The birth of a unique farm fashion brand

At 21 I traded tractors for textiles.

Fresh from Sparsholt College, equipped with a degree in agricultural engineering and a healthy dose of naivety, my journey began by demonstrating Massey Ferguson’s then latest baler, the 2370HD, for Big Bale South on the south-east coast.

There I was, standing next to the Burden Bros Contracting team.

Jake © Wop-Wops

But it was my stint with Ktwo trailers that really got me into racing.

The realization hit me hard: no matter how much I enjoyed tinkering with huge trailers, it was not my thing – or rather, not my pint of beer.

This revelation made me wonder what lay behind the great British weather and restrictive workshop walls.

The answer lay in a working holiday in New Zealand, naturally following the path of many young farmers.

Fast forward to early 2020, just as the world began to change forever with the arrival of a mysterious virus sweeping the globe, I found myself on a mixed farm just south of Queenstown.

Life became a routine of work and occasional trips to the local Farmlands store for supplies – and during my stay at the family home on the farm I somehow earned the nickname ‘Fashion Icon’.

I couldn’t quite see it myself; it was just whatever I could find to wear, and yet my clothes always seemed to stand out.

© Wop-Wops

A trip to Farmlands, like a visit to Mole Valley Farmers, where you can find Wop-wops clothing (in selected stores), wouldn’t be complete without a quick look in the clothing department.

It was here that I fell for Harlequin rugby shorts and Kiwi work shirts, beginning what would become a defining chapter in my life.

For those who have experienced it, you will recognize the magic I am talking about.

New Zealand felt like Britain, without the incessant rain, with incredible, varied landscapes.

The cattle are outside almost all year, or at most a few months; it was a very different farm life, a relaxed life!

When I saw the trucks loaded with boats, going to the local lake on a holiday for a few days of beer and barbecue, it hit me: they really had the right idea about life, they chose to work to live, not to live to work, as many do in Britain.

When I returned to Britain, changed by the pandemic, I reflected on my absence.

The 9-5 routine had lost its charm and I was drawn to the Kiwi-style work clothes.

I saw a glaring gap in the market at home and without any experience in business or fashion design, I still had a burning desire to build something from the ground up.

With Google and a dream in my arsenal, I wanted to bring a slice of Kiwi fashion to the UK market.

So, where do you make these clothes? Google referred me to China, the most common answer in my search.

My initial intention was to produce in Britain, but I quickly learned about the scarcity of factories, the high costs and the hard truth: most Britons were unwilling to foot the bill.

Moreover, most raw materials came from abroad, mainly from China.

So it was China, and let me clear up a misconception: the quality is excellent.

They will make anything you want to your specifications, and in my opinion China is a leader in manufacturing, with top-notch equipment and an excellent supply chain.

It is sad that Britain cannot compete, but we have all contributed to this reality by continually seeking lower costs.

The process was far from the simple path you might imagine, and I faced many setbacks.

I wouldn’t call them failures, though; they were valuable lessons. After all, ‘failure’ is just learning; no one learns to walk without a few falls.

Finally it was time to bring my designs to life, an incredibly exciting prospect. I chose a manufacturer, sent in my designs and we started making samples.

Then came the website creation, company registration, banking – all those boring things that get forgotten. Designing the website was a huge learning curve!

When the samples arrived from the manufacturer, with whom I still work and have built a strong relationship, I was thrilled; they had translated my rough sketches into reality with impressive accuracy.

So there it is: China can make good quality if you ask them; Likewise, if you want cheap, they will make it cheap, but there is a triangle in production: speed, quality and price. You can only have two and never all three!

With the final samples in hand, I was faced with the reality that I had to invest enough money to buy 500 shirts, a big gamble for a new brand.

This was the minimum order quantity for the factory, and I had little choice if I wanted to start a clothing brand, and three months later (remember this is from the other side of the world, it takes a long time) the shirts were ready to go live to go.

An impromptu photoshoot with friends who never thought they would model after years of studying motorcycles. I think some of them were skeptical of my idea, but were very supportive nonetheless, and had a great laugh.

© Wop-Wops

The launch in early September 2021 was modest, but successful. On the day of launch we received 17 orders. I know out of 500 this isn’t a big dent, but in the first month we received 140 orders.

This indicated it was time to expand our range and build the brand as there was interest in my designs, so I designed more work shirts and added our own Harlequin shorts to the mix.

Our initial stock sold out in early 2022, and as we prepared for the next batch, our social media presence grew, attracting the unwanted attention of a well-known sportswear brand that wasn’t too keen on our logo, along with the attention of a well-known waterproof clothing brand that wanted to collaborate with us.

Although we both decided after visiting their headquarters that it would be difficult to work together, it’s reassuring to know that we got our foot in the door and attracted the attention of bigger brands.

There’s a lot more to talk about, and I just can’t fit it all in at once, but I hope this story sheds light on what happens behind the scenes and offers a glimpse into my personal journey.

Maybe it will encourage you to pursue that idea you’ve been sitting on, or just satisfy your curiosity. Anyway, I hope it was an interesting read and I’d love to get your feedback.

Please feel free to contact [email protected].