Me & Yu
Posted on | March 2, 2008 | View Comments
Got an email earlier this evening from the guys at Me&Yu
They’re a small outfit running up in Manchester, with an excellent range of both mens and womens wear, a small range, but has some great pieces nevertheless. Bold, colourful designs, some in neon and others are dandrawn distressed illustrations, handprinted with water based ink to give a vintage feel after washing – which is a very nice touch.
Tees are reasonable, between £25-27 and sweats are £35-39 which seem great value. They also sell hoodies in a variety of their designs, starting at £40. Overall some nice price from a super independent label..
And now for a bit about the history of the company and their methods:
Angie and Gordon met in a chance encounter on a dancefloor in Blackpool in August 2000. They had both studied at Blackpool & Fylde College in 1993/4 but never met. Angie was back in Blackpool after gaining a BA(Hons) in Fashion from Kingston University and Gordon had gained a BA(Hons) in Photography and had a small Photography business in Manchester. Gordon re-located to Blackpool and began working as a graphic designer and Angie worked as a photographic artist and graphic designer. After a few years of steady jobs and paying off the student debts they began
to get restless and in 2003 went to Australia visiting Angie’s sister who was living in Sydney.
To earn extra cash Angie decided to try making and selling clothes on Bondi and Glebe markets. As Angie can’t drive, Gordon decided to get the most out of being the chauffer and created a range of hand-painted t-shirts. This little stall on Bondi market was the beginning of Me&Yu – working well together to create lovely clothes Angie & Gordon realised they had hit on something….
On their return to the UK in 2005 a new venture started in Triangle, Manchester called the Independents’ Boutique this created a platform to sell designs to the UK market and they invested cash into getting a home studio equipped for sewing and printing.
After a couple of years of juggling full-time jobs and a growing business Me&Yu opened a store in Manchester’s Iconic Afflecks Palace in May 2006 and Angie & Gordon went into the business full-time.
With a Manchester store the label soon attracted a cult following with celebrities such as Agyness Deyn, Noel Fielding (The Mighty Boosh), New Young Pony Club, and Joseph Gilgun (This is England) all seen wearing Me&Yu clothes.
Me&Yu also gained lots of publicity from a Big Brother 8 contestant wearing their clothes on TV
and they were also shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Best of Manchester’ awards in August 2007.
In late 2007 Me&Yu expanded their production facilities to a warehouse in central Manchester and a Bespoke Boutique in Manchester’s upcoming Northern Quarter in February 2008, as well as gaining stockists throughout the UK and Europe.
And how they work:
Me&Yu is a small fashion label with a difference, all designs are hand-made or hand-printed by us,Angie & Gordon in our studio. Our designs are not mass-produced so print locations, colours and finishes vary slightly, giving each garment it’s own unique quality. Working in this way means we consider each piece carefully and this process has more in common with creating pieces of art.
Throughout the range we use the highest quality t-shirts, vinyl heat transfer and inks. All our garments are heat-sealed wash tested for quality. This season we are changing to Plastisol brand printing inks to increase longevity, prevent fading and provide a more varied range of colours – these inks have the added bonus of providing a different surface texture to inks previously used (slightly raised).
Me&Yu clothes are made with love – we love what we do – making clothes you’ll love that you’ll love to wear!
So pop over to the site, or if you’re in Manchester or nearby, check out the shops
Big thanks to Gordon at Me&Yu for the information!
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October 30th, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
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