It was time to break away from all of those confines and create something that allowed true creative freedom - to experiment with ideas, raise 2 fingers to the mundane and firmly establish a brand that would become a driving creative force within the angling industry. It was important that the brand remained true to these beliefs from the outset and explore avenues that had never been ventured before, pushing the boundaries between angling, design and fashion.

The KUMU brand began life as a personal project for founder; Stephen May, originally as an outlet for his photography and videography work. Having worked as a Graphic Designer in various agencies for many years, constantly restricted by a set of strict guidelines and do’s and dont’s, he felt it was time to break away from all of those confines and create something that allowed him true creative freedom - to experiment with ideas, raise 2 fingers to the mundane and firmly establish a brand that would become a driving creative force within the angling industry and beyond. It was important that the brand remained true to these beliefs from the outset and explore avenues that had never been ventured before, pushing the boundaries between angling, design and fashion.

The launch of the original Death Rig range saw the brand gain notariety and in those first 12 months since its conception, the brand moved forward at such a rate, that it became impossible to keep pace with. In true, bedroom-brand style, Stephen was printing a lot of the packaging himself, processing and packing all orders whilst also trying to keep on top of the social channels and creating the content that the brand had become synonymouns with.

Running the business alongside a full time job from the back bedroom of his home, it quickly reached a turning point where time and space limitations meant that the brand could grow no more. In April 2018, the brand was given a lifeline, when long-time friend Dave Marvell became a partner in the business, taking over the logistics side to allow Stephen to return to concentrating on the design and creative side. Six months down the line in October 2018, the decision was made for Stephen to leave his position as Lead Designer at an agency in Liverpool, to concentrate on the brand full-time.

The brand had originally been known as ‘On The Beaten Track’ (OTBT) which harped back to its’ humble beginnings as a personal blog. It was after the steady growth of the brand and following some unforseen trademark issues, that the decision was made to change the name to something more suited to a fashion label and so KUMU was born in the September of 2019.

Since then, the brand has continued to move forward, forcing its own style of creativity into the angling market through its range of products, cutting through the noise and offering consumers an alternative in a saturated market.

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