In Conversation With: Young Goat
FUZE 2021: Utopia has officially come and gone! We are still reeling with excitement and buzzing over how much of a success the show was. There’s no better way to relive those amazing moments, than to do a spotlight on one of the brands featured in our annual show earlier this month.
Young Goat is a Bristol-born lifestyle brand founded in 2019 by friends with a simple ethos: anyone can be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
‘We make streetwear which allows people to look and feel like their best self.
Highlighting the importance of good mental health as well as raising awareness of the cause is fundamental for us. This is why we partner with 3 amazing charities who provide excellent aid and services to those in need.’
Vincent Onuegbu
Partnerships Lead, Young Goat
Hearing about such an amazing brand striving to raise awareness for such an important cause, I was particularly curious to also find out where they got their name inspiration from!
Vince, the Head of Partnerships explained: “At uni, we regularly used the term ‘GOAT’ as a compliment or descriptive word. Putting ‘Young’ in front of our adjective was a natural progression and it rolled off the tongue. So when we began to visualise what that might look like on an item of clothing, it became more than just an idea - it was a concept. Special mention to Snapchat for giving us a platform to stitch our designs together on at the start.”
And just to get to know the people behind the team, Vince tells us about how different people came together behind a common goal and vision.
There are 6 of us and we met at uni, all playing within the football club - the hub for the term ‘GOAT’ in Bristol haha. We’re from different parts of South East England and London, started and finished studying at different times and took various courses... so an eclectic mix that brings diverse angles, strengths and backgrounds to the table. To really get to know our characters, we like to let everyone in on Instagram and TikTok. One more media channel will be added to that list soon, so watch this space.
Jack, the COO of Young Goat describes the Young Goat customer and gives us some fresh insight into the style inspiration behind the designs of the brand.
Young Goat provides high-quality and affordable clothing to everyone. We combine premium fabrics and contemporary colour-ways to produce accessible and timeless streetwear, while inspiring people to strive for greatness in their everyday lives.
‘We aim to inspire a global community to be the best version of themselves.’
Jack Haire
COO, Young Goat
We want to use the GOAT acronym to promote confidence and empower anyone to believe that they can be the GOAT in their own right. Our customers are our community and we share their journeys alongside our own.
It would be difficult to pinpoint a single style or brand that inspired us. With 6 founding members, there was always going to be a range of opinions on colours, designs and item choices. However, despite these slight differences in inspirations, we were all in complete agreement that quality and simplicity would be at the forefront of any item we produce. We feel our current product range has set the blueprint for Young Goat and it is very rare you find any of us not wearing a piece of the YG range.”
Al Harlington, the CEO talks about the YG journey so far and if we (the fans) can expect any exciting projects or collections.
‘the journey has been great fun working with mates, but extremely challenging’
Al Harlington
CEO, Young Goat
Al goes on to say, “We’ve really thrown ourselves in at the deep end and had to learn so much in a short space of time. There are so many facets to running our own business that we didn’t even know existed when we started. This is just the beginning though and there’s a lot more to learn and overcome, which is a major part of the fun to be honest.”
And of course we’d love to know what it takes to be the CEO of YG!
I’d say the main thing is organisation, there’s a lot going on at once and a lot that needs to be planned in advance. This might be specific to Young Goat but I’d also say being able to detach myself from the friendship side of things. There are quite a few of us and we’re all mates, so the dynamic is probably different to a lot of other companies. It’s extremely casual but sometimes things do need to get done and someone needs to spoil the fun. I think if you asked the rest of the group, they’d just say I’m the busiest haha.
As Al said, its only the beginning for Young Goat and we can’t wait to see what the team achieves!
From a product perspective, we are working hard to get tracksuits sorted in the next few months, which we know are eagerly anticipated. We also have a collaboration with Black Minds Matter UK coming up later this year, which I can’t say too much about at the moment but it is something we are really looking forward to.
In terms of the future, Al sees growth. “Growth in every sense. In terms of product range, market share, money raised for our charities, collaborations and more. We really feel like it’s still just the beginning for us and the community we’re building. The aim is to take Young Goat to a place where it is recognised on a national level.”
Vince dives into the important facets of the fashion industry, highlighting the Young Goat ideals and focus: we want Young Goat to be inclusive and instil confidence. There is certainly a relationship between clothing and self-esteem and this is what we want to focus on. It goes without saying that there are other important facets to address in the industry: sustainability, human rights and customer care, to name a few. We are constantly striving to improve ourselves and the company operations with regard to all of these facets. There will always be more that we can do or something that we can do better, these are the facts of the industry.
Personally, Jack feels the Black YG Hoodie is a must-have in every closet. “It is a wardrobe essential for many reasons. Not only are the colour and design versatile with any fit and style but it was also the very first item available to buy when we launched 18 months ago. We have come a long way in that time. Recent upgrades include bespoke eyelets, new aglets, a fabric mix that is majority organic cotton and other specific touches.”
Circling back to FUZE, it’s amazing to see what Young Goat thinks of FUZE and what it represents.
FUZE is the biggest event of its kind in the UK. We were at FUZE as a brand in 2020 for the first time but we’ve been going as individuals for years. A lot of people involved in running the show are good friends of ours so we’ve known about the event since our first years of uni. A lot goes into FUZE and it's for very good causes, including top charities. Partnering with them is a no brainer for us as the organisation is community-led, Bristol-based and shares a lot of our other core values.
For those who missed out on the FUZE 2021: Utopia, here’s what Vince thought about the event:
For 2021, we were able to supply some clothing for the dancers in the show. As Al alluded to, there are a couple of highly-anticipated items on their way and we were excited to showcase the White YG Socks at the event - they were a big hit. So the Marketplace was a really cool experience for us in what was a familiar but very different-looking venue. As for the show, I watched it 3 out of a possible 4 times… as expected, it was unreal and a class reminder of what live entertainment feels like after a strange year. The team deserves massive credit and congratulations, particularly given the circumstances.
And for the question we’ve all been waiting for; will Young Goat be returning for FUZE in 2022?
Well, we’re talking about the GOAT Bristol event here. We love supporting everyone involved and highlighting the talent in the city where possible. We’ll definitely be making appearances for years to come - if you’ll have us of course.
Head here to shop at Young Goat. Follow their Instagram for updates!
