5 Years of Inkabilly. Roller Derby and Rockabilly Emporium

by Lee Franklin October 28, 2015

This year Inkabilly turned 5 … and what a five years it has been. The Inkabilly journey has produced an eclectic yet defined brand with a strong image. Our Roller Derby gear is worn by Roller Girls across the UK and Europe, with fans in the US, Australia and New Zealand aswell. Inkabilly has travelled full circle and is now expanding … and returning to it’s Rockabilly roots.

The well known UK Roller Derby clothing brand hasn’t always had it’s feet in skates you see. In 2010 Inkabilly was a fledgling Tattoo and Rockabilly t-shirt company and it was while doing the rounds of the UK Tattoo conventions that we discovered Roller Derby. We soon realised there was a gap in the market. UK Roller Derby was still very young and most UK roller girls had to import their derby wear from the US.

We launched our first Roller Derby t-shirt ‘Roller Bitch’ and it was an instant hit. Never known to be complacent, we set about talking to as many UK Roller Derby leagues as possible to find out what exactly what Roller Girls needed, both in style and practically…. And the Inkabilly Roller Derby Brand was born…. Designing and supplying Roller Derby lifestyle gear in the form of t-shirts, vests, shorts, hoodies, tights, socks, bandanas, stickers, keyrings and bags. Inkabilly was the first company to launch a collection purely for Referees and NSOs – Zebra Squad!

Not only an internet-based store, you could also find our mobile shop regularly at Roller Derby bouts, tournaments and bootcamps across the UK and even across the water in mainland Europe. We also put a lot of effort into supporting Roller Derby leagues through sponsorship. Whereas a lot of brands strive to get their gear seen on ‘celebs’ through sponsorship, (basically just giving their gear away), we decided that we would spread the love wider… Rather than sponsor individuals, we only sponsor leagues or events. Giving gear and money to help the running and growth of this great sport.

So 5 years down the line we are returning to our Rockabilly roots and expanding our range of products to customers who don’t necessarily wear wheels on their feet most of the time! The Inkabilly style is alternative and edgy with a distinct retro flavour and so has always appealed to Rockabillies, Psychobillies, Punks and ink lovers. We now have a selection of limited edition hand-made retro style bags and have re-introduced our range of tattoo t-shirts for guys and gals. Our plans in the near future include a range of vintage-inspired home-ware …. with a twist (of course).

And this is only the tip of the iceberg – with two restless creative minds, the list of new ideas keeps growing …

Exciting times ahead!

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