How UK Western Fashion Brand Crown And Spur Are Rewriting The Rules Of Country Clothing

It’s an exciting time for the country, Americana and Western lifestyle in the UK. A growing community of UK brands, singers and storytellers are building something really special that celebrates the country spirit of America, while creating a distinctively British identity.

A brand that’s at the centre of this is Crown and Spur, a Western fashion brand launched by Carl McNulty and Darren Hughlock.

In this interview, Carl and Darren talk to Americana Aspects about the inspiration behind Crown and Spur, the DNA of the British country-western scene, the ideal country artist they’d love to collaborate with and more.

What inspired you to launch Crown and Spur? Was it a love of country music and culture or has it come from a blend of fashion experience and trends?

Crown and Spur was born from a genuine love of country music, Western culture, and the effortless confidence that comes with that lifestyle but the idea was always driven by fashion.

We wanted to create something that captured the spirit of the West while bringing it into a modern, relaxed, and confident style. We felt there was a gap in the market: authentic Western-inspired clothing often came with either a high price tag or pieces that didn’t quite deliver on quality, fit, or everyday wearability.

Crown and Spur was created to bridge that gap bringing together contemporary fashion, comfortable fits, and authentic Western-inspired artwork that feels current rather than costume-like. Our pieces are designed to be worn anywhere: at a country concert, on a night out, at a festival, or even stepping onto the dance floor for some line dancing.

It’s about confidence, individuality, and creating clothing that feels as good as it looks. A modern take on Western style made for today.

What’s the process like for choosing clothing designs, producing products and deciding on seasonal launches?

Honestly, the process always starts with a feeling before it ever becomes a product. We’ll spot something like a colourway on a worn-in pair of boots, the stitch detail on an old work shirt, the way a crowd looks at a country gig on a summer night and that becomes the seed. From there it’s a lot of back and forth of sketching artwork, testing how a design sits on different fabrics, and asking ourselves the honest question every time of would we actually wear this down the pub, not just to a festival?

That last part matters more than people might think. We’re designing for a UK wardrobe, which means real-world weather and real-world wearability. A lot of Western gear is built for dry heat and ranch work; we’re building for a beer garden in June and a chilly festival field in September. So fit, weight of fabric and layering all get factored in early.

On production, we’re meticulous about quality because we’ve felt the disappointment of buying something that looked the part and fell apart after three washes. We’d rather take longer and get the fabric, the print and the fit right than rush something out to hit a date.

Seasonally, we let the calendar of the culture lead us rather than the traditional fashion calendar. The UK country scene has its own rhythm now of festival season, the run of arena tours, the line dancing nights that pick up through winter. We plan drops around when people actually want to wear the pieces and where they’ll be wearing them, rather than forcing ourselves into the old spring/summer, autumn/winter boxes. It keeps things feeling intentional rather than churned out.

What are your thoughts on the growing British country music scene and do feel it has its own unique character compared to America?

The British country music scene is growing in an incredible way, and it’s exciting to see how much momentum it has gained in recent years. Country and Western culture has always had a strong identity in America, but the UK is creating its own unique character blending traditional country influences with British storytelling, fashion, and a different perspective on the lifestyle.

We’re seeing a real rise in the Western-inspired music scene across the UK, with more artists bringing country sounds to bigger audiences. Artists such as The Shires, Ward Thomas, Twinnie and Dylan Gossett have helped showcase the talent coming from this side of the Atlantic.

What’s especially exciting is the huge amount of emerging talent appearing not only through mainstream platforms but also through social media. There are so many incredibly talented singers, musicians, and creators sharing their music online, building communities, and bringing a fresh energy to the genre. It feels like we’re seeing a new generation embrace country music in their own way.

For Crown and Spur, that growth is inspiring because it reflects the same values we believe in which are authenticity, confidence, individuality, and a connection to a culture that continues to evolve. The Western lifestyle isn’t just about where it comes from; it’s about the feeling it creates, and that feeling is becoming stronger here in the UK every day.

Who would you dream country artist be if you could do a clothing collaboration with and why?

Morgan Wallen. He has a recognisable modern country look, mullet, trucker hats, boots, casual Western, relaxed with an air of confidence and an absolute right to be there at the top of his profession.

Our strap line is “Earn your ground” and we genuinely believe in striding to make something of any given situation and artists like him show it in spades. But I also think that takes us to a previous question we answered, clothing can give you that air of confidence, a feeling, a bounce in your step a belief in yourself.

If we can do that with our customers just imagine how good Morgan would be if he did collaborate with us.

What kind of stories do you like to tell through your clothing? Belonging? Freedom? Other emotions that are tied to the community of country and Americana or something else?

It’s all of those, but if I had to root it in one phrase, it’s belonging with a backbone.

There’s a reason our strapline is “Earn your ground.” The Western story has always been about more than open roads and freedom; it’s about grit, standing your own, and knowing you’ve got a right to be wherever you are. That resonates differently in the UK.

We’re not pretending to be cowboys. We’ve found something honest in that culture and made it our own. So the stories we tell aren’t costume, they’re attitude. The confidence of someone who’s worked for what they’ve got and isn’t going to apologise for taking up space.

Belonging comes into it because this scene in the UK has become a proper community. Walk into a line dancing night or a country festival here and there’s a warmth to it and nobody’s posturing, everybody’s just in. We want our clothing to be a small badge of that. You see someone in a Crown and Spur piece and there’s a nod, a shared thing, an understanding that you’re part of the same growing tribe.

And then there’s individuality threaded through all of it. Freedom, for us, isn’t just wide horizons. It’s the freedom to be unapologetically yourself, to carry a bit of swagger into an ordinary Tuesday. If a piece of ours gives someone that bounce in their step, that feeling of right, I’ve got this, then we’ve told the story properly.

What other Western/country UK fashion/event brands do you admire for how they are currently contributing to the culture and why?

There are a number of Western and country-inspired brands that we admire for the role they play in growing and celebrating this culture. The bigger established names such as Ariat and Kimes Ranch have built incredible reputations and have a place in many people’s wardrobes. They represent the quality, heritage, and authenticity of Western style, and rather than seeing them as competition, we feel they help introduce more people to the look and lifestyle we all love.

What’s equally exciting is seeing the huge number of smaller independent businesses emerging through social media. There are so many talented creators and entrepreneurs bringing their own take on Western fashion, from clothing and boots to bags, accessories, and unique handmade pieces. These businesses deserve to be celebrated because they are adding personality and creativity to the scene.

We genuinely believe there is room for everyone. Style is personal, tastes are different, and the beauty of this growing community is that people can choose the brands that connect with them while supporting businesses they believe in. Every brand brings something different, whether it’s a heritage approach, a modern interpretation, or a completely new creative direction.

For Crown and Spur, it has never been about trying to take over the world or compete with everyone else. It’s about creating our own space, sharing our passion for Western-inspired fashion, and being part of a wider community that continues to grow. If we can support, collaborate with, or help highlight other businesses along the way, then that’s something we’ll always value because the more we celebrate the culture together, the stronger it becomes

Where do you see Crown and Spur in the next few years in terms of growth and brand presence?

Over the next few years, we see Crown and Spur becoming a recognised name within the growing British country and Western-inspired fashion scene. A brand that represents more than just clothing.

Our vision has always been to create a bridge between authentic Western influences and modern everyday fashion. We want Crown and Spur to be the go-to label for people who love the culture, the music, and the lifestyle, but want clothing that feels current, comfortable, and confident.

We see the brand growing alongside the rise of country music and Western culture in the UK, connecting with a community that is expanding through concerts, festivals, line dancing, and social media. There is a huge opportunity as more people discover the style and attitude behind Western-inspired fashion, but still want pieces that fit naturally into their everyday wardrobe.

The goal is to continue developing collections that combine quality, creativity, and authentic artwork with a modern twist, clothing that feels just as right at a country concert as it does on a night out or simply being part of your everyday style.

Ultimately, Crown and Spur is about building a community around confidence, individuality, and a shared love for the Western spirit. We want to become a brand that people wear because it represents who they are and not just because it’s a trend.