FROM THE LOCAL TO THE GLOBAL: LOCAL SPACE PRESENTED BY END.

Placing emphasis on community, Local Space is proudly Mancunian. Founded at the start of 2024 by Ste Wing and Val Kristopher Galbo, the brand has built a devout following for their range of caps and apparel that deliver a distinctive aesthetic approach as a wider celebration of community.

Both with extensive experience in the fashion industry, Ste and Val have leveraged this past expertise to propel themselves forward in a relatively short space of time. Celebrating the local, Local Space has been built from the ground up with importance placed on authentic storytelling. Weaving narratives of cultural exchange into their product lines, the brand champions a true sense of community, distilled through their connection to Manchester but emblematic of a desire to connect globally with a quiet sense of belonging.

Sitting down with Local Space founders Ste Wing and Val Kristopher Galbo ahead of the launch of the Local Space Presented by END. collection, we discussed the brand’s origins and their creative vision.

What first inspired you to start Local Space?

Ste Wing: We were inspired to create something that isn’t a clothing brand, but more of a place that people can relate to, something that hits that nostalgia nerve, and to be your go to for the perfect cap.

Val Kristopher Galbo: We wanted to create a platform that doesn't revolve around being a “clothing brand” but to showcase locality all around the world.

Evocative of community, connection, freedom and possibility, the name of the brand is immediately striking. What inspired the name of the brand and what does it represent to you?

SW: ‘Are you local?’ A Manchester term to determine where you’re from, where you would automatically have familiarity with that person or that place. Our use of space (LOCAL ______ ) is what you make it. Your upbringing, your roots and your inspirations.

VKG: Local is a word thrown around in Manchester as a slang to know if your nearby or around a certain area. Space represents two things, space… and nothingness, it’s for you to fill in the blanks. What it means to me is that I know it means something to someone. 

Both well versed in the world of fashion; how have your previous ventures informed your approach with the brand?

SW: With over two decades in the industry, whether that be working closely with brands as a consultant, understanding the market and being a consumer first for nice product, it's through my understanding along with the design experience from Val that we’ve created something that people fuck with for sure.

VKG: Coming from a higher end background, which mainly revolved around design, I wanted to take that focussed approach into putting meaning into a garment over just designing a garment.

In recent years, Manchester has become a creative fashion hub in the north of the country – why do you think the city is such fertile ground for new brands entering the industry?

VKG: Because we have nothing to compare it to… there is no level of competition as everyone respects one another.

SW: If you’re asking me, it’s not just in recent years. It’s always had the DNA as a creative hub/melting pot for all things creative. I don’t need to tell you that some of the most exciting and iconic movements have come from my city. 

How much does the city of Manchester inspire your outlook with Local Space?

VKG: It’s a city that has been developing for years and is still developing. We’re living through it. So, the level of inspiration is endless.

SW: Seeing as though I grew up on the saying ‘are you Local?’, it’s no secret that locally the brand has been recognised and received so well. Then, with our storytelling and visuals, our caps are being bought globally with people really resonating with the local.

Primarily centring around a refined take on the cap, what was it that appealed to you initially about entering the world of headwear?

VKG: It’s an accessory that represents who you “support”; it’s a piece of merchandise. They are perfect accessories to drive meaning into.

SW: We’ve worked on a bespoke shape, from the fits and shape that we both would like in a cap product. Our logo cap has taken off with its clean and recognisable design. Then you have our Merch Cap, which is our take on a brand or team’s merchandise item. Both have now become staple items for people across different walks of life. 

The contemporary fashion landscape is rife with pitfalls and it’s difficult, especially for newer brands, to gain traction. Local Space, however, has very quickly seen exponential growth in the two years of its existence. What do you think has been key to the brand’s success?

SW: There isn’t a key to success. We just do us. It’s built with passion. Make work not feel like work and create something with a lot more layers than just a clothing brand or a product that people buy for just how it looks. It’s selling a feeling, a mood.

VKG: We’re not pushing a lifestyle, but an ideology of what "local" means to people.

Pulling from a variety of influences across your product offering, Local Space feels very contemporary, yet it captures the essence of different eras and styles. What would you say your biggest influences in design are?

VKG: Early to late 90’s, early 2000s. The golden era.

SW: Living through genres at different ages has been the strongest point of influence as we’ve seen it with not only different eyes, but experiences. Fashion, style, design and advertising in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s play a massive part of the brand. The product shape and campaign storytelling show these influences.