Born in Bristol’s gritty skate culture, Rerun Streetwear embodies the spirits of its hometown: creativity, community and sustainability.
Founded in 2018 by friends Toby Thorpe and Wilf Hastings, the brand began with a love of skateboarding and a frustration with the lack of durable, affordable clothing. Toby started by importing vintage workwear and reselling it to his friends at Dean Lane Skatepark in Bristol.
“For every good pair of jeans there would be another unwearable pair with huge tears and concrete stains,” Toby tells CONE. “It seemed a real shame to throw them out. So, we got a little sewing machine and started patching them up and labelling them ‘Re-run’ so people knew we worked on them.”
This DIY ethos isn’t just skater fashion, though. It’s a cornerstone of skate culture. From homemade decks to custom, hand-built skate spots, this resourceful spirit is woven into the fabric of the skater heritage.
“We wanted to pay homage to our hometown in a playful way while also inspiring people to push themselves to create from non virgin fabrics.”
In recent years, awareness around the environmental cost of fast fashion has grown, triggering a move toward ethical and sustainable clothing. And yet, the Global Fashion Agenda reports that 92 million tonnes of textile waste still ends up in landfills every year. Rerun is tackling the issue head-on and hopes to help change the fashion landscape through its durable, up-cycled capsule collections.
“I’ve also seen the graveyards of rubbish quality clothing mount to the ceilings of warehouses across the world, that really needs to stop,” Toby explains. “There’s a lot of wastage that goes on behind the scenes in every step of the journey and it’s really really sad to see.
Even so, he sees a genuine and promising shift unfolding. “There’s definitely a shift happening. Lots more people are learning to sew and repair. And loads of great brands—like Story MFG, Louther, Finistierre, Greater Goods, Natra Studios, Patagonia—are super inspiring and doing it right. I’d like to think it’s heading in the right direction.”
Where DIY thrives, creativity naturally follows. Skate culture has always been infused with other aesthetics from surfing, punk and hip-hop. These diverse roots allow the community to forge limitless, unique identities.
So what fuels Rerun’s creativity?
“Our community, getting out on skate and surf trips, seeing people make cool stuff. Digging through charity shops. Bristol is a very special place for creative people just cracking on and putting cool stuff out there,” Toby says.
Bristol itself is woven into the very fabric of Rerun’s collections. This connection has never been more obvious than in March’s limited release of handmade bags made from repurposed hot air balloon fabric.
The materials came from Bristol’s Cameron Balloons, the world’s largest manufacturer of man-carrying balloons. They’re famous for hosting the annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta—Europe’s largest hot air balloon event.
After receiving offcuts from Cameron Balloons, the idea of turning them into something tangible lingered with the two friends for several years. That was until the right designer—Theo Schale— came along.
“We wanted to pay homage to our hometown in a playful way while also inspiring people to push themselves to create from non virgin fabrics,” Toby notes. “Theo did such an amazing job with such a tricky fabric. We hope it might encourage others to have a go with whatever fabrics they come across.”
Since its inception seven years ago, Rerun Streetwear has steadily grown, pushing the boundaries of creativity and sustainability. Their inventive collections and forward-thinking attitude is what has made them so popular. It’s also what has allowed them to expand internationally to Melbourne, Australia and Yokohama, Japan.
International popularity and growth is a natural next step for the brand. Skater fashion, by nature, has always been entwined with surfing, with its baggy shorts and athletic vibe. Meanwhile, Japan’s rich heritage in tailoring and repair techniques adds another important layer of inspiration.
“I’ve seen the graveyards of rubbish quality clothing mount to the ceilings of warehouses across the world.”
Toby shares how different countries have shaped the brand’s journey. “I visited Melbourne a couple of years back at the end of a surf trip and noticed a real Bristol cross-over. Since then I have had my heart set on trying to bring Rerun to Melbourne,” he continues. “So I moved over for a change of scene and have found it such a great place to build the brand full.” While Toby settled in Melbourne, Wilf remains in Bristol, continuing to grow the brand there. “We find the crossover of ideas between two locations super inspiring,” Toby adds.
Japan’s approach to fashion has also been a huge source of inspiration for the brand. “Japan’s attitude to fashion has always been super inspiring to us. The attention to detail and repair techniques like Sashiko has really inspired our work,” Toby says. “We had a wonderful store called Laug in Yokohama reach out a year ago. It’s taken some time to build up to the point we were able to supply them. But it’s super exciting to work with them.”
From humble beginnings in a one-bedroom flat in England, in just seven years, Rerun has expanded across two other continents, proving itself as an exciting, original, and imaginative brand. Let’s hope the next seven years bring them to a city near you.
Byline: Issy Packer
Photo credit: RerunStreetwear