Batch LDN: No Fashion Experience But They've Built The UK's Coolest Menswear Brand That Celebrities Love
Building The Brand with James BurttShow Notes
How do you convince people to spend £400 on a suit… and then wait up to eight weeks for it? That is exactly what Sam and Julian, the founders of Batch LDN, have managed to do. In this episode of Building The Brand, they share how two founders with no fashion background built one of the most interesting menswear brands in the UK by doing almost everything differently. Batch LDN is not a traditional fashion brand. They do not hold huge amounts of stock. They do not rely on fast fashion cycles. They do not lead with endless paid ads. Instead, they batch customer orders together, make every item to order in London using premium Italian fabrics, and have built a brand around quality, community, retail experience and smart casual menswear that actually fits modern life. But this conversation is not just about suits. Sam and Julian talk openly about why industry naivety became an advantage, why sustainability alone was not enough to drive sales, how a real-life robbery became one of their most successful marketing moments, why having the right co-founder changes everything, and why they chose to build through physical retail first when most fashion brands start online. They also break down how Batch LDN has attracted celebrities, sports teams and investors, why Romesh Ranganathan became involved in the brand, how they became the official menswear supplier to Burnley Football Club, and what comes next as they look to expand the product range, grow online and take Batch international. SHOP @ Batch LDN CONNECT WITH OUR BUILDING THE BRAND COMMUNITY ▪️ How Batch LDN created a made-to-order casual suit brand ▪️ How batching orders helps reduce waste, stock risk and cost ▪️ Why premium Italian fabrics and London manufacturing became core to the brand ▪️ Why Sam and Julian’s lack of fashion experience became a superpower ▪️ How sustainability shaped the business internally but failed as the lead marketing message ▪️ How a robbery at their store became a viral marketing campaign ▪️ Why the “See It. Say It. Suited.” campaign put Batch on the map ▪️ The importance of having the right co-founder in a startup ▪️ Why physical retail became Batch LDN’s strongest sales channel ▪️ Why the founders hired a creator and doubled down on storytelling instead of paid ads ▪️ How celebrities including Romesh Ranganathan, Ashley Walters, Simon Pegg, Ant and Dec, Josh Denzel and others have worn the brand Key Moments: 0:00 — Intro 03:33 — How Batch LDN’s made-to-order fashion model works 06:42 — How Sam and Julian started Batch LDN with no fashion experience 08:03 — The fashion waste problem behind the made-to-order model 12:00 — Why sustainability alone does not sell fashion15:32 — How startup experience helped Batch challenge the fashion industry 17:41 — PAUSE POINT: Industry naivety can be a competitive advantage 19:34 — The Batch LDN robbery story 23:18 — Why the co-founder relationship matters in startup life 26:36 — Why Sam chose Julian as his Batch LDN co-founder 30:34 — PAUSE POINT: The right co-founder helps carry the weight 32:58 — Building the Batch Members Club and fashion community 35:20 — How the Covent Garden flagship store became a retail and events space 36:54 — Why 80% of Batch LDN revenue comes through physical retail 39:20 — Replicating the in-store fitting experience online 40:58 — PAUSE POINT: Do not blindly follow the direct-to-consumer startup playbook 43:35 — Why Batch LDN hired an in-house content creator 46:59 — Doubling revenue without paid social advertising 48:55 — Celebrities, social proof and Batch LDN suits in the wild 52:17 — Why Romesh Ranganathan invested in Batch LDN 53:59 — Taking Batch LDN to America and testing international growth 54:30 — Becoming Burnley Football Club’s official menswear supplier 56:00 — Why sports teams and smart casual menswear are a major opportunity 58:29 — New Batch LDN products: corduroy suits, cropped jackets and wider-leg trousers 1:00:20 — The five-year vision for Batch LDN
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