Some may have heard of ‘Ill-Repute’, others may be more familiar with the owners former company ‘Precision Drift Clothing’…But unless you’ve been under a rock, there’s little way you have not noticed any of Craig’s crazy creations!
Craig Western is the creator and founder of ‘Ill-Repute’. After also starting ‘Precision Drift Clothing’ a few years back, he sold the company on and decided he wanted a fresh start. A new image was born and along with it, Craig’s unique look at the drift world as he see’s it, personified into a limited range of awesome graphics.
There’s rarely anything normal about what Craig does…He wraps bikes, he wraps Quads and most importantly he wraps cars! From Sid Crawfords BDC Laurel in pink and black custom skulls to his own BMW 5 series, wrapped entirely in textured crocodile effect vinyl…everything he touches becomes stand out. I have been lucky enough to own a car Craig’s had his way with. I am, of course, talking about the White Navan. At a glance, hardily ‘covered’ in stickers… but it doesn’t always have to be over the top. The Navan had a full, yet subtle, skull decal set applied to the boot, along with Craig’s own sticker bombs on the steering wheel and scuttle panel ( a trend which quickly caught on).
So we’ve seen the ‘drift’ cars.. but how about something a little more up market? How about a GT40…being wrapped live, in Westfield shopping centre , in front of hundreds of people, promoting Forza Motorsport for the XBox 360. No pressure eh Craig!
So I’ve mentioned Sid’s Laurel and the croc 5 series, but there’s one or two other cars you’ve probably seen before too… Laura ‘Lozza’ Hinks and her famous ‘Glitter Blue’ S14, that’s competing in this years British Drift Championship was a full wrap carried out by Craig, as was Stiggy’s (Steve Evan’s) Starlet, sporting the ‘Drift Shack’ trademark urban camo and ‘Auto-glym’d’ roof. After having a quick browse on the Ill-Repute site (see end of article for links) One car really caught my eye; a Vauxhall Monaro 6ltr LS2 with its front half covered in £50 notes… with them lighting up and burning up as they reached the rear. After a little investigation it seems they have all be laid on separately! Patience of a saint? I think so! It’s not limited to cars though, company Vans, race trucks, coach’s and pretty much any other vehicle you can think of are not an uncommon sight to see at Craig’s work.
One happy Stig!
Its not all about stickers and wraps though, Ill-Repute also offers clothing, from stocked items to custom bespoke designs made just for you. One thing I love about the Ill-Repute stuff is you really can spot it a mile off. Craig’s created an awesome image for the company already and there’s still so much more to come. After a recent chat, there is a fresh selection to the ‘Dirty little ghetto kids’ stickers coming soon (can’t wait!) as well as new Drift, skate and BMX items.
As a graphic designer myself, it amazes me how Craig manages to keep coming up with such new and unusual designs. In the past i have wrapped a few things and the level of concentration, skill and patience required is huge ( I peaked at a bonnet… ie, a pretty flat surface!) so seeing Craig effortlessly transform a car in hours is quite a wonder. Its refreshing to see someone so passionate and excited about their work. I’ve spoken to Craig on a few occasion and he always seems to make time to chat or go over any ideas Ive had.
Status Error and myself wish Craig all the best in the future and urge you to check out his Facebook page and his new website for updates and the release of his new lines of merch. I’ve just clicked ‘pay now’ on a ‘Lucky 13′ drift club sticker.. what will you choose?
To visit the Ill-Repute Facebook page, click here – don’t forget to ‘like and share’!
To visit the Ill-Replute website, click here!