Paul Weller looking for funds for clothing brand

Premium menswear brand Real Stars Are Rare, created by singer/songwriter Paul Weller and retailer Phil Bickley have started a crowdfunding campaign to raise 400,000 pounds to expand the label.

Launched in 2014, Real Stars Are Rare offers collections covering tailoring, knitwear, jerseys and shirting, as well as accessories, all of which are sold online, or in Bickley’s menswear shop Tonic on London’s Portobello Road. Since launch the menswear brand has achieved sales of over 400,000 pounds, achieved without any marketing budget.

Weller, who is the creative director and Bickley, the label’s chief executive, plan to sell 16.67 percent of the business for 400,000 pounds investment as they look to expand the label through broadening of its collections and distribution, as well as relaunching the website, adding dedicated design and support functions, and launching a marketing campaign.

The men’s clothing brand, which is aimed at “fashion-conscious” men aged from 25-55, is also looking to open a standalone store in 2018.

Real Stars Are Rare launches Crowdcube campaign to raise 400,000 pounds

According to the Crowdcube campaign, the company expects sales to reach 260,000 pounds this year, with the main driver for this being the launch of the autumn/winter 2017 collection in September. The duo are also predicting sales of more than 2 million pounds by 2021.

“I used to go into Phil’s shop, Tonic in the Portobello Road, and we got chatting and I was saying to him that I had always wanted to do a clothing brand and it just kind of grew from there,” explains Weller in the promotional video to support the Crowdcube campaign.

The label was created with a vision to offer small runs of collections of classic pieces using quality materials with a pared back Mod aesthetic. Suits start at 450 pounds, knitwear from 150 pounds and T-shirts from 65 pounds.

The Crowdcube campaign went live on February 24 and has already raised more than 100,000 pounds from 123 investors. The campaign closes on March 26.

“We've chosen to do this through equity crowdfunding on Crowdcube, so that our friends and followers can be involved,” Weller and Bickley say on the website. “Crowdfunding is a great way for everyone to get involved and allows people to invest from as little as 10 pounds.”

Investments of more than 250 pounds will also come with rewards such as a free limited edition T-shirt, discount on purchases, a made-to-measure suit, and a meeting with management.

Images: courtesy of Real Stars Are Rare