INTERVIEW | Six Eight Seven Six, 30 Years of Anti-Establishment and Counterculture-Infused Designs
Located in Bloomsbury, a stone’s throw from Russell Square, the Brunswick Centre is an architectural delight. Much like the Barbican, it was built in the mid-60s, housing a shopping centre as well as flats. Upstairs, among the residential areas, there are a handful of offices and studios occupied by creatives, artists, and designers. One of them is Kenneth McKenzie, founder of anti-establishment clothing brand 6876.
Scottish by birth, McKenzie moved to London in the late 80s and in 1995, he set up 6876. Since then, he’s flown the flag for counterculture, independence and small-scale quality. His MO is direct-to-consumer-based, selling through the brand’s website. The brand, and the man for that matter, isn’t set up for a large and shallow wholesale operation. In fact, the core of the business is a network of loyal modernism converts who almost likely have a wardrobe full of 6876 coats dating back to the last millennium.
And in a way, that’s what this story is about: the archives. The pieces that set up the brand as we know it today. In his Brunswick studio, there are rail upon rail of mid-90s jackets and coats, as well as trousers, shirts, knitwear and accessories. But I still see 6876 predominantly as an outerwear brand, and I think most customers do. It’s a bit like a terrace brand but with a twist - a thinking man’s Stone Island or an academic version of C.P. Company for the lad quoting Slavoj Žižek while watching Middlesbrough away.
Punk, revolution, and rebellion are built into the brand. Kenneth McKenzie and 6876 stand out among today's brands because they stand up. His opinions are as knife-sharp as the modernist wave detailing on his pockets. In our polarised society, you might not wear 6876 if your POV differs from his on crucial matters, but I think we can all agree that, in a sea of beige blandness, personality and character are to be both applauded and worn.
DH: How would you describe 6876 to someone unaware of the brand, and what would you say distinguishes it from your contemporaries?
KM: 6876 is modernist, functional and quality-driven. I’ve never advertised, had a catwalk show, and I work on the margins of the industry, creating products that avoid trends.
DH: What does 'modernism' mean regarding your clothing, and can you give me some concrete examples of that in your design?
KM: To me, it’s always been a mentality and an aesthetic. It’s about purpose, functionality and progression. I always try to make sure that there’s a reason or a function to each product and that it’s not an item for the sake of just making another product.
DH: What made you set up the brand?
KM: I wanted to work for myself and not be part of a company, and I thought I might have a viewpoint that could resonate with myself and others.
DH: What was the first 6876 garment you put out?
KM: A short-sleeved pullover shirt with a fly front half placket.
DH: Are there any pieces that you think define the brand?
KM: Difficult to say, but maybe the Brecon or Sonora jackets. They’re refined versions of sportswear but with a certain austere value. But I often think of the Stapleton raincoat as it’s a reactionary item against the flow of what was fashionable at the time it was designed, with almost crude accentuated design lines bordering on the awkward, but it seems to work. Sometimes, when you design, it’s good to have that uncertainty of not knowing if it’s good or if it works.
DH: What does the name mean?
KH: 68 is for 1968. The Situationists, workers’ insurrection in Paris, and the Weather Underground in the USA. 76 equals 1976. Punk rock and the Soweto uprisings. The name was chosen as an antidote to egocentric designers naming their brand after themselves and setting out an idea of an independent, non-corporate entity.
DH: What was the UK like at the time, politically, socially, etc?
KM: Well, in 1995, we were entering the death throes of Conservative rule, but still under their control and culturally at the dawn of a new era, artistically and socially.
DH: Was that a driving force for you, or was 6876 purely an aesthetic response for you?
KM: To me, everything is political in life, so yes, but socially, there was also a real feeling of a new collective force and camaraderie across the art, music and design. And for myself personally, I really felt fashion in the UK relied on a kind of old-fashioned ‘Britishness’, which I hated as I saw myself as a modern European.
DH: What were you doing before setting up 6876?
KM: I studied and failed Graphic Design in Scotland, then went to Preston Polytechnic to study fashion, and then after that I worked for Duffer of St George.
DH: In what way did brands like Duffer and Sabotage inspire you?
KM: Duffer was my invaluable education in business, self-belief and work ethic. Brands that influenced included Massimo Osti Production, Patagonia and Sabotage - they were about the purity of an aesthetic and a way of researching and developing ideas.
DH: Do you have any contemporary sources of inspiration looking around yourself today?
KM: The inspirations are always pretty constant, but I try to take on board how the importance of clothing and the consumer's way of buying has changed, whether it’s second hand, repairing, vintage or very selective purchasing, because there’s really not a never-ending need or ability to keep consuming.
DH: How has your design/process/output changed over the years?
KM: Initially, I had the feeling of pressure to design new items all the time, and I was in that system of six-month collections, but as time went on and the structure of the brand changed, I learned to appreciate what I had created and valued popular styles more. Now I tend to start with the fabric first.
DH: What two years would you have used now if you were setting up a brand like 6876 today?
KM: 0000, as I feel in many ways we need to start again in our aspirations, our life goals and our humanity.
shop.sixeightsevensix.com
Photo: Graeme Gaughan
Styling and Text: David Hellqvist
Talent: Kofi B @ SUPA
