Camden, North London, 1984. A group of friends begin an enterprise that would eventually lead them to starting the UK’s first streetwear label. The Duffer of St. George was conceived as a way to get off the dole, make a bit of cash to bankroll a bit of clubbing and enjoy a period in early 1980s London when you could still have access to a manufacturing base that would knock up some limited runs of t-shirts, jackets or trousers and still not break the bank.

The Duffer of St. George became arguably the UK’s first clothing label dedicated to Streetwear. Equally influenced by and influencing the London club scene of the day, Duffer took it’s lead from the smart working class kids of the UK underground to become a global success story with customers all over the world, 20 stores in Japan and a healthy mix of cultural style guru followers. Many of Duffer’s design team then would themselves go on to form their own clothing line’s that would make a Duffer of St. George family tree that could make the house of Windsor blush.

As the Duffer of St. George celebrates its 25th anniversary and relaunches with a ‘back to basics’ small but tight collection, we meet one of the original founders, Marco Cairns, at his studio (still based in Camden) to discuss Duffer from its humble beginnings as a market stall selling vintage clothing to where it has evolved today. And to think that at one point they had to make a decision between starting a car wash business or working on the market…