DECEMBER 2009: Ryan and Sam are on tour with their band in Europe barely scraping by, living the so called ‘dream’ on £5 a day. Living out of a suitcase on the road is getting them down, riders of alcohol are the only thing that keep them going.

JANUARY 2010: Ryan and Sam have an idea, maybe they can use their other talents to help actually make a living whilst still on tour. They decide to start a T-shirt company. They call the company Sin Star.

FEBRUARY 2010: They have a name and a load of ideas, but no real experience on what it takes to start a T company.  They get the first designs down and start sourcing printers, prices, trying to work out if it is actually viable.

MARCH 2010:  They travel to Nottingham where their first prints are arriving fresh off the press – it has begun.

APRIL - JUNE 2010: R&S are back on tour.  This time round they aren’t just living out of a suitcase but selling T-shirts out of one.  The online store being run from any Starbucks they find along the way.

JULY 2010: They jump in the deep end and decide to show at Bread and Butter in Berlin. . This proves to be the experience needed and becomes the turning point in the brand’s development. Here they learn things that can’t be taught in school.   Not just things like t-shirt quality, but realising the actual potential of their brands notoriety. 

 AUGUST 2010: Armed with new found knowledge they travel Northern Portugal in search of a factory that can take their designs and turn them into reality.  Finally, they find the company that can deliver their dream product.

SEPTEMBER 2010: Their first samples arrive.  In comparison to the first tees the quality is outstanding. It becomes all too clear how much there is to learn, and how quickly they need to learn it.

OCTOBER 2010: From the South to the very North they travel the country, relentlessly selling the brand to indie stores.

NOVEMBER 2010: Their first delivery comes in from Portugal. Positive steps are being taken but its not easy going.  The learning curve just gets steeper, but the lads rise to the challenge. 

DECEMBER 2010: Their band tour with McFly in the UK. As the band and also the brand begin to strengthen they face the challenges of keeping both running – the pressure is high but it’s going great!

JANUARY 2011: They finish designing their Spring/Summer range 2010.

FEBRUARY 2011: They spend a month cold-calling the best independent stores all over the country.

MARCH 2011:  Finally the calls pay off – even without an agent, they land ASOS and designer store Choice.

APRIL 2011: Word starts spreading about the brand’s strong graphic prints.

JUNE 2011: The boys hit a massive 10,000 T-shirt sales for spring summer.

JULY 2011: Now with some sales and press behind them, Ryan and Sam take SinStar to “Stitch” menswear show in London.  Never ones to follow the norm they kick up a storm with their crazy antics, partying on the stand and creating a buzz amongst buyers in the UK. 

AUGUST 2011: Sinstar tours the music festivals across the UK. A perfect atmosphere for increasing brand awareness and bringing the product to the people.

SEPTEMBER 2011: They land an agency in London.  Ryan and Sam had been interested in the agency from the start but couldn’t get a foot in the door.  Finally they had “Brand National”.

OCTOBER 2011: Sin Star launches its own range of fixed gear bikes. They upgrade their studio.

NOVEMBER 2011: They take on Rich London PR Agency, which proves to be a positive step. Drapers publish the Sin Star story.

DECEMBER 2011: The online site hits a all time high selling 4,000 T-shirts in the pre-Christmas period. The Metro runs 2 stories in consecutive days on the brand.

2012: They boys plan to expand to a wider UK market, and take the brand international.  Watch this space….!