Oasis rocker had his beady eyes on my John Lennon T-shirt. Now he’s mad for it
When Robert Chambers set up Glasgow’s Social Recluse four years ago, he never dreamed it would be catapulted to cult status thanks to the backing of stars like Liam Gallagher, Steve Craddock and Irvine Welsh.
Youngsters clamour for its limited edition designs inspired by decades of subculture and brought to life on T-shirts, clothing and bespoke prints.
Robert said: “I never planned on having a shop. I was just making my own clothes, and I wore them out. Somebody would say, ‘where did you get that from?’ and it spiralled from there.”
Robert told how Dundee band The View asked to wear his T-shirts on stage when they supported The Stone Roses at a 2013 Glasgow gig.
He said: “One of them stays in London. He wore the T-shirt out one night and bumped into Liam Gallagher. Liam asked where he got it from and he said, ‘my friend in Glasgow makes them’. Liam said, ‘Well tell your friend in Glasgow I want one off him.’ About three months after that Beady Eye, Liam’s band, were playing Barrowlands. I made Liam a John Lennon T-shirt and dropped it off there. After that it seemed to be his favourite T-shirt.”
With his merchandise heavily influenced by the subculture of Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh’s books, Robert was chuffed to gain the writer’s backing.
He had already designed a T-shirt based on the New Order song. Your Silent Face, one of Welsh’s favourites. And about three years ago Robert was able to give the writer the T-shirt at a book launch in Glasgow. “The next day he was at a function in Edinburgh and he had my T-shirt on,” he said.
“A friend sent me a photo of him wearing it. When I get a photo like that I stick it on social media.”
He added: “Raymond Mead from Ocean Colour Scene, comes into the shop. He was going on stage one night in a T-shirt of mine and Steve Craddock says, ‘I’m having that. Where do you get these T-shirts from?’ So I sent Steve a couple. He has been photographed wearing them out with Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher.
“Once a picture goes on social media all the youngsters want to buy it.
“My shop is now in King Street in Glasgow. It’s a cool part of the city and we love it. Just through social media the business is growing.”