Why we created madebyobra.
madebyobra came from running two sports apparel brands and then working closely with a designer who had already created product for some of the biggest teams, events, festivals and brands. Between us, we understood the commercial side, the creative side and the manufacturing side and we kept coming back to the same thought: merchandise could be so much better than it usually was.
Too often, it felt like the thing that got dealt with at the end. The campaign, event or brand experience had all the thought and energy put into it, then the merchandise was treated as something that simply needed to exist. We never really understood that because it is often one of the only physical things people actually take away with them.
That is why we are building madebyobra around the idea of designing by collection, not just by product. We want a merch collection to feel more like the drop of a fashion brand, where the fit, fabric, colour, trims, labels, packaging and presentation have all been thought about together. The point is not just to make something that looks good but to create a product and retail experience that feels authentic to the audience and relevant to the culture around it.
We care about the small details because they are normally what make the difference. If we can create something people genuinely want to buy, wear and keep and it still reminds them of the moment, place or experience it came from years later, then we have done what we set out to do.
