SHHHH
An ethical streetwear brand and artist collective that created opportunities for young emerging creatives.
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In 2008, I was 18 and studying art and design at college. My friends and I were immersed in street culture—creating art, designing graphics, DJing, and making skate films. But we lacked a platform to unify and broadcast our work outside our small town. We needed to create something that connected us to the wider creative world and showcased our skills to a larger audience.
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As the founder and creative director, I conceptualized and built SHHHH Collective, a streetwear brand and artist collective that aimed to give emerging artists exposure through clothing collections, exhibitions, and collaborative projects. I wore many hats, from branding and graphic design to event planning and product development.
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I started with my own artist tag—SHHHH—which quickly became the identity for a larger group of emerging creatives known as The SHHHH Collective. I pitched our vision at a local ‘Dragon’s Den’-style event and won a start-up grant, which enabled me to focus on building clothing collections and getting products into local stores. The brand was a blend of streetwear, art, and community engagement, all united by a shared ethos of ethical production.
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The clothing collections were picked up by national stockists, and SHHHH was sold in prestigious stores like Dogfish, alongside brands like OBEY and Carhartt. We gained a 20k following on social media and collaborated with local artists and creatives on various projects. SHHHH Collective organically evolved into Compendia, a platform better suited to my refined purpose and a broader vision.
