Foundations

I was walking through the city centre earlier and something about these cobbles triggered a thought in my head. It seemed as though the industrial foundations that Manchester was built upon were clawing through the tarmac. Demanding we remember the history of this city we have since covered up.

Moments later a dead butterfly dropped down before me, landing crumpled on the pavement. It seemed strangely symbolic. As though it represented the death of creation and new life. I sometimes feel that way about Manchester. It seems like the modern buildings are just purpose built shells. They don't demand an emotional response from their inhabitants or the people on the outside. At the same time a lot of the historical architecture in the centre seems to go unused, overlooked and forgotten. A perfect example of this is the London Road Firestation. A beautiful building in a prime location. It's rotting away before us and it seems we're helpless to do anything to save it.

Here's the buildings rotting interior http://www.talkurbex.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=7486&start=10

A great example of how buildings such as this can be restored, renovated and brought into use in the modern day is The Albert Hall on Peter Street. The former Methodist meeting house was used as a bar/club known as Brannigans for a while but they only used the two lower floors of the building. Now renovated and reopened as a concert/music venue by th people behind Trof, it's amazing interiors can been seen by the public again. 

This kind of redevelopment was happening all over the city centre after the 1996 IRA bomb but seems to have taken second place to the construction of really bland glass tower blocks. Ironically the people behind the redevelopment of so many iconic buildings in Manchester are the same people creating these new constructions. Ian Simpson Architects who are behind most projects involving the redevelopment of areas in the city centre (All the current goings on in St Peters Square for example) are the same people behind Beetham Tower and No. 1 Deansgate. They have many similar buildings approved and/or in development across the city centre. Take a look at their projects gallery to see the incredible scale of their influence on the current look of our city centre architecture. 

http://www.iansimpsonarchitects.com/ISAL/projects/#all

A longer but probably less clear story behind Hive Clothing

So on the website there's an about page and it's just a few lines explaining what Hive is and why. The reason its just a few lines is I don't wanna bore anyone who's just generally interested in my t-shirts. So for anyone who is actually interested in a more details history of myself and Hive Clothings origins I've written this...

When creating the hive brand the initial focus was on Manchester. The aim was (and still is) to get people to realise that the city they live in has an incredible history full of worlds firsts, revolution and radical change.

Why have the Empire State Building on your tee when you could have the hidden gem? What's L.A. Got to do with your life? You live in Moss Side not Miami. Don't be ashamed of who you are! Celebrate it! That IS after all what fashion is supposed to be right?

Other inspirations for my designs come from my own interests and experiences. Growing up in Manchester in the 90s was great. Everything was being rejuvenated. The depressing city that spawned great music was becoming a nice place to live. American imports like ice hockey and basketball were growing in popularity. United were winning everything!

When the 90s ended, United had won the treble, Manchester Storm and Manchester Giants had gone bankrupt and I entered my teens poppin ollies in a pub car park in Urmston between listening to Nirvana on my sony disc man and staying up late watching zombie movies.

Nowadays I’m just this one guy trying to make a difference in the world. Somehow I plan on doing that with t-shirts?

All these things connect and make sense in my head.

Odeon/Paramount demolition

There's so many great buildings in Manchester. Most of my favourite buildings were built in the late 20s and early 30s. In my opinion this was the best period for architecture in Manchester.

On Oxford Road just near St Peters Sq there's a lovely old cinema that is to be demolished in the near future. Opened in 1930 this beautiful faux Art Deco exterior is now a delapadated shell of a once glamourous interior. The councils plans to redevelop the St Peters Sq area are no doubt good for the city centre but when buildings like this and some others near by are sacrificed for modern concrete and glass blocks it's not something I can get too excited about.

Ten/fifteen years ago the Manchester city council seemed to be all about refurbishing the buildings in the city. A city with a great history that had lost its way. Bringing them into the modern day with a new purpose. The corn exchange and the printworks for example. The foundations of these buildings were destroyed by the IRA bomb in 1996. A lot of money was spent regenerating these structures. Now there's buildings that are nowhere near as bad which are simply being left to rot or replaced. Manchester seems to be trying to create a new history for itself (something it's always done) but it's cutting out its true past. That whole 50 year period after WW2 isn't recognised. Who's Tony Wilson is a question anyone under 15 would probably struggle to answer yet it was people like him in the thatcher years that kept this city alive and helped make it what it is. This city owes a lot to the legacy of Tony Wilson and one illegally parked van yet it only seems to remember its industrial heritage and it's modern economic success.

Anyway rant over.

New Graphic

Been working on some new designs lately. (new products too!)

Had an idea for a new logo/graphic for our t-shirts. We've incorporated the Manchester coat of arms into this one so if you're feeling proud of your home town, keep an eye out for this on some upcoming designs.

Hope you like it!

Welcome to Cottonopolis

This is where you can read about what's happening at Hive Clothing as well as whatever Hive Clothing finds interesting and wants more than 140 characters to tell you about it.

Enjoy!