Notts is no stranger to the streetwear world. Once home to the likes of iconic 80s/90s independent streetwear shop GForce, whose stylish and original garms made waves around the globe, recent years have seen the likes of Mimm, Garms, Relic x Hooked and Hidden Garmz open shop in the city.
With a new kid on the block, Groovy Garage launching its second Midlands presence in Nottingham’s Urban Outfitters, it begs the question: ‘Why does streetwear have Nottingham in such a chokehold?’ Ahead of Groovy Garage’s launch, we chatted to their director Jack Tavener, and delved into the rise of streetwear culture.
When Streetwear first emerged in the 1970s, it was predominantly worn by urban teenagers who craved a sense of creativity and individuality, crafting styles to express themselves, with limited resources or money. Once worn by skateboarders and surfers in California, it became the uniform of many on the fringes of mainstream fashion, culture and society. It’s no wonder then, that Nottingham - a city known for its rebellious nature - was an early adopter of the trend.
In the 70s and 80s, brands like Stussy and Hurley were early pioneers of streetwear, but once it hit the mainstream and influences from hip-hop, skate and punk cultures infiltrated the scene, the trend became more commercialised.
During the late 2000s as the world became more green conscious and the slow fashion movement dominated, streetwear lovers started to follow suit, often favouring retro 80s and 90s vintage pieces, over new and emerging ones. This marked a cyclical evolution of the trend.
Enter vintage streetwear brands such as the Groovy Garage, which launched in Kettering five years ago and has amassed a cult following. The team’s Kettering store has attracted fans from across the Midlands, but August marked its first launch in Nottingham with a mini store-within-a-store, at Nottingham’s Urban Outfitters.
“We've had a shop in Kettering for about five years now, but we’ve been doing pop-ups for the last three years on the side on the last weekend of every month, and travelling to Nottingham,” director Jack Tavener said. “We fell in love with the city, as it’s such an amazing place. We could have chosen any city and we were offered London, but we wanted to do it Nottingham, because it just felt right, both geographically and with the students too. We feel that a shop like this coming to Nottingham which sells streetwear and all the types of pieces - things that people can't get that often - is seriously what the city needs.”
The new store is located at the downstairs, menswear section of Urban Outfitters, and stocks a range of menswear and genderless garms, including hoodies, polos, vintage sportswear, jeans and more. Labels include Adidas, Nike, Carhartt, Stone Island and Evisu, as well as designer labels like Prada, Moschino, Yves Saint Laurent and Ralph Lauren.
Jack says the store hopes to offer something for everyone. “It's a mix of vintage designer style, with a twist of streetwear,” he says. “There's stuff like Stone Island ranging back from the 1980s for example. For our Nottingham store and the stock we have there, we’ve worked hard to create a space where everybody can shop. It's not just pieces that are hundreds of pounds. People will find things there that may cost a few hundred pounds, but then there'll be something in there for fifteen quid, so everyone can shop.”
If you buy something pre loved, it has character and nine times out of ten, somebody else isn't going to have it. I love the story behind the garments too
“Often with some of these streetwear shops in London, people don't feel like they can go in them because it's intimidating. Everything's so expensive, they're playing loud music and it can all be a bit much. But, I'm trying to give off the vibe that you can come in, have a look around and take your time. It doesn't matter what you have on, you'll probably find something you like”
It’s this very ethos which may explain the recent rise in vintage streetwear, with people often turning to vintage boutiques to get their hands on a bargain or a rare piece from years back that no one else has. Some might say, the circular nature of these garments offers a nod to streetwear culture’s original roots, when early adopters didn’t often have money to buy the latest trends, so were fuelled by a craving to stand out from the fray.
Jack resonates with this, explaining that his love for vintage streetwear bargains began back in 2017, when he and his friends used to trawl car boots and vintage shops in Leicester to get their hands on some treasures. However, he believes TikTok has played a big part in people’s love for streetwear pieces
“I think TikTok has obviously played a massive part in terms of fashion and brands. I used to do car boots and there'd be no one there. Now I do car boots and people walk around with cameras on their chests, filming TikToks. I think TikTok has definitely helped in bringing retro fashion to the mainstream.”
“There's just so much in preloved too. Not everybody wants to wear the same things as everybody else. But if you buy something preloved, it has character, and nine times out of ten somebody else isn't going to have it. I love the story behind the garments too. We do markets all over the world, but people often don’t realise how much effort we put into finding these pieces.”
Groovy Garage launched on 29 August. Find it in the menswear section of Urban Outfitters in Nottingham’s Victoria Centre.
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