27 Years of Style: The Evolution of Jed Phoenix

(3 to 4 minute read)

April 2026 marks the 27th anniversary of me successfully presenting my business plan to The Prince's Trust and receiving start-up funding. Thinking back over those years, I'm struck both by how much things have changed and how I've managed to not only survive, but thrive, as a self-employed creative business owner. So, what are the key moments of the journey so far, and what is the future of Jed Phoenix of London's Strikingly Unconventional Style?

One of the main ways of selling my creations over the past 27 years has been through in-person events. For the first 5 years or so, that was a weekend pitch in The Electric Ballroom market. Being in Camden Town was great for people watching. I saw how people interacted with the stall and what they were wearing. I listened to their feedback and adapted based on what I saw and heard. I added detachable sleeves to the Obscure Labels T-shirts and test marketed the strap trousers by wearing the sample that I'd made. Gary Numan came and bought a couple of pairs of trousers and a few other pieces from me, and, as I added more designs, I started to build a good customer base of repeat buyers. 

But in the early 2000s, Camden was becoming increasingly flooded with cheaper, mass produced fashion. I wanted to explore designs that I was passionate about rather than try to compete on price. Whilst Camden Town attracted a lot of people, I knew it was time to narrow down and trade at events where my target market was. Infest, Whitby Goth Weekend, Erotica, the Skin Two Expo, LAM, BBB, LFF, and Resistanz all became regular features on my calendar, along with a few other one-off events both in the UK and in Europe. The mix of goth, industrial, and fetish events was perfect for my brand and I felt like I had plenty of space to grow and develop into. I continued to watch, listen and adapt.

Behind-the-scenes, life was mainly about figuring out how to do all the tasks needed to run a business - bookkeeping, marketing, sourcing and purchasing supplies, creating and testing new products, manufacture, etc. I read books, listened to podcasts, and sought the counsel of others, particularly Juno Roche who gave me the confidence to change my brand name from Obscure Labels to Jed Phoenix of London and who took some photos of me and Roi from Mechanical Cabaret for a early JPoL flyer. My marketing strategy was, and still is, largely word-of-mouth and being seen by people at goth, alternative and kink events. When websites became a must-have for a business, it was a customer of mine who took me on as his web developer company's “charity case”. Friends helped me with selling at multi-day events, and fellow traders told me of other events to try or suppliers to buy from. My annual tax return was done for many years by the Mum of a couple who got married wearing my designs. And I couldn't have coped in the studio without Elaine, my chief machinist for 17 years, and the 20 plus work experience students that I've tutored.

I feel incredibly grateful for the collaborative nature of the alternative scene. It has supported me in ways that I couldn't have imagined 27 years ago. There have been challenges when it comes to running Jed Phoenix of London for sure, with in-person trading events coming and going, online platforms emerging, looking promising and then moving the goal posts, the financial crash of 2008, Covid, world politics thwarting the ability to sell overseas, and the many life-related things like grief, relationship break-ups, and moving house. 

I do far fewer pop-up shops these days, getting around solely by bicycle and trailer or public transport. Since Covid, I've been making everything myself, rather than employing a machinist, and I'm loving the opportunity to continue to hone my craft. I've refined my business in response to the challenges that have popped up and I've managed to create a lifestyle business that I truly love, with customers who have become friends, in communities that I cherish. I have so many more ideas to explore and challenges to meet, so here’s to the next 27 years!