Tuesday, 19 October 2010

Ian Peggs (Peggs and Sons): Interview

Made from Plastic was recently fortunate enough to chat with Ian Peggs from Peggs and Sons, one of the best independents boutiques in the UK. Here’s what he had to say:

How would you describe your role within Peggs and Sons? 
Head chef and chief bottle washer..as a small independent we don’t have the finances or manpower to bring in ‘professionals’ to do stuff for us, so we all pitch in to make things happen. I love being on the shopfloor, as at the end of the day, we are a store and and we need to sell product, but when im not, I’ll be keeping the wheels on the bus dealing with admin etc, out buying collections when its that time of year and paying the bills..


What's your favourite clothing store other than Peggs and Sons?
It’s a great time for menswear right now- we have been plugging away in this area of clothing for 10 years now and rarely look to see what other stores are doing but you would have to be blind not to notice the tremendous (and well deserved) success of stores such as Oi Polloi and the great mix of clothing in the likes of Belfast’s The Bureau.

What's your favourite brand? 
I hate these questions. I find it tricky to pin down any one ‘thing’. One brand which we have sold since we opened over 10 years ago is 6876 and it would be no chore to wear anything produced by Kenneth.


What's next for Peggs and Sons?
We open our new store in the next few weeks…its only a stones throw from our current one but it’s a little larger and we can give the clothing the space it deserves.

What are your favourite pieces for next season?
There are a few… but basically next season I will be mostly wearing the new ARN mercantile collection.

Who are you personal style icons?
A fairly clichéd response im afraid but steve mcqueen was a fucking supercat. However, out of my contemporaries, Cathal Macateer of folk is an effortlessly stylish bastard. When I grow up I want to be a bit like him.

What do you think you would be doing if you didn't work for Peggs and Sons?
I would probably be another victim of brightons louche attitude to life. I hear its called the graveyard of ambition as its so easy to roll on through having a great time..

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own clothing store and get into buying?
Be prepared for a lot of hard work before you can even think of making a living out of it.. lots of dough, though not necessary, helps.. couldn’t tell you how to get into buying, I have always made it up as I go along. Its all worth it though- half the battle in life is doing something you enjoy..

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