With their recent clothing collection Issue 01, Globe aren’t simply attempting to create a sustainable range, they’ve done away with fast fashion completely in hope of creating products that have less of an impact on the environment. Excessive ranges are off the table, as Globe instead are choosing to invest in premium, hard wearing clothing that not only uses more sustainable fibres in the fabrics, but is also guaranteed against wear for an entire lifetime.
To celebrate the release of Issue 01, we met up with UK Globe rider Jamie Manning for a day out around London, as he road tested a few select items from the range.
Have a scroll below now to see what Jamie got up to, and find out more about Issue 01 from Globe brand creative director, Herb George.
Photography: Matt Law.
This is not a sustainable ‘capsule’. This is a complete change to our entire apparel program, top to bottom.
Backside tailslide, St Pauls.
Can you give us some background on the new Issue 01 range please? How and when did the idea for this Low Velocity range come about?
We had been thinking about the idea for years, honestly. I think this quote from Peter Hill, Globe co-founder, sums up the sentiment behind it: “The clutter in the boardsports market and distancing from the real lifestyle and values of core riders was troubling. As founders, we looked at ourselves and thought ‘what role, purpose and reason for being did Globe clothing have?’ We wanted to realign our entire methodology to represent the way our riders and customers lived and thought. We wanted to tip the whole approach on its head and make stuff we knew had purpose, authenticity, longevity and, most importantly, significantly reduce our waste”. Mid-2019 we had our wear test samples in hand and started to distribute them to crew all over the globe for feedback. We knew it was a huge undertaking and more of a marathon than a sprint. This is not a sustainable ‘capsule’. This is a complete change to our entire apparel program, top to bottom.
What sort of time frame are we looking at to produce collections like the ones you’re currently offering? From first design to wearing the finished range today, how long did the process take?
As mentioned above, we started testing in mid-2019. Global release of Issue 01 was February 2021. We did a lot of testing. Everything in the range is backed by our Low Velocity Warranty, and we wanted to make sure what we were putting out there would last and perform.
We wanted to tip the whole approach on its head and make stuff we knew had purpose, authenticity, longevity and, most importantly, significantly reduce our waste.
Fifty-fifty, Barbican.
From where have you drawn influence for the new collections?
Our focus is on staple pieces. Pieces that are void of trends. We asked ourselves, “if one of our riders were going on a trip, what would they need to bring?” We very consciously kept the range tight. If and when we do add to the core range of staples, everything will be vetted and tested to ensure we all feel the addition is indeed needed. Our riders are a big influence on what we are doing, and the direction we take.
We were stuck in the rat race of chasing trends and just producing to produce. We’ve stopped that completely. We’re making less. We’re making it better.
Ollie, Barbican.
What is it about Issue 01 that separates them from clothing that Globe has released previously?
Everything (laughs). We were stuck in the rat race of chasing trends and just producing to produce. We’ve stopped that completely. We’re making less. We’re making it better. We’ve gone from three to four ranges a year of 250+ pieces, to two ranges a year that are around 40 pieces, where much of the colors and styles are staples and carry over from range to range. Issue 01 is sustainably made top to bottom and backed by our Low Velocity Warranty. All of those things are quite different to what we were doing in the past.
Our riders are a big influence on what we are doing, and the direction we take.
Frontside crook, Southwark.
Jamie wears:
Breaker Spray Jacket in honey.
Living Low Velocity short sleeve tee in black.