Universal Works x Bundobust x HIP – ‘A Future Friendship Project’
Fans of Universal Works will already know that good quality food fuels the design process for UW founder, David Keyte. His personal Instagram account is peppered with posts about his favourite cafes and restaurants in his hometown of Nottingham – and beyond. With this in mind, the ideas behind the latest collaboration with independent Indian street food specialists Bundobust was a no-brainer.
Known across the U.K. for modernising Gujarati street food and for championing craft beers, their thriving restaurants in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool are widely regarded as industry game changers. With critically acclaimed menus, they have become a beacon of successful casual dining across the North of England. Now, thanks to a unique friendship with the HIP store in Leeds, Universal Works and Bundobust have come together to create a mini capsule collection and uniforms for the Bundobust team.
In early 2020, we started chatting about doing something together, and working with UW to create a Bundobust staff uniform seemed like an amazing idea to start. We set up a three-way meeting between all parties in Leeds, and once David and the UW and sampled the Bundobust food they were sold! Here at HIP we have been stocking Universal Works since day one (2009) as a key retail partner. Since then, we’ve had an amazing representation of each of the UW collections – and it has remained in our top 5 brands for since the very early days. If we were to condense HIP’s aesthetic into one brand, it would simply be UW.
As long-time stockists of Universal Works we wanted to grow the uniform concept and create a HIP store only collection so that those in the city of Leeds and beyond could see the famous Bundobust graphics and the most iconic UW silhouettes from the last decade. The collection is based around the iconic Bundobust Tiger and classic UW silhouettes. The collection features heavyweight sweatshirts, military pants and chore jackets in denim and heavy cotton canvas – heavily inspired by Indian railway staff and what types of heavy duty uniforms they wear on long trips from one side of the country to the other.
Universal Works founder David Keyte remarked about how Bundobust founders Marko and Mayur are, “talented, enlightened, charming and funny. You’d be hard pressed to meet two more thoroughly nice guys! They produce great food, great beer and all with a commitment to great service that is often very hard to find. They do all this with an individual style and proper vision of what they offer and how they want Bundobust to grow. So, when they asked us to make a new version of a staff uniform, instead of our usual polite response of, ‘Sorry. No. We don’t do uniforms!’ we jumped in headfirst and started designing some fun pieces for the Bundobust team to wear.”
Further going into detail about the collection, David explained “The guys at HIP were keen to champion a local success, and they also loved the ideas we were all sharing about the styles; mixing UW with Bundobust street food and craft beer vibes. We’ve produced a mini collection for HIP that includes great UW pieces, with fabrics, prints and embroideries that celebrate Bundobust. The Pants, tees, sweats and fleece jackets are all super wearable. Alongside these, we’ve made pieces for the staff to wear at the Bundobust restaurants. I’ve been road-testing all the prototypes and print trials for a while now, and everyone in the team at UW is really loving the pieces. We know the HIP guys are excited by the collaboration and can’t wait to get it in store. As for the uniform, we think you’ll want to steal a piece or two from the staff on your next visit Bundobust in Leeds and Manchester or Liverpool!”
The Universal Works x Bundobust x HIP collaboration is part of the Future Friendship Project initiative, which sees Universal Works connecting with, and working alongside brands and companies that share their authentic vision of Peace, Love and Soul. Choosing to combine forces with other like-minded brands creates real future friendships that exist across countries without borders.
The Universal Works x Bundobust x HIP ‘A Future Friendship Project’ capsule collection is available online now and in Leeds.
KESTIN Exclusively For HIP
Founded in 2015 by designer Kestin Hare with almost 20 year’s industry experience, KESTIN aims to redefine modern Scottish design by seamlessly blending innovation with tradition. Combining details from workwear, military, sports and outdoor wear, each collection from KESTIN is functional, subtle and distinctive. For KESTIN, responsible manufacturing is key with around 50% of every collection being made in the UK.
This AW21 KESTIN are championing British workwear using locally sourced cloth from Yorkshire-based mill Brisbane Moss by producing the Otley Shirt Jacket and Ilkley Pant exclusively for HIP. Brisbane Moss have been specialising in canvas, moleskin and cord for over 150 years and are globally renowned for their guaranteed quality.
Cut from a durable 320g Panama cotton canvas from the renowned British mill and garment washed for a laundered finish – the Otley Shirt Jacket is based on a special 1950s GPO (General Post Office) Workwear Coat found in Sheffield, which would have been worn in the sorting offices as a practical solution, with lapped seams creating extra strength. Detailing such as a top pocket which has a pen pocket built into it with curve for easy access. Keeping it as true as possible to the original, we have made minor updates to modernise fit and shortened the length to make it more wearable.
Made to be worn with the Otley Shirt Jacket as a set or separates – the Ilkey Pant it a relaxed straight leg style based on traditional British workwear trousers. Mirroring the GPO jacket, these pants also feature curved pocket detailing and have been crafted from the same ultra heavyweight 320g Brisbane Moss Panama cotton canvas. Both the Otley Shirt Jacket and Ilkey pant have been subtly finished with corozo buttons, a dual branded KESTIN for HIP label, KESTIN flag label branding and tonal embroidered HIP branding.
KESTIN Exclusively for HIP is available online now and in Leeds.
adidas Originals x Sean Wotherspoon Superstar SUPEREARTH
This winter adidas Originals revisit their partnership famed sneaker designer, collector and founder of Round Two Sean Wotherspoon to create a new iteration of a vegan friendly spin on the classic Superstar silhouette. Crafted entirely free of animal based or derived products, the Superstar SUPEREARTH was consciously made thanks to a waste minimising production method formed by adidas and the use of recycled rubber that creates the sole unit.
The adidas Originals x Sean Wotherspoon Superstar SUPEREARTH is online now.
Community Culture: Light A Box Leeds – Reebok x Eames
To highlight the launch of the Reebok x Eames Club C 85 – we visited Jake at Light A Box Leeds who specialise in crafting hand-built light-boxes designed to brighten up your brand, home or event. Based in Leeds City Centre only a short walk from our flagship store, Light A Box have become renowned for their high grade work with recent clients including vintage store 194 Local, brewery Amity Brew Co and Leeds ramen spot House Of Fu.
Reebok present the first landmark collaboration with Eames Office – using Reebok’s Club C to connote Eames’ design vision of timeless, classic design to adapt effortlessly into everyday life. The shoes feature a premium luxe garment leather upper, plush terry lining and are finished with a woven Eames label and custom sockliner to give a distinctive timeless vibe.
Charles Eames and Ray Eames were best known for their ground-breaking furniture creations for Herman Miller and Vitra, the husband-and-wife team redefined post-war American design and shaped the 20th century with their playful yet purposeful sensibility. Eames design represents a belief that the objects in our everyday life should enrich our existence and transcend utilitarian function to connect with people on a personal level. The Eames motto – “Take your pleasure seriously,” highlights the fact that form and function are inseparable paths to joyous ways of living, making the Club C a suitable everyday timeless canvas to celebrate the life and work of the Eames Office.
The Reebok x Eames Club C 85 is online now.
