SNS LDNers feat. Chris Figures

In this latest instalment of “LDNers”, we met up with Chris Figures – the founder of upcoming Hackney-based streetwear brand 1Figures. We spoke with him to find out about his journey & development, the challenges he has faced so far, as well as advice for anyone looking to take a similar path. Being a sneakerhead, we also discussed his current rotation and the sneakers which he snoozed on in the past. Check out the interview below.

Images by B Aseya

SNS: Hi Chris, how you doing?

Chris: All good, it's a blessed day!

SNS: Give us a quick intro on who you are and what you do.

Chris: My name is Chris Figures, I am from Hackney and I am the founder of streetwear brand 1FIGURES.

SNS: What made you want to start your own brand, and how did you go about starting it?

Chris: From young, I have always been interested in clothing and the science behind it. Growing up, having lots of stylish family members always helped me to discover more about myself, heritage and culture. What initially made me start clothing was seeing the likes of grime artists back in the day having such cool merchandise, for example, Star in The Hood and Boy Better Know. I wanted my own imprint and statement pieces for me and my community. My older friend back then introduced me to my first printing story back in 2008 and the journey pretty much started from there, although 1FIGURES started in 2014.

SNS: What does 1Figures represent/stand for?

Chris: 1FIGURES prides itself on community and sense of belonging, starting from one place and being able to branch out to pockets of the world. I would like to believe that it represents my community, Hackney, and my city, London.

SNS: Tell us a bit about the journey and development you have made from when you first started, compared to now?

Chris: Starting out was very daunting both times (in 2008 & 2014) for the obvious reasons that I had limited resources, and literally had to build from the ground up. I did not have access to much funds and I had a lot of ideas, which was frustrating as I felt I couldn't afford to get my ideas out. But I quickly learned that if I trusted the process and went through the trials, there would be light at the end of the tunnel. I can wholeheartedly say that it definitely gets better if you stay consistent and work at your own pace, whilst learning from your mistakes and doing research.

SNS: What kind of challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Chris: Haha, where can I start?! I think with every stage of building there are always challenges. At the start, I didn't have an accountant, so I didn't know about expenses and all of that stuff. I wasn't great at money management either, so business growth was slow because it felt like I was starting out again every time. But with time I learned business in general better, and literally studied the basics then applied it to my business. I found that it’s very important to understand the back end as much as the front end, then when I could afford an accountant, I got one haha.

SNS: If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently?

Chris: Not much, I think my journey has been unique and has surprised a lot of people who were doubting.

SNS: What advice would you have for someone looking to start their own brand?

Chris: Study the business side, make sure the legal bits and pieces are all in place. You can build a fantastic brand but if you are not properly in order it can all fall to pieces. Learn to like making mistakes, it's a part of the process and if you analyse it well you will most likely not encounter the issue again. Use Google and speak to people, search for manufacturers, create a list of at least 5 to 10, then begin your sampling process. This will allow you to construct your list and choose what manufacturer is good at what, as it's not always best to get all your products created in one space.

SNS: Out of everything you’ve released to date, what has been your personal favourite, and why?

Chris: Hard question, but if I had to pick one it would be the 1FIGURES Hackney tee, just because of the history of the borough and what it means. It was an honour to create a tee that can pay homage to the place that taught me a lot about myself.

SNS: In recent years, we’ve seen a lot brands and designers collaborating together, is there anyone you have thought about collaborating with?

Chris: Yes! I think collaboration is great because forces aligning always create powers when done correctly. Daily Paper are one of my favourites as I really admire everything that they do, top to bottom. Benjart are another powerhouse in the UK streetwear scene and are just so consistent with everything that they do. I want to also collaborate with Clarks and make a great shoe with them! I think that would be a great move. Also, I am quite open to making products outside of just clothing, as 1FIGURES is a brand that holds no boundaries, so if you saw a 1FIGURES wireless speaker do not be shocked!

SNS: Without giving too much away, what can we expect to see from 1Figures in 2021? And what can we expect to see once things go back to some sort of normality?

Chris: Consistent releases from us all year round, improved craftsmanship and overall quality streetwear products. Hopefully, we can do more events, corona permitting!

SNS: You’ve mentioned to us previously that you’re heavily into your sneakers – what’s in your current rotation & what’s your current favourite?

Chris: Love my sneakers man, I would love to create a personal pair. Currently I am wearing some New Balances that are just ultra comfortable for all the walking that I do. I also wear my Nike P-6000 quite a lot, they are my favourite pair. Other than those you will always catch me in a clean pair of Nike Air Force Ones.

SNS: Are there any sneakers, past or present, that you wish you had and may have slept on?

Chris: You know what, I feel like the sneakers I want, I always have to do extra stuff to get! I am not enjoying this current sneaker culture so it is really forcing me to love the basics. I wish I got the Off White Jordan 4’s in cream, they go so well with the new 1FIGURES tracksuit. Also, the black Air Force skeleton pair were so hard, I was gutted I missed out.

SNS: Thank you for your time, is there anything that you would like to close out on?

Chris: Thank you for having me and taking your time out to document my journey with 1FIGURES, I hope the relationship with 1FIGURES and SNS grows from strength to strength! God bless always.