Brixton shop reopens as US firm drops legal action

Brothers Pete and Daniel are happy legal action against their business has been resolved

When brothers Daniel O'Connell and Pete Adams started their clothing business seven years ago, it wasn't about fashion or making money - it started as a birthday gift.

With Daniel's 40th birthday approaching, Pete did not know what to get him - until he remembered that his brother used to DJ.

Having enlisted the help of a designer, he created a record logo which he then printed on a cap and T-shirt.

The image became popular and before long, it became a business called Brixton Street Wear, selling apparel items such as t-shirts, jumpers, caps, bucket hats and shorts.

They drew the attention of people in Brixton - where they live - but also another Brixton, an American company called Brixton LLC.

The Californian company describes itself as a "lifestyle brand with deep roots in music and a strong point of view on our place in culture".

Last year the brothers received a revoke legal letter from the Californian company asking them to stop using the name Brixton.

At the time, Pete said: "It's really frustrating - how can you own a geographical place?"

The new logo (left) shows the words Brixton in a smaller font, compared to the old logo (right)

It has now been amicably resolved with the companies agreeing to co-exist under agreed guidelines, including tweaking the logo, not selling abroad and Brixton Street Wear explicitly stating on their website it is not affiliated with Brixton LLC.

"We can relax in the UK now," said Pete.

The BBC has contacted Brixton LLC and its lawyers, Groot & Evers, for comment.

The legal dispute cost the brothers, who are both born and raised in Brixton, about £6,000, according to Pete.

They raised just over £10,000 on GoFundMe and said the money that's left over will be donated to community projects, something that has become a core part of their business.

'Over the moon'

The profit made is reinvested into local charities and clubs in Brixton and they have given thousands of pounds so far to projects and causes in south London.

In November 2021, they donated £1,015 to Resole, a Brixton-based charity that distributes new and used trainers to the homeless, care-leavers, refugees and those living below the poverty line.

They also raised £720 for Brixton Soup Kitchen and more recently, £1,200 was donated to Brixton Recording Studios.

"Financially we get nothing from this," Daniel said following the resolution of the legal dispute.

"We just do this to help out and give back something to the community.

"We are happy no more damage will be done to our business and I'm over the moon we can move forward and carry on doing what we love."

Pete added: "Hopefully we can get bigger, help more community projects and show other brands it doesn't all have to be profit.

"If we all do 1% good, the world will be a lot better."