From Selling Vintage to Instigating the Future of Fashion : A Talk with Inside Tag and Pastdown

The UK is a fashion landscape that harnesses trends and truly makes them their own. Rather than copying other styles, it seems they take and usher them through a UK lens, transforming them into something new entirely. Take the functional scene for instance. The UK did not start this trend, but it has become the epicenter of the scene, with certain individuals pushing it forward and thoroughly galvanising it. 

Perhaps it’s the weather that makes the UK innately want to adapt to these more utilitarian looks, or the raw and gritty attitude of its cities that makes its citizens want to adopt these styles. Regardless of the ‘whys’, what is more undeniable is when we look at the ‘who’s’; the people who are at the forefront of this scene, that either through considered trend forecasting or pure tasteful selection have managed to instigate one of fashion's most widely known, loved, and impactful trend resurgences of this generation. Three of these people are George from Inside Tag and Leo and Ben from Pastdown, London-based collectors and sellers. 

With a focus on groundbreaking sportswear and archive-level fashion from the likes of Prada, Oakley,  Nike, and more, these two pages are ‘the’ place to get the likes of Tony Spackman Nike, rare and unheard of Puma, and groundbreaking brands like Analog and Vexed Generation; the list goes on and on. Having worked their way up from selling generic vintage from local markets to now having one of the most exquisite curations of technically designed clothing in the World, it’s no wonder these guys have got to where they are today, now consulting for large brands trying to tap into the audience. 

The UK has exploded into a flourishing scene for functional wear and technically designed fashion, and when you look at the top destinations on where to hunt sought after garments and footwear that orbit this style, you will without a doubt come across these guys. Being the ones you have nourished the style into what it is today, being some of the primary players to help brands such as Oakley make the comeback that it did, without them pushing the brands that they love, the current landscape may look very different. With this eye for future trends, Inside Tag and Pastdown continue to build their empire. 

More recently, both have also teamed up to put a focus on physical experiences and activations. Ranging from pop-ups where they offer a chance to meet up with like-minded enthusiasts, or Pastdown’s parties where they pull in some of the best DJ’s for a wild night. There is a sense of community behind these pages that is unrivaled in the UK, and this is soon to hit Japan too. An upcoming pop-up here in Tokyo from October 13-15th will see them offering some of their best and most sought-after gems alongside our good friends Ozzy’s Vision and blueroom.

Ahead of their Japan pop-up, we managed to catch up with them in their joint London studio, talking about their early and humble beginning, their impact on the market, and their ongoing bright future.

---

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Can you first introduce yourself to the sabukaru network?

George: I’m George Roy Roberts, founder of InsideTag. A platform dedicated to selling obscure and functional forward thinking designs from the 2000s. Outside of instagram and the website, I host studio appointments where brands/designers can access my items to find reference points, spark inspiration, and research for upcoming collections.

I've not scratched the surface with sharing my personal collection online and have always used selling as a gateway to finance my archive. This mantra has allowed me to afford things that were too expensive - sell three items to afford one special piece.It’s a constant circle of procedures. I love what I do and am very grateful for everyone that taps in, thanks for taking the time to speak to us Sabukaru.

Ben: I'm Ben from Pastdown.

Leo: Hi, I’m Leo from Pastdown.

Ben: We run a store, we sell designer sportswear clothing. There’s a heavy focus on European sportswear, like Nike TN, Prada, things like that. We've been doing this for three years. As a job, before that, we were selling together throughout university. But now, yeah, three years full-time.

How did it all get started with you guys? Collectively, but also individually?

Leo: Individually, we've all been doing it for years. We all did car boots when we were younger to make a bit of money on the side. Ben and I were both selling online, so when we met at uni and found that we were doing the same thing we started hitting the boots together. It’s a constant competition of who can find the maddest piece. 

Then we started doing it full time. We managed to get an office in Shoreditch during Covid, the prices were a lot cheaper as no one was trying to rent. And then we bumped into George one day at Portobello Market, which is a place that I think we'd all been hitting and was kind of a goldmine for years in London.

George: Yeah, I think that place is a bit of an institution. Portobello started to become a bit more cool, people our age were starting to sell there. I started selling there to sling the generic vintage, mostly items I had found in charity shops. Then I saw these two guys walking around in Arcteryx Stingrays and Roa’s. I was with my good friend Sonny waiting for them to come shop and they walked straight past the stall the first few times. Then, the next week they came back and I ended up selling them a handful of items.

We didn't even know each other at the time, I had just sold them a few bits at Portobello market and then they would ask me if I’m trading there next week and if I would hold certain items for them, we were communicating a little more and then Ben and Leo said, ‘why don't you come to our studio?’ So I went there when I was in the area, checked out their stuff and then saw them again a few weeks later at Portobello.

They mentioned they were expanding into a showroom and feeling chancy I  messaged them asking if I could join. Within a few days they hit me back and after that we kind of joined forces. Ever since doing so we’ve leaned on each other and used each other's resources and clientele to benefit us all. We’ve organically started to spiral away from just selling by offering focus groups with brands, consultancy on products and styling for music videos, campaigns and editorials.

What is it about the era of fashion that you guys specialize in that you love so much?

Ben: Well, I feel like we all started out buying more vintage clothing. So, like 90s vintage, particularly like old Nike products. But I think now we've moved more into the early 2000s. Late 90s still we love, but now we’re very focused on the early 2000s to mid, even to modern day. I think at the turn of the millennium there was a heavy focus on design. You know, technical aspects of design and more sort of features, and this is what we love.

George: Yeah, in the 90s it was all very logo heavy. You didn’t really care what the piece was, you were just buying it for the sake of it having the brands logo on. Polo Sport is a good example here.  You wouldn't care what it was just as long as it said Polo Sport on it. I think at the turn of the millennium, a lot of brands turned away from that. There was more focus on functional features and longevity in terms of materials choice, designers had a lot more freedom and experimental processes were now being signed off by brand owners. 

I always explain that time of the 2000s being so forward thinking and compare it to movies like Blade. People weren't designing for ‘right now’, they were designing for the future; 5-10 years ahead. I guess they thought that by that time they’d be wearing futuristic clothes to match their flying cars, so the design matched this. 

Leo: It was also before the recession; there was a lot of money in these companies and a lot less of a push to make people buy things that will ultimately break. Instead, everything was made in smaller quantities & to last. You think back to Oakley; very steampunk, rugged, long lasting stuff.

George: I always compare it to the SL- 1210. Technics made a turntable so indestructible and tank like that very few customers returned and Technics saw a decline in global demand, the turntable discontinued in 2010, and on review 2010 is when we started to see a decline in companies churning out well made product. Longevity was a stand point for that period and I think that’s the same thing with clothing/footwear design in the 2000s. Materials were cheaper and product was designed in the country the company was founded in, they were made to last, now I feel as products are designed to break and keep consumers feeding the corporate beast.

Speaking of the archive, what's the secret to finding these hidden gems?

Ben: Hours of work, honestly. That’s what it comes down to. There's no secret or little key phrase you type in or one specific plug. It's just hours of searching.

George: I think the word is just persistence. It's work. I remember getting up and not wanting to go to work ok retail, you know that feeling? That's sometimes the same feeling as when you're scrolling and you go through rough patches of not finding anything, battling through tedious search engines until you find something worth getting.

Are there any items you guys don’t have in your archives that you’re still searching for? 

George: There’s bits I’m looking for, but in terms of the traditional sense of the word grail I think I'm pretty much done. A grail to me is something different now. A grail for me could be a jacket from a high street brand. I find more enjoyment in those one off pieces that rip off a bigger designer like Next (a UK high st shop) copying Maharishi stitch for stitch, it feels like it's special, It’s got a story. It's like sampling with hip hop. You can find the original and see how someone else has taken a little bit from it. I use that same method with clothing.

I often feel like when you're after something rare you usually have to overpay and it ends up being a bit of an anti-climax, however I would happily overpay for a pair of HTM2 Run Boot low and contradict my whole statement ahah, if you are reading this and have in a UK8 DM me please.

The archive fashion scene right now, especially in the technical sportswear scene, is bigger than ever, with the UK really being at the epicenter primarily down to pages  like you guys. But, how do you think you do it differently to the other guys in the scene in the UK?

Ben: I think we really put out what we love. We’re not trying to hop on anything just because it's gaining traction. We're doing it for ourselves rather than everyone else in the scene, and it just so happens that it's getting love once we put it out there. 

George: I'm really enjoying all the pages out there and seeing how vast the market is. It's great to see so many good products consistently on the internet. It's a really exciting time. But I agree with Ben. What we do is what we love and we don’t chase products just because it’s hot right now and we want to make money. What we put out is part of our identity.

There is so much competition these days, but we love it. We also have so many friends in the scene so it mainly just feels like friendly competition with your siblings, you know? It keeps you on your toes. We are all doing slightly different things though, and there’s more than enough clothes to go round aha. 

You guys are doing a lot of pop-ups and physical activations recently. Is there a reason behind you guys wanting to do more experiences like this rather than just sticking to online?

George: We're bored in the studio, aha. We're all very chatty and like I said we're all very passionate about what we do. We like to go and meet our customers and meet people and be out there. We're all very outgoing. I'd like to say we're very friendly and we're very open and I feel like a lot of stores when you go in you don't get that feeling. We've all had that experience, so every pop-up we do we try to have things like live music to make it a little more personal and welcoming. We like to tackle it with open arms. 

Ben: You also meet some great people at these pop-ups. You make some serious connections and I think there's nothing better than seeing this stuff in person either. An online photo can only do so much. Seeing things in person gives people the option to try it on.

George: I think it also ties in perfectly with what pastdown doing music events at the moment as well. It goes hand in hand with that. It opens the doors. It creates a vibe for the community. It sounds cheesy to say, but it's for everyone that follows us. Anyone who wants to come down and see the faces behind the pages. We love pop-ups. We want to do more. We're going to hit all the main cities in the coming years and then in a few years have a bricks and mortar in London which we can't wait for.

Leo: It's also always nice to see people from outside our online communities stumbling across the popups. We’ve had all age ranges coming in and getting gassed about finding something they didn’t set out to look for. 

You'll be doing a pop-up in Tokyo with blueroom and Ozzy’s Vision. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

George: So, 13th to the 15th October. It's our first time in Japan so we just wanted to touch base with our clientele there.  I know Japan is the second or third biggest city that I sell to. I think our styles are really resonating there now. People are definitely more open to what we're selling and it's just kind of catching on abroad and we kind of just want to meet like-minded people like us. I know there's some huge collectors in Japan that I've talked to for years on social media so it's just about putting faces to names and just we're essentially on a bit of a buying trip. Buying and eating good food aha.

Ben: blueroom and Ozzy are just our good friends. We did a pop up with them over here in August so it's kind of like an exchange type thing. They come over here, we go over there, and it's just an excuse to get out and hang out with our friends in Tokyo. 

Leo: We’re also excited to bring some stuff out there. When Ozzy and Blueroom came over here they brought some stuff that kind of blew all of our minds, I think a lot of people in London too, so it’s been a fun process trying to figure out how to do the same. We're bringing in some specific products that we think you can't find out there.

Can you list any specific stuff people need to keep an eye out for? 

Ben: In terms of Pastdown, we're bringing a lot of European sportswear: Nike TN bits, Nike Shox - we know the Japanese boys have a huge appreciation for Nike. These specific lines we’re bringing we’re pretty sure you could never get this stuff out in Japan back in the day so it should be exciting for them. 

Leo: Yeah. We shop on Japanese marketplaces and we’ve never found many of these pieces. And that's something that we've been pushing for our brand for the last year.

Ben: Maharishi's as well. We know there's a lot of Maharishi collectors out there. Very much a London brand that you can’t really get out there despite it being a pretty Japanese inspired brand. Also a lot of Prada. That’s probably the number one brand we appreciate and we know it's also appreciated by the Japanese boys so excited to bring that too. 

George: I'm focused on UK high street brands from the 2000s. A lot of Nike Code and mobius, which I know is super sought after out there. I've got that in some good sizes. I also have some Griffin, some Vexed Generation, some Levi's. Just stuff that I'm really into. I like to not focus on what brand it is and just let the design aspects shine through. Expect a lot of asymmetrical zips and high raised collars.

You mention you know the Japanese have a high appreciation towards your style of clothing. How do you feel about the similar scene in Japan?

Ben: I feel like they always do it the best. On an outside perspective, looking in, those guys are super on point at everything they do. Particularly stores like blueroom, their selection is crazy. Like Leo said earlier, when they came over here and showed us the stuff they had it was mind-blowing. It was all the best stuff. Same with Ozzy - just the best Nike products.

George: Just acquired taste. I feel like they've just nailed it there. The competition is so vast there, but it's the same as we brought up in the questions earlier. You can see passion shine through for some of these sellers and you can see their personal tastes. That's our favourite thing really, that's what we can really get behind. And that's why we wanted to team up with Ozzy and blueroom.

Leo: We've been to a few different places to buy: Paris, Amsterdam, Naples etc and in each place we meet people with a shared mentality when it comes to collecting and selling clothes. It’s great to see what different shops in each country buy and how they do things differently. This is something we’re especially excited to immerse ourselves in when we get to Japan. 

George: Definitely. Japan is arguably where collecting really took off. They took it to the next level. I think we've always looked at Japan and thought that its somewhere we'd want to go and shop, I’m really looking forward to spending sometimes in vintage shops and gorging at products.

You guys seem to be the main instigators for certain brands’ resurgence over the years. We mentioned Oakley earlier, and more recently, Puma. How do you go about trend forecasting these types of things? Or is it just a personal preference and what you guys are liking at the time? 

George: Yeah, I think it is personal preference. It all goes back to design and everything having its full circle moment. I think in this day and age, a lot of the best stuff has been done, so it's important to look back and then look forward. Fortunately enough, I've been able to work with some of these brands and have a say behind the products that get re-released. It just so happens that when I look back at certain products, I seem to get it right aha. I think that it just comes down to the whole thing of personal taste.

I've always been into different stuff. I don't want to be wearing anything that anyone else is wearing. It goes back to being in year seven in school. In the summer holidays, I used to buy my bags on holiday and then come back after the holidays had finished, and no one would have the same Nike bag as me. I just always liked different stuff. I think it all comes from growing up in school and being around my peers and wanting to have rare stuff.

I always wanted to have my own identity and that's what I wanted to translate through inside Tag. Now, fortunately enough, it's turning into a kind of consultancy firm where I can help brands go down the right direction. I think a lot of brands these days are quite lost. They don’t have the same passion we share for these brands. A lot, not all, just care about KPI’s and money. So, it’s good coming to people like us who have all this knowledge and genuinely love the product. We also keep our ears to the ground, we know what's happening in London. It’s a no brainer to tap people like us up.

How do you define what a brand needs to have in order to become an archive brand? 

George: It needs an extensive body of work. It needs that underground cultural collector aspect that's been there from day one. You find brands that when you talk to people about them, the right people about them, you can see the passion. They need that. I don't know how a brand like Oakley was under the rubble for so long because there are so many people like that with it. But it wasn’t until people dropped the whole ‘American Dad’ stereotype with it all and realised the actual design of it is incredible that they then realised how great it was. That’s what I look for in a brand.

Leo: I think a big thing about it too is the people behind these brands. You can follow them through their career, leaving signature design elements from brand to brand. You then start researching them and it starts a whole new path for collecting based on design as opposed to branding / marketing.

Do you think there are any modern brands that have the potential to become collectors items similar to the ones you now collect?

Ben: Yeah, I think, Post Archive Faction is one that is going to be timeless. It's not something we really collect right now because it's retail is super high, but what they're doing is crazy.

George: Yeah, collectors are already buying that and instantly archiving it. They already fit into the scenario.

Leo: In London too, brands such as J.L-A.L, as well as our friend Rob Boyd, who currently designs for Nocta, are really paving the way with what they are putting out. I think I speak for all of us when I say these pieces will become must haves for collectors in the future.

It seems this era of design and the trend associated with it has exploded onto the scene so much more than usual fashion trends. They come and go, but this really seems to have stayed and made a huge impact. Why do you think this is? 

Ben: I feel like this sort of style has a lot more substance than other trends that happened. I remember, at one point, Nike's spell out sweatshirts were what everyone wanted to buy, Or, brown North Face Puffers because Kendall Jenner wore one. These are obvious trends, but this type of style has a lot more substance to it and goes so much deeper. There’s way more to it than a fast trend.

George: I always refer to it as the final boss. The final boss of selling clothes. It’s boomed so much because I think everyone's just doing it so well. It started a new era. I love how people now pair items so well together and show them so well.I think it’s taken selling to the next step and people are a lot more conscious and considerate of the things they put out. It resonates a lot more with customers.

You mentioned you guys also do some consultancy for other brands. How do you think more brands can use you in order to tap into this market? 

George: We possess this knowledge that can help begin storytelling on products. I think that linking back and showing the story of where a product came from, how it was worn back in the day, or what it was designed for, I think this is so important. I think it's important for companies to go back and do their research and tell a story about the product.

Ben: We also have such a huge network. By tapping into us they aren’t just connecting with us but getting access to everyone we work with and who we're friends with. I think brands find it quite hard to identify these people who are actually behind the scenes of it all, but we know everyone, from the music scene to the design scene.

Leo: They can tap into quite a strong reflection of London too; how London is perceived by someone of our age. I think, like Ben said, brands can find it quite hard to get this knowledge. We are in quite a good position to tie together what’s going on in the music scene, in the fashion scene, what people are in to.

George: You get a bang for your buck working with people like us. That should be our slogan. “Come to us. You get your a bang for your buck.”

We saw that Pastdown recently launched its own clothing line. Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the designs? 

Leo: It’s been a year and a half journey and it all started through us wanting to create something that we didn't see out there. Like how most things start really. We were selling a lot of early 2000s Nike trackies and they were just selling out so quickly that we couldn't even get enough to meet demand. Mainly because the fit of them and like we mentioned before, the quality was just so much better. So, we had an idea of basically trying to make our own version of that.

We wanted to tie in other design elements from things that we've archived. We have quite a high attention to detail, having bought and listed thousands of items along the way. Through looking at every detail of each item, you kind of start picking up on your favourite bits. Whether it be like toggles, zips, panels etc.

Ben: Our brand is an amalgamation of everything that's come through this door over the last few years. Everything that we think is the best. Hence the name, Integrated Design. That's the whole point of it. The brand’s identity is also a huge part of our personal identity as well. It's all about London, CCTV, stuff like this.

Are there any future bits with the brand you would like to talk about? 

Ben: Yeah, loads of future stuff. We've got a few things coming. We're just trying to perfect each type of product. Everything we put out we want to be the best version. To create a wardrobe of staples that are all perfect, but our take on each thing. It could be a joggers set, but how do we make it the best it can be whilst also elevating it and making it different. Test the boundaries.  

As for future fashion trends, do you guys have any thoughts on what might come next?

George: I think Low Pro footwear is something that will get big. I’m kind of focusing on that recently and trying to get the tendons in my feet to actually use them. They look good with baggy trousers but also more slim trousers, and before everything was so chunky. Usually, you’ll find that once something gets so popular naturally people tend to move the other way. That’s what I think will happen with footwear. And hip hop style is becoming back man. Already people are wearing jorts. It’s hard to predict what people are going to wear though. I'm sitting on some crazy stuff that I would say I’m trend forecasting, but people definitely aren’t ready for it yet.

Ben: I think styles are going to be slightly smarter. I think there's now less of a focus on making something look really technical with loads of pockets and toggles, but instead it's all a bit more toned down.

Finally, what's the main thing you guys are looking forward to during your trip in Japan?

Leo: Scran, ahaha.

Ben: Yeah, the food for sure. I'm super excited for the food.

George: Yeah, I'm excited for the food. I'm really excited to meet a few people that I've spoken to for years. That's probably the biggest one. Even though communication might be hard, I can't wait to go to some peoples houses and just geek out on the product. I remember with Ozzy we brought out this item to show him and he was like ‘yeah, I have 5 of that’ so I can’t wait to see some people’s crazy collections. I just want to eat, see crazy collections, hang out with friends, and take in the culture.

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak to us! Enjoy your trip. 

We love you sabukaru, thanks for having us! 

Text and Interview By Joe Goodwin
Photography by Dani