Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 18th November 2020

Basic Rights was founded in NYC and launched in Electric Lady Studios in 2016 by The Vaccines guitarist Freddie Cowan, which then relocated to East London in 2018. They believe in style over fashion. They focus on fabric, fit and finish and are committed to working with the best: from tailors with decades of experience to renowned mills and factories with ethical transparency and sustainable practices always at the forefront. The Basic Rights goal is to create elevated essentials, designed as off-duty uniforms for modern creatives.

In a recent episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interviewed Basic Rights Managing Director Jack Gove about the direct-to-consumer menswear brand, brainchild of Freddie Cowan of The Vaccines. The aim of their clothes is to provide a wardrobe that acts like a uniform, so men don't need to think about or decide on what to wear each day. Our host Peter Brooker and Jack also chatted about letting quality clothing speak for themselves, using surplus fabrics for sustainability, the effects of Covid-19 on trade, and why brands shouldn't discount.

“We've been going a few years now. We originally launched in New York back in 2016, and the label was the brainchild of our creative director Freddie who is a musician in an indie band called The Vaccines. The idea of Basic Rights was born when Freddie and his band were recording their third album. In that life you’re sort of living day and night in the studio. It’s a very intense experience where you wake up, head to the studio and give your all creatively. He didn’t want to think about the clothes he would be wearing, but equally didn’t want to give up on his appearance either. The brand idea was to create a wardrobe collection that could act like a uniform which would remove the friction from his day, so he could really bring everything that he could to the creative act of recording. Our focus at Basic Rights is to build something that's going to last, making the best products we possibly can. Freddie is very involved in almost every aspect of the business. He isn’t trained as a designer, but he's got a superb eye and a very clear sense of what it is that he wants. And so my job in many ways, is to provide him with the tools that he needs in order to realise whatever visions he has, and we're very fortunate in that we work with some fantastically talented people who are motivated to realise a central vision.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 89 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Jack Gove, Managing Director of basicrights.com. You can listen to the full version below or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player.

Founded by Freddie Cowan of The Vaccines, we sit down and speak to Basic Rights Managing Director Jack Gove about the menswear brand.