I’ve been an obsessive collector of 6876 since 1996. I’ve even collected some press cuttingas along the way.
6876 featured in Arena Magazine October 2003
Six Eight Seven Six has been lying low, much to the chargrin of its disciples. But the detail obsessed menswear brand is back—and set to inspire new reverence.
Kenneth Mackenzie, designer of cult menswear label Six Eight Seven Six, has long defied fashion convention with collections void of bold logos or catwalk presentation, preferring to build a reputation solely by word-of-mouth. From its 1995 inception, his low-key, meticulously cut, military-influenced workwear and sports-accented soft tailoring attracted many dedicated followers (Radiohead, Massive Attack, Arena staffers) and encouraged a slew of bigger name designers to ape his utilitarian look. Cited by Arena in 2000 as one of the 50 people who shaped menswear in the Nineties, Mackenzie was féted within the industry. But then, two seasons ago, a business dispute prompted the Dundonian to put the collection on hold, take a sabbatical and restructure the company. Six Eight Seven Six’s return this autumn is, therefore, something of a highly -anticipated event.
“It was always a specialist brand,” says Mackenzie, now 40. “But I want to make it more so. That’s why I’m keeping it tight, making every garment special in its own right and really getting into the fabric.” This is where detail nerds will get all excited, as everything in the new collection has something definitive that makes it, on close inspection, more intricate than it appears. A classic raincoat has lining that is antibacterial and UV protective. Simple smart pants are 100 percent waterproof and a printed cord jacket is machine washable. Not to mention storm cuffs hidden in sleeves, pockets within pockets on worker jackets and a holster-like lining with pockets (sense a theme here?) attached to the inside of tailored jackets.
The introduction of cashmere for autunm adds to Six Eight Seven Six’s higher-end appeal, while other trademark quirks remain. The duffel-fastening cardi has reverse-knit detailing to highlight pockets and elbow pads; one jumper is finished with a raw seam to look as if it’s inside out. Colours throughout the collection remain subtle – stone, navy, wine, ashen blue and pale raspberry. And everything works effortlessly together, While complementing your existing wardrobe (a relief, unless you’ve stopped buying clothes for the last year or so).
Mackenzie sees Six Eight Seven Six as “an antidote to the big corporate labels” and says “buyers are saying their customers want to get away from big branding”. Nor will the collection fly off in myriad directions each season; its continuity is central to its appeal. “I have people calling me saying, ‘I had this jacket four years ago and I want it again. Can I buy the archive piece from you?’ There’s this whole thing where guys are loyal to brands,” he explains. But only the ones that get it exactly right.
Edited by William Drew. Photography: Neil Stewart