’t give up. Finding solutions to tough decisions and having the support of people can go so far. Also, evolving is key. Maybe what we relied on three-four years ago probably wouldn’t work now. The industry is changing so fast now, so finding ways to adapt and evolve and combine certain skill levels and leverage of those skill sets really helps us over time. Something like the festival, no one asked for it but the fact that we offer it is diversifying what capabilities were able to bring to the table.”
You’re now at a point where you can host a festival. Can you recall the moment where Clints was in its first phase and starting to take off?
“I don’t think there’s been the time to think about when it started to take off, it’s just gratitude. There’s always someone wishing that they have what you have at a set time. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about when it’s taken off because that’s never been the mentality from the beginning. Even though there is gratitude constantly, there’s a lot of responsibility that no one gets to see. Within that responsibility is a great team and constant work that you have to provide in order to grow and have an impact.”
Were there any other brand ideas in the pipeline before Clints was birthed?
“I wanted to sell water once in recycle bottle materials. That was my first ever Jeff Bezos idea! It didn’t really work. I wasn’t that passionate about it but just wanted to create something innovative.”
What is your first memory of fashion?
“I couldn’t say but I do remember one Christmas I got Air Force 1’s and a blue jersey. I felt like something then receiving these items.”
If someone came to you for fashion advice, what would be your key takeaway for them?
“Individualism. Try to be close to what you like as possible. It makes the journey way more sustainable for yourself. It’s hard to give advice because my reality is different to others. Stay true to what you like but also know it’s good to meet people where they are and to have a commercial item. At the end of the day, it’s about sustaining the company. Being able to still innovate whilst making items which are wearable and durable and that can last the test of times.”
Going back to Clints Festival, what can you expect to be doing on the day?
“You know what, whenever I’m outside, I’m just talking to everyone to be honest! Once it’s there, it’s a time to enjoy it and to try and solve a few problems. On the day, we hope to have everything in place. There’s a lot of structural planning that’s gone into it. On the day it’s just about trying to enjoy as much as possible whilst making sure that everyone is safe. That’s the main thing.”
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Aside from the festival, are there any other goals you’re trying to achieve before the year closes?
“I’m not looking past the festival! I respect what we’re going into so trying not to look past that. What we do is already a lot of work. When we do drops or footwear releases, we’re doing that alongside the festival. I guess it’s just continuing that journey which is a lot of heavy lifting.”
Finally, who are three artists currently at the top of your playlist?
“Deed0t. He’s a local artist from Manchester but he’s making a lot of waves in the industry. It’s refreshing to see someone from the North being able to do what he’s doing. Jim Legxacy, I think his music has been up there for a minute now. I love what he’s doing. kwn has obviously taken off like crazy. To see her journey, I wouldn’t even put her in this category. For her, the sky is the limit. It’s crazy the trajectory she’s been on, it can only get better.”
Clints Festival will take place Saturday 6th September at Barton Aerodrome, Manchester. You can purchase tickets here.