Blondey McCoy Is Perfecting the Art of Not Fitting In
A day in the life of the Thames founder, where every medium is in play and London is a character.
Blondey McCoy is one of British culture’s most eclectic personalities. Since his star turn in Palace skate videos and campaigns as a teenager—who could forget that collision with a taxi in the now-legendary PALASONIC clip—the South Londoner has helped define a modern British attitude. Like many of his peers, Blondey has never been content to occupy one creative lane. He’s spent his career building bridges between disciplines and, in the process, carving out a distinct place in the fabric of contemporary culture.
Founded in 2019, Blondey’s label Thames defies categorization. It’s more than just a skate brand. It’s more than just a platform for his artistic pursuits. It’s best to think of Thames as an extension of Blondey’s genre-blurring sensibilities and deep connection to the textures, sounds and rhythms of London life.
Thames synthesizes clothing, jewelry and everything else (by now, the brand’s online catalog includes everything from umbrellas to sleepwear) with a distinctly British sensibility—nostalgic, forward-thinking and rooted in a kind of schoolboy cheekiness that has become Blondey’s hallmark—while also carrying a unique character, subtly influenced by his Lebanese heritage.
At MANIFESTO, a three-day festival presented by Kaleidoscope and GOAT at Espace Niemeyer during Paris Fashion Week, Blondey unveils a new capsule collection for Thames. We caught up with the man himself for a temperature check on everything from the art of persistence and punk school uniforms to what a perfect day in London looks like.