Wetherspoons; fashion inspiration to be floored by
You can be inspired by many things; poetry, art, the glint of sunlight off a crystal clear lake or, in this instance, the brilliantly garish carpets on the floors of Wetherspoons bars. Here, Jack Snell, a creative at BMB London, talks about how he and his creative partner Joe Lovett decided to create a fashion line side project from pub chain floor fabric.
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Inspiration comes in many forms but, so far, the carpeting used in Wetherspoons pubs is on the more niche side of things; tell us more?
JS: I was sat in the Hamilton Hall Wetherspoons in Liverpool Street station with a friend who loves to drop random facts into the conversation.
It seems like such a lovely, silly bit of British culture — a literal fabric of the nation type of thing.
“Did you know," he told me, "every Wetherspoons has a different carpet?”
“No, Reece, obviously I didn’t," I replied. "Why would anybody know that? You’re a strange one, aren’t you?”
This fact then refused to dislodge itself from my brain, and Joe and I started chatting about it. It seems like such a lovely, silly bit of British culture — a literal fabric of the nation type of thing. We felt like there was something worth doing to celebrate it. And so, turning them into a fashion range felt oddly logical.
Above: Joe Lovett models the pairs' favourite Wetherspoons design, from The Beehive pub in Brixton.
Is that fact true and, if so, which is your favourite carpet of the pubs you've been to?
JS: It certainly is true. Each one is made specifically for that pub, with a design often referencing the history of the local area. You have to admire the effort. As for our favourite, the Beehive in Brixton is a bit of a standout. So much so that Joe insisted on modelling it himself in the photoshoot.
Have you worked with clothing and fashion brands and, if so, did that help focus your sartorial stimulation?
This whole thing would have been easier if we had! I think, between us, our textile knowledge was limited to sewing a button and little more.
Each one is made specifically for that pub, with a design often referencing the history of the local area.
But, at the end of the day, that’s why we like to work on side projects like this. It’s always good to stretch our creative muscles and expand our knowledge and skill set into areas we’re not familiar with. You never know when it might be useful in the future.
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Above: The Beehive pub in Brixton.
Does the chain know you've created this clothing brand?
JS: We have tried to contact them about the project but we haven’t had a response just yet. I guess running an 800+ pub empire is busy work! If someone at Wetherspoons is reading this and likes what they see, do get in touch. There’s a sexy shirt you never realised you wanted with your name on it.
The profit made from Wethermerch is going to Young Lives vs Cancer; why did you chose that particular charity?
JS: We’ve been aware of the great work Young Lives vs Cancer does for some time, so when it came to choosing where any profits should go, they came quickly to mind. In a nutshell, they’re dedicated to supporting children and young adults who are affected by cancer, both emotionally and financially.
Given that the target audience of this kind of clothing is likely to be festival-going young people (with a penchant for ironic clothing), it felt like a natural fit. What’s more, it’s a charity that Wetherspoons supports themselves.
Above: More of the Wethermerch designs.
Where can people purchase the clothes you've created?
JS: You can peruse the whole range at the Wethermerch website, which will then direct you to Etsy to make the final purchase.
As advertising creatives, how important is it to be open to inspiration from things most might not think of as inspiring?
JS: Very important. Inspiration can come from anywhere. I always remember a story Sir John Hegarty told us when he visited our advertising course, about a struggling designer waiting for a flight and simply wandering around the airport and finding a curious-shaped pin on the floor.
Try to truly take in the world around you, and you never know what ideas you’ll see.
He turned that pin into the buttons on his next shirt design, which then went on to make his career. I have no sources for this story, only my own memory, but it rings true. Try to truly take in the world around you, and you never know what ideas you’ll see.
Above: Wethermerch; 'look as good as a cheap pint tastes'.
Do you have any other 'inspired by' projects up your Wetherspoons carpet-enclosed sleeves?
JS: We’re always thinking about what could be the next interesting little side project to play around with outside of advertising work hours. Whether that’ll be some other ‘inspired by’ project or something completely different, you’ll have to wait and see.
Finally, not that anyone's counting, but how many Wetherspoons have you frequented, what is it about them that you like, and what's your drink of choice?
JS: Now that’s a question. I’d have to guess at around 50 different 'Spoons between us. Is that an acceptable amount? I’ll cut to the chase on what we like most about them; it’s the price, obviously. But, I suppose there’s also something wonderfully democratic about a 'Spoons. The huge range of different people of all ages you see there at once. There aren’t many places that bridge the generation gap quite like a Wetherspoons, and that’s probably something to be celebrated.
We’re always thinking about what could be the next interesting little side project to play around with outside of advertising work hours.
And finally, a cider for Joe. And I’ll take a pint of £2.15 bitter, then realise the error of my ways and switch to a premium lager for round two. Classic!
