Sly Guild is a streetwear brand banded together by three brothers, Blair, Chad and James Konik. Their design process is a collective process with a mutual contribution from the three brothers over the current season moodboard. Each of the brothers brings a different strength to the creative table. Blair is very much about visuals, branding, structure and is very picky about the textile side of things. James tends to have an eye for the fabrication - colours, textures and finishes in terms of washes, and dyes etc. Chad helps drive direction in creative design and moods for the ranges, which helps with shooting the finished product as he heads the photography for campaigns. Block lettering, long sleeves, and blazes of colour are prominent in Sly Guild’s collections. For these brothers, fashion is a family affair as they have grown up in the industry with their mother and Aunty both pattern makers and machinists. Sly Guild is proudly NZ made, especially as Blair, Chad and James know how their business can benefit garment makers in New Zealand and because it gives them a competitive edge. There is definitely a reward in giving back to the local industry and these brothers believe that our local trade here needs them as much as they need Sly Guild. Spending hours on end in school holidays bundling cuts for their mum was something the boys never realized would come into fruition later in life. Sly Guild was an accident if anything, the brothers made t-shirts for themselves with no intention of selling. They just wanted to wear a quality product. Sly Guild’s own growth has also been organic, something that grew into a project from a bit of personal fulfilment to a full time business that involved accountants and bank managers. Sly Guild is striving to bridge the gap between the high-end wardrobe that most people dream about to one that is aesthetically pleasing, quality and affordable. Because of this Sly Guild competes with both surf brands and designer brands, yet this does not deter them. Blair, Chad and James focus their energy on quality and a New Zealand appeal. The boys love hearing the words; ''you won’t last'' or ''it won't work'' in regards to being NZ Made. They spend hours on research and development every week, something that’s a very slow, tedious process but they can never stop learning and evolving as designers. The boys feel that this is the one aspect that is the most essential for the brands growth and its expansion into new products in the years to come.
