Some shops sell clothes. Others leave a mark.
For two decades, Oi Polloi was one of those rare places that managed to do both. And after an enforced absence, it’s back.
Back in 2002, when Manchester’s Northern Quarter was still more grit than flat whites, Oi Polloi opened its doors on Tib Street and quietly changed the way a lot of people thought about menswear. Long before “gorpcore” became a marketing term and outdoor clothing found itself on fashion week moodboards, Oi Polloi was introducing people to hiking gear, and obscure sportswear, presenting it all with a wit and perspective entirely its own.
It went on to become something of a gateway drug to a generation of clothing obsessives.
Whether you were buying your first pair of exceptionally stiff jeans, discovering a Japanese brand you’d never heard of, or reading one of the store’s irreverent product descriptions, Oi Polloi had a knack for making clothes feel exciting without ever taking itself too seriously.
When the business closed in 2023 following the sale of several JD Group-owned retailers to Frasers Group, it felt like the end of an era. Thankfully, it wasn’t quite the end of the story.
Crucially, ownership of the Oi Polloi name remained with its founders, and now one of them is preparing to bring it back.
Nigel Lawson, who co-founded the business alongside Steve Sanderson, is returning to lead Oi Polloi into its next chapter. Sanderson has stepped away to focus on other projects, while Lawson has spent the intervening years plotting a return that stays true to the spirit of what made the shop so beloved in the first place.
Last week, Nigel was in Paris reconnecting with many of the brands and industry figures who helped shape Oi Polloi’s journey over the years, renewing old friendships and laying the foundations for what comes next.
“After a period away from the industry, I’m really excited to be bringing Oi Polloi back,” Lawson explains. “When the doors closed on Thomas Street, we always wanted to find a way to bring it back to life. It was just a matter of getting everything in place. The idea is we’ll start with a stripped-back selection made with the Oi Polloi magpie eye and we’ll feel our way forwards from there.”
The first step will be the return of the Oi Polloi website this September, offering a carefully considered selection of products chosen with the same curiosity and discerning eye that made the retailer such an influential force in the first place.
There are also plans to revive the brand’s own-label collection, something Lawson remains particularly passionate about.
“Some of the best-selling stuff we stocked was our own-label clothing, and in the time I’ve been away, I’ve been bringing some newness in with that.”
For now, details remain under wraps, but further announcements regarding the website relaunch, new products and the future direction of Oi Polloi will follow in the coming days.
And while the industry has changed dramatically since Oi Polloi first opened its doors, the appetite for honest enthusiasm, good clothing and a healthy disregard for fashion nonsense feels stronger than ever.
