NEIL PRIMETT – 80’S CASUAL CLASSICS

Neil Primett will be joining Gary Harris on his Saturday live show on February 13th at 2.00 PM. Tune in to hear of Neil’s story.

This week at Awayday Radio we spoke to Neil Primett, founder and owner of 80s Casual Classics, a company that is leading the revival of casual fashion and have been supplying classic sportswear apparel spanning the ’70s & 80’s to a global audience, we talk all things from fashion and culture to music and the film industry.

Neil, thanks for taking the time to speak to us at Awayday Radio, seeing as we’re a radio station based on a love for all things music, casual culture/clobber and football, which of those would you say was your first passion as a teenager growing up in the 80s?

You got me, I refuse Ha- imagine 10 years in 79 and was a single parent kid with an older brother, my mum did her best by me and my Grandad helped a bit and took me to some football Games even though he supported Plymouth 😊 .

Mum knew not to make choices for me at a young age, I had good clothes the best trainers and football boots funded by my Grandad as I loved football and was team Captain 9-14yrs. Not being near my team Liverpool and dad living miles away occasionally I was at Luton to watch Plymouth or Highbury as Finsbury Park was on the train line stop to London.

I guess coming out of the 70s into 80s I was well into punk Damned, Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, Sex Pistols, Sham 69 so I’m either playing football every night and weekends or at home playing music getting angry or letting off. Clothing was falling in line I guess New Wave look Sta Press before Farahs, Fred Perry and a Waffle jumper. Loved my Nike Wally waffle for middle distance running and then tearing it up down the youth club.

Can you remember the first decent piece of clobber you bought growing up in that era?

I have a picture from 1980 where I’m wearing sky sta press, Fred Perry Turquoise and a Navy Waffle Cardigan over with the football leather buttons and some Nike wally waffle in the turquoise like Blue / yellow – felt cool as fuck.

The Music Scene from the late 70s to the 80s was very diverse with lots of genres from punk to two-tone and then the emergence of hip-hop, new wave, Heavy metal, pop music and later in the decade dance/house, what were you into and how did it influence your passion for clobber?

I left punk and bought the last Jam records and then went into the style council, did not mind some Depeche Mode I’m not too sure music in the 80s had to influence clothes I think it’s an attitude, I could get off on music and get off on clothes a FEELGOOD swagger, I’m sure I walked down the street like Weller in a style council video with a Paris feel or took the southern aspect to get a tan and wear Farahs/Lois cords in both electric blue and burgundy, gold chain, roll neck and lemon and red pringle/Lyle jumpers. I do think when it came to money spend and passions clothes took No.1 over anything.

Moving on to the 90s I see you’re quoted as stating Oasis would be the band of the year in 1994, what did you see in them that made them stand out?

I got to receive an Oasis demo cassette in 1993 much before the band had done anything after chatting to a booking agent contact and was due to put them on in Jan 94, as a promoter every year I tried to get a line-up of bands believed to go big in that year.

I gained respect from people in the industry for finding and nurturing talent, it was not hard to realise a band had something and most of all a strong swell of respect and noises in all the right areas, key DJ’s, key journalists ready to champion them, booked to be on The Word etc I live my life on basis of 2+ 2 = 5 if you can add things up to a greater positive. I got to see the band Jan 94 in London and stole Liam’s setlist and straight after the live reviews were setting them up and Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley were ready to champion them – there was a buzz and Liam Gallagher had some arrogance/swagger.

The noughties saw you get involved in a consulting role and supplying the clothes for the film “The Firm” and associations with the ‘The Business’ and working with Nick Love who wrote and directed it, how did that all come about?

The 80s brands were being talked about for heritage revival, some clothing agents were offering my store to stock Fila and Sergio Tacchini and talk of Nick Love coming off the back of THE FOOTBALL FACTORY with an 80s film The Business again with Danny and Tamer. Like a kid again I took a real liking to the Sergio Tacchini offer, Fila was okay but they were 1-2 years behind getting it bang on. Love saw the way in the South of England we had captured the customer. Sergio Tacchini was ahead and had been main suppliers to The Business with key characters Danny/Tamer/Geoff being sorted and the shop scene. We got our name in the Film booklet for clothes and sales seriously jumped. Nick Love was next asking me could I help get a mammoth wardrobe together for as many as 150 people for THE FIRM a film loosely based on the 80s original but more about character DOM and coming of age. Nick tapped me up first of all to get Ray Whinstone a Fila Terrinda in red at the time finding a large size for Ray was some measures of my skills tracking originals down. With an already large customer base I put the word out for help and found many other collectors and set about spending all my savings on eBay and more vintage originals. For a few months I slept 3-4 hrs a night as my evening was on eBay and chatting to people something I don’t mind doing – I’m an adrenaline junkie If I’m busy I generally don’t sleep !!

Is it fair to say the 2005 film ‘The Business’ was this the catalyst for you starting up 80s casual classics the year after?

The Business proved immense our inclusion in the DVD cover as stockist saw the phone ring and even though it was pre-online selling bar some 2nd hand eBay we took orders and invited people to Bedford to check out our collections. People were travelling miles.

Either on the phone or in-store many discussions centred on what Danny and Tamer wore and memories of back In the Day meeting people travelling miles I soon gleamed the views and nostalgic memories of a mixed customer and what stories they all had of upbringing and clothing passions. We launched initially on eBay and an eBay store mostly when eBay was 2nd hand and even bidding. Imagine having a track top in your store at £60 in XXL and putting it on eBay and getting £99 back then you would not be trying to get the inflated price you simply did when demand went well above supply and eBay was all bidding. We then went to launch a store online but soon realised a specialist 80s store was working better than simply competing with shops- hence 80s Casual Classics arrived. In a few weeks we must have sold 100 track tops and 1 pair of G-star Jeans even when they were the jean to have.

How did you get started and how did 80s casuals come about?

I was a music promoter/band manager as a hobby then it became a job and I had a retro Camden like store with a local Dj, so a mix of music and clothes in a small town was what happened. The store was a Ticket lifestyle hub, book your night out and your clothes – 28 years on this is now live on our Facebook/Instagram and it’s amassed to 1 million people rather than some Bedford locals.

The music community promotions had been Brit Pop, Manchester, Acid Jazz, Northern Soul and some dance events when Oasis came about it was like a commercial broadening of what had been the indie Scene- Lad culture, Football etc we were soon respected as being leaders at the front of the pack on heritage revival and working closely with Nick Love we had strong opportunities to fast track this.

Some quick-fire questions now.

Favourite trainers of all time?

Holy shit No – people who know me know I can change from one day to the next and have every faith my customer is turned on in the same way to newness.

In looking back I buzzed off my Nike wally waffle they looked amazing and I seriously thought I would stand a chance in district running events. However, the dream shoe admiration was always 82-83 Diadora Borg Elite and maybe Puma GV something I simply could not afford – so years on Having DIADORA BORG ELITE GOLDS I guess has to be the most satisfying shoe, I will argue there is nothing better in the all-white tennis world.

What’s the most expensive piece of clobber you’ve ever bought?

I don’t take much judge on the price of clothes other than what happened in 83-85 but I even recall then paying to peacock. I don’t think my own business has anything on the 80s prices, today’s sports casual etc is far more affordable and you can get a regular fix and multiple FEELGOODS.

I am fully aware people place major spends on Stone Island, Canada Goose, Moncler. Having endless outfits and a change of tops, stepping out every week in new clothes is more rewarding when posing and dressing, something always fundamental at the buzz of dressing. The most expensive item I own is rarely ever worn think once in 2 years a HUGO BOSS suit £450 ?? I had £350 Church shoes and left them at a Hotel and then realised 9 months later.

Favourite label?

No, it changes and will change I can’t stand still like that. In past 4-5 years I can go full cycle I’m enjoying wearing Replay jeans this month, enjoyed them many years back- comfort denim. Fila has been strong for my company from Day 1 and always been good, I like Lacoste Polos as a favourite Polo but like the lively colours including a fun peacock element of Ellesse in sportswear. I design with all these brands, find the archive and try to create something I would want to wear, every week, month and year I discover fresh excitement, I refuse any singular brand love it will never happen for me and my personality is stubborn to not let this happen, some, means to evolve swap up and create.

Can you spot a snide from a mile off?

The statements overrated, it grates on me, it may have been relevant in the 80s when clothes in my world were a premium, I’m yet to really see any snide in what I sell and to be asked do I sell snide are my garments real is often sheer disbelief that a site exists with so much heritage gear, someone seems to discover my site Facebook and doubts what they see? I guess it’s a compliment but FAKE snide again maybe stone island but I don’t buy it.

Who were your sporting heroes?

Kenny Dalglish, Kevin Keegan, Seb Coe, Sugar Ray Lennard massively impacted on me. At times I wanted to be these. Kenny is probably KING !!

Have you found that people from different cities around the UK have an allegiance to different labels or is it generally a mix match?

I’m sure it’s the case on old stories if I said a Southern generalisation to dressing favoured certain labels someone in Scotland would clarify similar favourites so spread can vary massively. I think generally Manchester either did their own thing or certainly would never suggest they were similar to others.

I do think generally the internet has changed the world to a more cosmopolitan, to think Germans will share UK style was not something you ever considered when abroad 80s-90s.

I would be comfortable opening 80s Casuals stores in most parts of the UK as we definitely have a strong mix entertaining many people UK wide- think we are a strong unique online destination and people like what we do somewhat under the radar of high street with a real sense of community.

One question that always creates debate is which football teams fans we’re the first to start wearing casual clobber to football, what’s your take on that?

Boring 😊 I guess think that’s done to death. If you want to start wearing clothes you do it, yeah we can all go to a Stone Roses gig, concert clobbered up, it’s a like-minded crowd. We were wearing clothes and not at football. I know people that really do see the football story as grating.

I’m not denying it happened as of course it did but I loved sportswear as I wore it for sport and then style developed, there was an aspiration to decent gear, country clubs opened, gold clubs sports/fashion stores.

I do believe Manchester and Liverpool brought back Adidas trainers from abroad not sold in the UK and made them part of a casual elite- Handball Trainers ?? I still think personally I put on a tennis shoe an athletics runner or a football training shoe.

Do you get to have any input with the classic brand’s new lines?

People who know our companies background will know we hounded companies and have an active input in the design, feedback and we often have to step up and buy at a level to actually help these brands release heritage. On many occasions we take original designs and reworked versions designed by ourselves and sell EXCLUSIVES. Even larger brands like Adidas often don’t seem to commit confidence in the saleability of archive clothing like other brands that saw highs in the 80s. We would love to get involved whether as a global company if Germany will allow the UK to drive their design business. What I do know is customers have the greatest frustration with Adidas not releasing key memorable archive – let me at it we would massively establish the brand in the heritage market.

What new brands of today can you see being classics of the future?

Had that one before. When a brand has gone missing for years if I was to predict I would say it has a chance to be a brand of the future. I don’t want to say but we had an amazing revival for Benetton a brand missing from the Uk high street etc We intend to invest and develop some ranges still further with them. I would like to revive a number of brands missing. Then the punk in me would love to take a brand like Lonsdale off Sports Direct and show how in the right hands it can go back to its credible late 70s-80s highs. I know people will struggle with that and for me, that’s the challenge, I used to love my Lonsdale t-shirts, sweatshirts. Duffer St George was a great brand as well.

Is it true that you supplied clothes for the hit US series Breaking Bad?

Yes, somewhat bigger since than that more relevant the sheer amount of clothes to the cult USA series “Snowfall” a decent US budget series I believe has now got to £20-25k in wardrobe over 3 series.

I see you have been working on the soon to be released film ‘The Pebble & The Boy’. what was that like working on the set and what sort of clobber can we expect to see being worn in it seeing as it’s set around the sub-mod culture?

I think it opened us up to a trend fast happening, it’s a Modual film, the lad is a young sports casual, think modern-day ‪2020-21, the deceased dad was a mod and the son traces his dads past, hence the mod casual. The UK is now full of mods and scooter lads that long traded a Tonic suit to put on levis/ Lois – jeans cords Gabicci knits, Track tops with the likes of Gazelles, Sambas, Spezials, Hamburgs and various other trainers. Gabicci is well on the up with 80s and this film shows how Fila, Sergio and Gabicci bring casual, smart dressing.

Finally, Neil, what’s next on the agenda for 80s casual classics?

Colourful Feelgoods, Covid has shown that so many people want statement feelgoods, mental health is a concern if our clothes keep people upbeat taking pride in themselves and when the time comes they can step back out like peacocks, I don’t mind walking adverts for a unique way of dressing.

And I will be the first back supporting major music events getting off the ground etc.

We would like to open in some key towns and cities and champion our brands and unique looks and give a chance for people to shop the old skool way. We will be bringing back some new brands, new looks.

We will be as big in Ibiza as we are at football and most of all we will fill a stadium at revival music concerts. The biggest show on 80s Casual Classics was the likes of Stone Roses dates.

The biggest thing of all I guess will be working again with Nick Love, something we have talked about for some time – Watch this space.