Walk down Kingsland Road and you are likely to encounter an array of style tribes, none more recognisible than musical/tortured artist/east end boy uniform of faded black skinnies and suitably overworn yet still loved tee.  These types look to Without Backbones to fill there wardrobes with graphic infused staples. This collection follows on from everything that has come before, but with more focus on large illustrative montage graphics in moody monochrome.

Dazed Digital: How old are you?
Joseph Hodgkinson: 30

DD: How long have you been designing?
Joseph Hodgkinson: 6 years

DD: Where are you based?
Joseph Hodgkinson: Dalston

DD: Your work has graphic elements to it, are you graphic trained?
Joseph Hodgkinson: I’ve never had any formal training in graphic design, although I did a brief stint at art college studying fine art painting but that wasn’t for me. I actually studied Audio Visual production at university.

DD: Why menswear?
Joseph Hodgkinson: Our first collection had a women’s range and it actually did pretty well. Ultimately though, we wanted to make clothes for ourselves.

DD: You seem to have quite a few projects on the go, can you talk us through them...
Joseph Hodgkinson: We have 3 projects on the go.
Without Backbones is our original label, our baby. Initially we just wanted to produce a range of directional graphic prints for t-shirts; themes are quite idiosyncratic and insular, which developed into a full collection with lots of oversized shapes.

Lightnin’ Jim was set up as a rockabilly licensing project.  An encounter with Jim Jeffries from the band ‘The Dark Angels’ lead us to Smutty Smiff (he played the upright double bass for the legendry Rockats). Between them they had masses of British punk/rockabilly material spanning the last 30 years - it seemed obvious to collaborate with them.  We have been in talks with James Chance from the Contortions about a possible future project based around the Anya Philips photographs from the Mudd club. I can’t wait to get my hands on them.

The Cold Hands of Shoreditch is the independent outlet for both our labels, it’s success has meant that we can also sell our mates labels too - vintage Horace, Tuesday Night Band Practice, Thousand Reasons and Original Sins.

DD: Who do you design for?
Joseph Hodgkinson: Sulky band types

DD: Who would you like to see in your clothes?
Joseph Hodgkinson: Everyone…

DD: What inspires you at the moment?
Joseph Hodgkinson: Life… I sort of work on Autopilot I don’t know where it comes from.

DD: Who are your favorite designers and why?
Joseph Hodgkinson: I don’t really have favorites. Interested in what Damir Doma’s doing, Junn J’s tailoring is pretty slick.

How would you describe your style?
Joseph Hodgkinson: Scruff bag!

Were you interested in fashion while growing up?
Joseph Hodgkinson: My Mum used to design knitwear patterns for a French wool company so I guess I was always aware of fashion.  I had never considered working in fashion until I started my own label, some how I have found myself here.

What are your plans for the future?
Joseph Hodgkinson: Currently working on the new Without Backbones collection and concentrating on pushing that.

What is your dream job?
Joseph Hodgkinson: I think I’m doing it.

Can we buy your collection anywhere? If so, where?
Joseph Hodgkinson: Harvey Nichols, or you can buy it direct from our online store