Designing for Endurance.

Timeless used to be a look that stood the test of time. A quality piece that survived seasons because it outlived its moment. That definition no longer holds.
The quality no longer holds, and the silhouette has gone from timeless to time stamped.

Endurance is practical, not poetic.

Founder working at desk

Designing for endurance begins when you accept reality as the client. Use, time, money, labour and consequence. It shows up in stitching that doesn’t come undone, zips that don’t fail. And it extends beyond the object to the grower, picker, maker; if you’re forced to undercut yourself to remain viable, that fragility is built into the product from the start. Calling something sustainable doesn’t correct that. Paying properly does.

Endurance forces business change.

Most design avoids endurance because it forces long term thinking and costs short term gains. Designing for endurance means not offloading these questions onto the customer. It means building systems through aftercare, design and partnership, where responsibility remains with the maker. Where products can be returned, reused, recycled or passed on without becoming someone else’s problem. Where a product can become an heirloom rather than landfill.  This way of working doesn’t fit neatly into traditional business expectations. It doesn't align well (yet) with shareholder pressure or growth that depends on constant replacement. That friction isn’t accidental, it’s the point.

Endurance changes the customer relationship.

Not through constant novelty, but through trust. Inviting return not just to buy but to see what has been built next.  Through meaning, innovation, and designs that aren’t shaped by hype but instead carry weight, story, ethos and credibility. Ultimately, it’s about responsibility. About refusing artificial exclusivity. And not treating the customer like a cash cow or dishonouring their custom.

Endurance is non-negotiable.

Designing for endurance is not a claim of purity or perfection. It’s a commitment to build under real constraints, economic, material, human and to redefine those choices and the consequences. Redesigning them so there is meaning and reward instead. Selling products that aren’t a lie. That thinking is already being tested in what we’re building now, under real constraints.

Verbal bondage and visual systems.

AI visual showing the three characters to Mongrel Logic, a small part of the process of developing our visual system.

The tiny problem when you build like I do is the language evolution as I progress. I’ve changed the website more than I have changed outfits this year.

Defining what hasn’t been defined.

Learning how to talk about the three characters I inhabit in this world has been extremely challenging. Every time I refine even the smallest phrase, the knock-on effect of clarity in one area means a complete rewrite in another.

It’s ok, I won in the end.

I have emerged from the wilderness of my own mind, covered in moss, dirt and ichor. But I think I might have finally moulded all these things into one coherent, cohesive story that finally has its visual shit together.

The evidence of our evolution is here for all to see.

I don’t mind that. At all, actually. I have built this from scratch. Whether it’s finding identity in wording, or arguing with myself over flat felled seems and GSM, pattern makers, choosing our manufacturers for the limited editions; it’s been one hell of a journey to be able to stand here next to a thing that looks like a thing. The beginnings of a thing. A ‘th’ if you will.

Mongrel Logic has found its stride.

Which is good because I walk fast. I have not stopped in months. The tiniest bit of wording on the website, image, description, product seen and the coming soon limited-edition range is all occupying my head. All trying to find its mark.

It took a minute, but this is the first time it’s felt like it can breathe.

There is much more coming. And so much more to do. I’ve just finalised a visual identity system. And our next hoodie design is under construction. I’ve just finished rewriting the website again, and for the first time, I think I have a plan for our socials. The AI image above was part of that journey, trying to articulate the three characters of my business. I needed a visual way to help me delineate language and this helped quite a bit.

Mongrel Logic is 2 months old!

Mongrel Logic Cupcake with Logo icing (not its not real, how else do you give a website and a brand a cake?)

I’m not going to lie, that was painful. It was fun, but also painful. I have built a shop, rebuilt a website, more times than I can remember, our designs are rolling. Fixed embarrassing errors, all of them, I hope.

We’ve got new designs coming

I’m working on our next design as, well…not as I type that would make me an octopus. But now. Currently.

Now it’s time to spread our wings

It’s been a massive amount of work to get here. I’ve been up till ungodly hours sorting out everything from marketing strategies to future Core Range designs and our Limited-Edition range.

It’s all been worth it.

I started the blog two years ago with no direction and just waffled on for over a year before I developed any of this. I have some loyal bloody crew that have watched me do this from the start and talk about everything from cutting down trees to the thing that sparked the cap idea. I’ve built this in public, which we will continue to do. I started with nothing, I started before the idea, and here we are.

Excited for 2026

There is a lot in store for 2026, we have artists we will feature, we have the designer range, launching next year and will continue to grow our circular, sustainable, deliciously soft organic cotton designs, bringing you circular, wearable art that’s been built to endure.

Subscribe to The Studio Dispatch for more.

That’s our newsletter.

It was hard to stop, this digital cupcake features our first design. I’m hungry now.

The Mongrel Logic Shop is fully born

Founder (that’s me) wearing the signature tee

I lead the end-to-end creative direction, product development, brand strategy, and digital ecosystem build.  I feel like Dorothy caught in a whirling Tornado, but there is no Kansas, just Instagram and Algorithms.

And our baby teeth fell out.

The teething stage is now. I’ve just finished our tenth design and am hugely proud to be working with our King’s Award winning third-party production and fulfilment service. Our labels come with a QR code that can be scanned for a discount and returnable for recycling. A circular fashion system. I am doing my part to eliminate fashion waste.

Vintage art on nice, thick, soft…fabric.

It’s an incredibly exciting time; our early designs feature literal vintage artwork reimagined, and the shop is starting to look like a real shop. There is so much more to come, I have a few feature artists lined up and more information to follow soon.

The next phase is even bigger

Obviously, I need to make some noise. Our tiny audience: are the ones who knew from the start. The ones who saw me come up with all of this on the old blog and website and hung around for a month while we moved. Legends.

From circular fashion to designer range

I’m working closely with experts in the field to develop patterns and fabrics; all while designing the core range. I do wish I could show you more, and I will very soon but for now it’s all under wraps.

Thanks to the OG subscribers

Just wanted to finish by saying a huge thanks to the people who have been in this little world with me from the start.

Wearable logic. Circular by design.

First life: catching golden-hour wind on a skater’s back. Next life? Whoever needs it next. Clothes should travel; not landfill.

If we were all to have a penny for the world’s problems right now, we’d have a lot of pennies. I’m not here to lecture you. We know. By now we all know. We’ve all been told to quit, and we’re all out back smoking thirty at once.

But we can do better than 90 million tons of textile waste.

The good news? The solutions already exist. One of them is our King’s Award winning Third-party production and fulfilment service. Everything we make is organic cotton, dyed with a process clean enough to produce drinkable water; and every piece is fully recyclable when it reaches the end of your story with it.

Circular Fashion is the future.

Not in a trending way. In a logical way. A single garment can serve multiple lives:

·       a first owner

·       a second owner

·       a second-hand market

·       and finally, Remill; where it’s respun into something new

Remember hand-me-downs? Cousins’ shirts? Clothes used to travel. Fast fashion and poor quality are what broke that system.

Recycling textiles is just the beginning.

For me, the ethos behind the build has been the backbone of everything, from designing the world’s most amazing cap (coming in 2026) to choosing our fulfilment service. Organic. Circular. Sustainable. Renewable energy.
Not buzzwords; decisions.

Organic, Circular, Sustainable, Renewable Energy

It’s as much about what I want to see as what fashion should be. Something that can be passed down from generation to generation, or something that can serve a second life on a market elsewhere. Not end up in landfill.

Built with purpose

And with Mongrel Logic.

Look ma, I made a hoodie!

The build begins. One eye, one line, one rule broken.

I’ve only just stopped dreaming in web build, waking up in the middle of the night feeling like I’ve been holding down ctrl shift or something for hours. There are two things happening simultaneously.

The Shop Is Open

I somehow managed to pull that all together in a day and a half. And I’m loving every minute of it. Ok, maybe not so much the stress part; but I have gotten better at managing everything. As it stands, I am a non-conformist. I’m the guy that pushes the red button that says do not push. OK, I’m not that dumb but when I am told no, I usually pick it up and go- ok but why?

Rebel with a cause.

My cause is not unique, it’s essential. We all know we need to improve everything from fashion to well, everything. ‘Lest we all end up like Mad Max. So, I’m not going to bang on about that, other than to say that developing products that last is incredibly important to me. It took months of research before choosing Teemill, and I am eagerly awaiting my first sample, I’ll share as soon as it arrives. I cannot wait to launch our designer range. To say I’ve been working hard is an understatement. I used to talk to people about stars, actual ones not the Hollywood kind, and now the only thing that comes out of my mouth is related to building, design or vision.

I’ve had to start watching Ghost Adventures again as a way of switching off.

There’s nothing like Aaron’s “whoa’s” to take your head out of reality. I’m not here to debate ghosts though. I am here to say I watch things like this to escape, and I’ve just finished a series, the first in almost a decade, thank you Peacemaker. I don’t have time nor the inclination to watch six episodes just for a bit of story and ten to get to the big action sequence. I haven’t watched any series aside from maybe the pilot in years. Kudos.

Although would I have watched it if John Cena wasn’t in it?

Doubt I would have clicked. Clearly, I don’t want to talk about work, I’m due to finish a design today, hopefully bring it to you asap, and I started writing this last night talking all business and it made my eyes water and my brain go all squirmy.

If this sounds like the kind of fashion you’re into

Bwaahahahahahaha. SEO is going to hate this because it makes no sense. But I’ve just thrown out my second rule book. If you weren’t around for the old blog, the last time I threw out a rulebook I built this. This time I drop kicked it out. Boom. I’d rather innovate than copy, hopefully, I’m not a complete idiot and this all works out nicely. So far, I’ve built a business in a few short months. And launched it. So…hold my beer. Wait, was that a ghost?

Built to Endure: The Test Run

Close-up black-and-white photograph of human eyes featuring vivid multicolour irises in turquoise, green, and magenta; representing the Mongrel Logic visual identity and first product drop in development

This week was a turning point. Sitting here trying to write this after redefining our socials, changing our name(domain), developing content and designing streetwear, I’m not going to lie, is painful. Having an overloaded brain is not conducive to writing. But work is not done.

It ain’t over till the diva sings

That one was due an upgrade. And it’s most certainly not over, we’re just beginning. We’re moments away from the first drop and a test run on Mongrel Logic. Suddenly, what felt like it was 3 months away is suddenly a few sleeps away.

Don’t panic, 42.

It’s been part mild panic and frantic output combined with pivots and reversals. But honestly, the thing that has always worked for me has been just focusing on the next baby step, and the one after that.

The first drop is about to…well…drop.

The first Mongrel Logic products; the hoodies, are officially in testing and heading for launch. The Signature Edition Cap is still the North-Star, but this is the trial run. The test of the system.

First hoodies, then caps, then world domination

I clearly watched too much Pinky and The Brain growing up.

Shop Launching Soon

I’ve been saying for weeks that you’re not going to want to miss the cap, and you’re not going to want to miss the first drop from Mongrel Logic either. Watch this space closely for more, follow along, subscribe, turn around, touch your nose. (Telepathically activates FOMO)