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Oi Polloi's red brick corner shop on Oak Street, with Patagonia and adidas Spezial window displays in the sun

With 2016 finally winding down, now seemed like a good time to look back over the last twelve months and try to remember what we did.

So without any further nonsense, here’s what we got up to this year… 

Someone in a black beanie, round glasses and a blue chore jacket holding a copy of Pica~Post 10: The Final Frontier

We churned out not one, not five, but two issues of our Pica~Post magazine thing, covering such important subjects as space AND time. What'll the next one be? Nature? Humanity? Vitality? Who knows... there's a good chance it'll have plenty of daft stuff in it though.  

Someone in a bobble hat peering open-mouthed through the Kabana window at someone inside holding food over a bowl

Kabana across the road still reigns supreme when it comes to spiced delights. Oi Polloi X Kabana collaboration in the works for SS17? 

James crouching in a small square drawn on a white floor, in a grey top, olive trousers and white trainers

James took time out of his hectic schedule to crouch in a small square drawn on the ground. Yep, it was an eventful year.

Steve, in a navy jacket, playing a black arcade machine with pixel alien graphics in an airport departure lounge

Steve finally crumbled and caught up with technology.

Someone in a red hooded jacket and navy beanie walking along a sea wall above the beach, holding a camera

We went to the seaside to take photographs of fancy golf jackets. We also learnt loads about the crazy world of crazy golf.

Two models sat against a plain wall in the rubber coach jackets made with Rains, shot in black and white

In April we worked with Rains to make some rubber coach jackets. It may not look like it in the photo above, but some people really liked them.

A member of staff in black lifting a long cardboard tube overhead in the Soho shop, beside rails and folded trousers

The staff down in Soho celebrated the shop's first birthday by taking it in turns to lift a large cardboard pipe. 

A member of the Soho staff wearing a huge cardboard box as a backpack, beside a wall of white trainers

They were also big fans of those high tech cardboard backpacks we made. What is it with Londoners and cardboard?

Someone in a grey tee grinning and holding out two red mugs in a brick-walled office

The inevitable tide of life meant that whilst a few people left us, more than a few also joined us. Fans of tea have never had it so good.

Two people in olive field jackets and jeans either side of a grinning skeleton prop, beside stacked Novesta shoe boxes

Talking of fresh faces, it's been great having this happy chap around. 

Someone in a grey top, hen-print trousers and blue leather shoes sat in an office chair far too big for them

... and this happy chap. Although it has been noted that he hardly does any work. More effort needed.

Two models in denim, olive and grey crouching either side of a maroon Datsun saloon at a racetrack

In May we went to some racetrack down south to crouch next to Japanese cars whilst wearing Japanese clothes. Clever eh?

Will Mellor with two others, all holding pints in a dark bar under a green exit sign

It was great working with Hollyoaks star Will Mellor. 

People listening at a Tender presentation, one in a brown jacket looking puzzled, a Tender lookbook image on the screen

William from Tender taught us about fancy dying techniques. Most of it went over Karl Pilkington's head. 

Someone posing with peace signs on a long polished floor under a large green-lit adidas sign in a white hall

It was a real pleasure getting to test out the new adidas bowling alley over in Stockport. These guys aren't one of the biggest sportswear companies in the world for nothing! 

Slices of cheese pizza on paper plates with two cans of Coca-Cola and a chilli flake shaker on a metal table in New York

Cheese on toast looks different in New York.

Someone reading a yellow book in a blue-grey sweatshirt from Nigel's new company, a Please Do Not Touch sign pinned on

Nigel's new sweatshirt company has gone from strength to strength.  

Someone in a white cap peeking over a partition wall in the office, grinning, with a tower block through the window

No caption needed.

A model in a white Patagonia tee and green trousers on a woodland path, reaching down into the long grass

Some of us tried to learn how to fly fish. None of us caught anything, but luckily there was a Co-Op nearby, so at least we didn't go hungry. 

Nigel and Lance Clark unwrapping and lacing shoes amid tissue paper, beside a marble table with drinks

Nigel finally met someone who was more into brown shoes than himself... the great man himself, Lance Clark.

Claude, Oi Polloi's dark brown French bulldog, held up by someone in a white shirt against a white backdrop

After plain sailing as the only dog at Oi Polloi for a fair few years, that strange Boglin-esque creature called Claude has had tough competition in 2017...

Prudence, a black and grey schnauzer puppy, sat on a white surface looking up at the camera

Firstly, Prudence came along to help with deliveries. 

Paul, a scruffy black and tan dog, sat beside a pair of white Novesta high-top tennis shoes in the Soho shop

And then Paul turned up down in Soho to help with modelling Slovakian tennis shoes. Unless Claude works out how to wear trousers, he's going to have his work cut out next year...

Steve frowning over a restaurant menu headed Halloween at Hoi Polloi, with the H crossed out

Steve was barred from a fancy London restaurant for defacing their weird menus. He refused to comment. 

Two models in Fjällräven jackets, a beige overshirt and a hooded olive anorak, against Ikea's blue and yellow wall

We hung around in Ikea wearing Fjällräven stuff. Look out for our next photoshoot at Topps Tiles...

Someone in a grey Patagonia jacket flexing an arm while holding up a big bag of Serious Mass protein powder

No caption needed.

Someone in the Levi's archive holding up an enormous pair of dark raw denim jeans, cowboy hats lining the wall behind

In July we went over to San Francisco to make some jeans with Levi's. Steve also donated some of his old ones to their archives...

A model in an orange sweatshirt and pale Levi's jeans holding a smoke machine outside a pawn shop at night

We then did a photoshoot in a nightclub with those Levi's jeans. We also met an android. Technology really is impressive these days.

Steve squinting through a magnifying glass at a tan suede shoe made with Padmore and Barnes and YMC, in warm sunshine

We also did some shoes with Padmore and Barnes and YMC. After hours of scrutinising, Steve can finally confirm that these are definitely shoes and NOT small canoes. 

A crowd in winter coats queuing outside the Oi Polloi shop for the Manchester Marine trainers

Loads of people braved the cold to get their hands (or feet) on those Manchester Marine trainers. Serious trainer fans, we salute your dedication.

Someone with long dark hair in a grey jumper, looking straight-faced at the Christmas party, fairy lights behind

Our new henchman really enjoyed the Christmas party. 

Someone in a navy puffer jacket hanging socks on a small Christmas tree in the shop

And that's about it. Thanks for reading, thanks for lurking on our website, thanks for popping round to our shops, thanks for buying stuff from us... basically, thanks for everything. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Oi Polloi. 

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