If you follow map directions to BLOQ on Cumberland Street in Dun Laoghaire, you’ll end up in front of Men’s Hair Co. But don’t look further — you’re at the right place. After launching their streetwear and lifestyle brand in October 2014, founders Brendan Ennis (pictured) and Simon Bastable set up shop in the back of a friend’s barber business. Their space consists of a table and chairs, surrounded by shelves of plastic-wrapped clothes and walls sporting hand-sketched shirt designs.

It’s a change of scenery from their old careers. Before BLOQ, Ennis worked in financial services and Bastable in insurance. “We were at the perfect stage in our lives to try this, and we thought Dublin was really lacking in a brand of this nature,” says Ennis. “So we left the jobs and made the big leap and started BLOQ.”

The brand is a middle ground between high-street stores such as H&M and high-end brands like Brown Thomas. “We wanted to create something for guys to wear casually, but also nice pieces they can wear if they’re going to a restaurant in the evening or to the cinema,” says Ennis.

Ennis and Bastable were childhood friends and now split management of the venture. Ennis handles the business end, dealing with manufacturers, while Bastable is in charge of the creative side, including clothing design and social media.

In Association with

They got the startup off the ground with small business loans and savings from their previous jobs. They also drew from their educational experiences (Ennis’ degree is in business and entrepreneurship), prior work experiences and a ‘Start Your Own Business’ course from their Local Enterprise Office.

Ennis and Bastable scored the office space after joining forces with friend Jason Brophy, who was relocating his business, Men’s Hair Co. The shared space has worked out for BLOQ, since the men who come in for haircuts often end up checking out the clothing.

Even then, branding has been BLOQ’s biggest challenge. “We don’t have the financial resources to get our name out there and spread the word about BLOQ,” says Ennis. “It’s taken a lot more time than we thought.”

For now, BLOQ’s focus is finding retailers to stock their clothing. “We haven’t done that to date because we wanted to be 100% happy with the product, though now we are ready,” he says.

Currently, BLOQ does most business online. They run their website on WordPress, using WorldNet for checkout software. However, the company is moving the website to the Squarespace and adopting Stripe for checkout. “The backend of Squarespace is a lot easier to manage and handle, and also to update and edit,” says Ennis.

Sourcing The Printer

Finding manufacturers presented another logistical challenge. Initially, BLOQ sourced blank clothing from America or Portugal and printed them in Dublin, though they recently found a new, cost-efficient manufacturer and printer in the Middle East. “It took us months of research into the quantities they can provide, the range and quality of materials available, the cuts and fittings of the items etc.”

As the brand finds its feet, Ennis says his entrepreneurial pursuit has been the best decision he’s ever made. “If you’re passionate about something, and really believe in something, go do it,” he says. “Don’t listen to the nay-sayers and make it happen.”