Meet the Grainger Market Traders: Tender Hooligan

How did you meet and why did you decide to set up Tender Hooligan? 

We met while both working at Scorpio Shoes in 2018 and quickly became good mates! During the 2021 Euros on a drunken night out we got talking about the idea of doing something for ourselves. We loved the alternative subculture clientele and history of Scorpio Shoes and Newcastle as a whole, but felt that it was underrepresented, especially in terms of clothing.   

This love of subculture paired with a mutual interest in fashion, and a combined 24 years of clothing retail experience made it a no brainer to give the preloved retail game a go, adding our own subculture twist! 

Tell us about the inspiration behind your name. Does it have anything to do with The Smiths song?   

It does! We were playing with a few different ideas for names when starting out and couldn't land on one. Adam had always been a big Smiths fan and suggested Tender Hooligan - we both felt it was a good fit and settled on it pretty soon after. 

What kind of clothing and brands can people expect to find at Tender Hooligan?   

We always make sure to keep a keen focus on British heritage and subculture styling so you can expect all the well-known staples like Fred Perry, Dr. Martens, Pretty Green, Levi's, and Ben Sherman. We also make sure to keep a good stock of less mainstream subculture labels such as Merc, Brutus, Relco, Solovair, and George Cox. 

In terms of styles you can expect a wide range with all sorts of classic jackets, shirts, tees, polos, and jeans, as well as restored footwear to suit just about any taste!   

Why the focus on British subculture fashion? 

We've both had an interest in subculture styling for years but had always found it difficult to find a decent source of clothing and footwear that fit the bill when it came to shopping locally, especially when it came to preloved fashion.   

We wanted to give those interested in various subcultures and the styles surrounding them a more accessible way to shop locally with the conveniences of in person shopping. We also hope our shop can help introduce new people to the styles that we love! 

How do you go about sourcing all your vintage threads? 

We get our stock from all over the place, including suppliers, private sellers, and even our own customers who will often come in to sell or swap gear they no longer wear!   

Vintage shopping has become a lot more popular in recent years - why do you think this is? 

It's often far cheaper to shop preloved, which we feel has made a huge impact on people starting to lean more and more towards it. For example, we offer our Fred Perry polos from £20 as opposed to the £75 plus they would set you back buying new on the high street. This means that those with less disposable income have the opportunity to buy the high-quality clothing they want without paying a wild premium and makes it far easier for people to experiment with their own personal style!   

What would be your dream vintage find? 

It's so difficult to say! Because of the way we procure our stock we're constantly finding incredibly cool items and we can't help but get excited about each one of them!   

Some current highlights include a pair of late 60's Dr. Martens police boots, a brand new in packet dagger collar Ben Sherman from the early 70's, a World War II smock made in 1942, and a pair of beautiful 14-hole tapestry Dr. Martens from the mid-80s that will be arriving in store soon! 

How has business been since opening your Grainger Market store? 

It's been fantastic! It has honestly exceeded our expectations and we've been very lucky to have grown a great customer base of lovely people who have received what we're doing incredibly well! It's been lush seeing so many people come through the doors and get as excited as we are about the gear that we stock!   

What do you love about being a part of the Grainger Market community? 

The Grainger Market has probably been the best place we could have asked for as a small business, the support and guidance we have received from other veteran traders has been invaluable and has helped alleviate some of the stresses of opening a new store as a new business! 

Having both worked in the Grainger Market for years prior to opening Tender Hooligan it's a home away from home and we're excited to see how it progresses as the council continues to renovate and bring new traders in! 

Tender Hooligan is located in Unit 143 and 144 on Alley 4 in Grainger Market and is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5:30pm. For more information visit www.facebook.com/tenderhooliganclothing/