We had the privilege of interviewing Ladi Alexander the Creative Director of one of the hottest and artist endorsed UK clothing line Marbek.
How did you get into fashion industry?
I used to spend a lot of time checking out high fashion brands and stores in the West End. While being around North West London in more urban areas, I’d always see what was in the stores even though the prices were not accessible. It was inspiring to see and I had an idea to merge the style with more everyday pieces that people from the streets would relate to like bombers and tracksuits. This helped form the idea behind the style and the culture Marbek would align with, which effectively created a path for me to get in to the industry via Marbek. I don’t like to look at it like being in the ‘industry’ its more so creating your own lane with fashion/clothes being the outlet if that makes sense. I like to think we are our own entity.
Marbek is best known for pioneering the Camo and making it hype again. Who’s idea was this?
Can I say it was my idea haha? Our 1st ever designer a lady called Sophia designed the print back in 2014. Generally I think it’s because of how we executed the Camo that got people talking and people wanting that product. Because we did it on a bomber and we had the two tone camo bomber as the initial product this was something fresh at the time and got us a lot of attention.
We have noticed Marbek is really supported by the UK music scene. Which is great to see. How did this synergy come about?
As Marbek is seen as elegant streetwear when we first came about we hadn’t done much work with the UK scene it was more so America. As the scene started to develop with the new wave of UK artists we started to connect with a lot of artists that had a style that would fit well with the brand. Some of which were Yung Fume, Yxng Bxne, Not3s , Mostack, Hardy Caprio and Ms Banks to name a few. It then spiralled in to a place where we were receiving emails from up and coming artists that wanted to sport the clothing in their music videos. It was like getting a stamp of approval! We’d then almost play A&R where we decide whether we think the artist would do well and if they had a cool style and if they did we would happily support!
Who has been your favourite celebrities supporting Marbek?
It’s probably been Offset or Neymar!
Which product/project has been your favourite to work on so far?
We did an event during Paris fashion week in January which was an experience! We made some custom hoodies that you could remove patches from and almost customise yourself that went down well! That was definitely one of my favourite things that we’ve worked on. At the event we had a mixture of UK artists and underground French artists too so that was a nice blend of culture!
UK fashion is exploding right now. With so many new brands coming out every week. What keeps Marbek fresh and a pioneer is this ever competitive industry?
I think its always a matter of thinking outside the box and trying to be ahead of the curve which has always been what we have thrived towards, whether it be working with an artist that is unheard of but you see their vision or testing a product that similar brands don’t normally do. The idea is to always give people something to talk about and get excited about.
What are your top tips for creatives starting out their career in fashion?
I’d say learn as much about the business as you can because it goes hand in hand with the creative side. I’d also say manage your relationships as best you can as that’s what leads to opportunities and collaboration which can get you seen/heard by people that normally wouldn’t come in to your path.
What were your thoughts on Gucci being boycotted by the US rappers?
I think the problem if there is perceived to be one is way bigger than that (Gucci or boycotting Gucci) and although people may boycott it today, because its whats trending its more about understanding what it is you are boycotting, so if your going to boycott Gucci, if you have a problem with what they did or do then you should be boycotting a lot of other brands/products etc so me personally I’d just say people should do research so their message is clear and not just jump on a bandwagon even if you don’t agree with what they did. Its just about looking at the total picture.
Collaborations are so hot right now! Are there any collabs coming up with Marbek?
Yes there are! We just did a collab with an Amsterdam based streetwear brand called ‘Black Banana’s’ which was very good! We dropped some cool pieces and we have a few more in the pipeline that should surprise people! Collabs to us are about working with people that offer something different to you whether that be the audience or the product type so it will be interesting!
What’s next for Marbek?
We have some airpods coming out!! Thats something we are excited about with our connection to the music scene especially. Also, we are working on some events in the states and with some US retailer so look out for that! We are going to be merging a lot of cultures so that will be cool!
Ladi thank you for such a great interview. We wish you and Marbek success and prosperity. It’s great to see young, fresh and unique ideas come to life and become successful, even more so when they are from our roots and culture.
By AV