Always Balling Club (AB.C), a streetwear brand inspired by vintage sportswear design, the golden era of hip hop and a hefty dose of popular culture, is officially open for business following a successful launch party at Kings Heath’s iconic Hare and Hounds, headlined by critically acclaimed DJ-producers The Nextmen.
The brand launches with a range of t-shirt designs – screen printed in Birmingham using vegan, water-based inks on 100% organic, ringspun cotton – as well as accessories and gifts. Full of start-up ambition, Always Balling Club has also collaborated with the Birmingham Brewing Company, established in 2016, to create a limited-edition iron brew sour beer – Always Balling Brummie – which is gluten free and vegan.
Products can be found at the online store – shop.alwaysballing.club – and at pop-up stores and markets like Hockley Social Club on 26 November and Sneinton Market, Nottingham on Saturday 2 December.
Founder James Bentley, came to Birmingham to study illustration over 25 years ago, but his career path led towards communications and was most recently working for the NHS. His passion for design turned into a business dream during lockdown as well a much-needed creative escape from the difficult experience of working in the NHS during the pandemic. In 2021, James condensed his working hours to help maintain more positive mental health. By indulging his creative side in his free time, he doodled ideas, developed a logo and the first AB.C designs. James recently made the decision to leave the NHS to pursue his streetwear business and other graphic design projects full-time.
Always Balling Club founder and designer, James Bentley, said: “One of my main aims is to prove that high-quality, sustainable streetwear doesn’t have to cost the earth or take itself too seriously. I’d like the brand to be accessible and so far, I’ve been surprised at the range of people who love what I’m trying to do. I want to continue building relationships and hope to collaborate with likeminded people on interesting projects, whether that’s a new beer, band t-shirts or fundraising for community projects and charities.
“Working in the NHS during the pandemic really took its toll on my mental health and more than 20 years after graduating, I still wasn’t doing the type of graphics work I was passionate about, so it was a real turning point to condense my hours at work. On my spare weekday, I started doodling and designing things, without putting any pressure on myself and soon the idea for the brand was born, based on a design featuring a basketball character with the words ‘always balling’. I guess I’ve been designing on and off forever, gathering inspiration and it was the perfect storm inside my head in 2021 when I dared to dream big. Since then, I haven’t stopped; we had a fantastic launch party, we’ve partnered with the Birmingham Brewing Company on our Always Balling Brummie iron brew sour beer and going straight into the Christmas retail period is an exciting opportunity for early growth.”
