Spotlight: 10 Questions with THREADS owner and stylish man Hadley
Spotlight is a segment that shines a light on local Kiwi guys doing cool things, chasing down their dreams and owning life. Every spotlight will feature 10 questions to uncover a little about who these guys are and of course a bit about their style.
His name is Hadley and don't let his muscles fool you, he's one of the friendliest guys you'll ever meet. He's the kind of lad that gives things a shot and puts all his energy into it and rides it out no matter the weather. This applaudable attitude is what has set him up as a successful entrepreneur as the owner of his own streetwear store called Threads. Hear more on his journey, what he loves about fashion and what's next for Threads.
Here's 10 Questions with Hadley.
1. How’d you get to the point of wanting to open your own store?
Was a bit of a throw-myself-in-the-deep-end and see if I could swim sort of story when I was 20 years old. I first started out with the online store during the 3rd year of my degree, it was actually a project I carried forward from one of my business papers back in 2009. The online store itself launched late 2010 and the physical location in Ponsonby opened in November the following year.
2. What do you think about NZ fashion and style?
It’s definitely forever evolving, with access to trends being set overseas a lot of the way we see style has changed. It’s fast fashion, no delays & people want what they see then and there. Through my own views on men’s fashion, I have definitely seen a transition in what tones they are willing to wear. 90% of Threads a few years back would be black, white and grey. This season you can see a lot more tonal colours coming through, with washed denim, tans & olive greens. Even the odd washed pink which seems to be a popular pick at the moment with some of our younger customers.
3. How’d you describe your style?
To be honest, it's slightly depicted by what we have currently in store, the easiest way to put it is seeing myself as a walking mannequin. However I do enjoy layering a lot of the pieces, this is typically done with either oversized or taller garments. With my own personal interest in the fitness industry, I am a big fan of the sports luxury influence on my own personal style due to the comfort it can provide too.
4. Where do you draw most of your fashion inspiration from?
I enjoy looking at what is happening overseas, Japan and Europe are my main sources. Japan’s street culture is extremely strong, they're unique in the way they define traditional concepts, with new modern twists that give their style an edge. It's extremely distinctive.
5. What’s one of the biggest learning curves from running your business?
That’s a pretty easy one. Two years back we went through a rough patch of break-ins (6 in total). This was one of the hardest times I've been through due to being able to only claim 2 out of the 6 with insurance due to various reasons with excess and amounts stolen. It was a physically and mentally draining time which took its toll on the love and passion I had for the business. In order to get through this period of recovery I was working 7 days a week purely to try to keep things afloat and the doors open. It really became a time of major sacrifice in my personal life, but knowing what needed to be done to keep moving forward was what kept me going.
6. What app should all guys have on their phone?
Would have to be some sort of music based app, I am constantly driving around between stores & meetings so find music very dependent to help with my mood & concentration. It can easily transform the atmosphere of a store also.
7. Who’ve you just recently started following on the gram?
@ronniefieg the owner of Kith store, if you want to see the life of someone who has major impact on the streetwear & concept store game, he is a great person to follow. He has huge respect in the industry & is constantly involved with some of the best collabs you will see to date.
8. Do you have a personal favourite label?
It can vary for myself dependent on the season, one of my favourite labels currently is based out of USA called MNML (pronounced Minimal) which we have started stocking exclusively for NZ. Premium made basics, which are produced in downtown Los Angeles. The quality of the craftsmanship and fabrics used stands out in a huge way in comparison to brands you see producing their products out of China.
9. What does the future of Threads look like? What's your vision?
We have been working low-key behind the scenes on a new e-commerce platform which we will be launching shortly. The aim is to have this ready in time for the Summer months and co-align with those collections we have arriving in store before Christmas. We're making this move to step up our own game by offering faster delivery rates and easier access to our stock base. I've made this a key point of focus, moving back to our original roots of online trading and am working hard to have it flow seamlessly through a web-based platform that reflects and interacts with our brick 'n' mortar set up here in Ponsonby.
10. What’s your puppy’s name and how did you find him?
His name is Maverick, he is a Chow Chow. It was a long time searching for his specific breed here in NZ, they are really rare which is one thing that attracted me to the breed in general. Was lucky enough to find a breeder down in Christchurch which breeds them for show, I asked to be put on their waiting list which was about 1.5 years. Got a call in October about a potential litter, paid for him up front and was lucky enough to fly him up mid-January.
If you're lucky enough, you may even get to meet Maverick himself at the Ponsonby store location as he often keeps Hadley company when he's working a few shifts. I can tell you from being in-store on a Saturday this little pup brings in loads of customers for some cuddles and selfies. Good marketing ploy there Hadley!
Thanks to Hadley for taking the time to be interviewed and be on the watch out as we bring you some key Spring styles & looks all available at Threads. Stay tuned.