Rebel Rebel: Inside the Dundee business built on band t-shirts, nostalgia and a love of music
What started out in a spare room with a handful of band T-shirts has grown into a Dundee independent business that is now preparing to celebrate seven years.
Rebel Rebel Boutique was launched by Kirsty Calligan in October 2019, initially selling a mixture of dresses, skirts, slogan tees, sweatshirts, bags, jewellery and accessories.
And tucked in among all of that were a few band T-shirts.
At the time, they were only a small part of the business.
Now, they are pretty much at the heart of it.
This weekend, Rebel Rebel is returning to the Overgate with another pop-up shop, giving people the chance to browse everything from officially licensed band tees to tote bags, patches, keyrings and other music-inspired bits and pieces.
But behind the pop-up is a much bigger story.
Starting out with no real idea where it would go
Kirsty says Rebel Rebel really began as a case of starting something from her spare room and seeing what happened.
She had worked in retail and merchandising before, but had no experience of actually running a business.
“I’ve never been a huge one for following trends and viral items,” she told Dundee Culture.
“It was more a case of finding things I liked and thought, or hoped, others would too.”
For the first couple of years, Rebel Rebel had much more of a general fashion focus.
But Kirsty found it increasingly difficult to find stock she was happy with, particularly when it came to avoiding too much fast fashion and trying to offer a wider range of sizes without completely blowing the budget.
That was when the business started to change.
The small range of band merchandise gradually grew, and Kirsty realised there was a much bigger audience out there for it than she had initially expected.
It really wasn’t a phase
There is one phrase that Kirsty feels sums Rebel Rebel up particularly well.
“It’s not a phase.”
And honestly, it fits.
Plenty of people who grew up listening to emo, indie, rock, metal or alternative bands were probably told at some point that they would grow out of it.
A lot of them very clearly didn’t.
“I realised that I wasn’t alone in loving the nostalgia and wearing and showing off bands and artists I loved,” Kirsty said.
That side of the business grew considerably during lockdown, when people were at home more and spending a lot more time scrolling online.
Kirsty also worked with customers and content creators in Dundee and elsewhere around the UK, gradually helping Rebel Rebel reach more people who were into the same kind of music.
Over time, a small community built around it.
Not just people buying a T-shirt for a gig, but people who genuinely wanted to wear their favourite bands as part of their everyday wardrobe.
Running the whole thing alongside a full-time job
One of the things that makes Rebel Rebel’s story particularly impressive is that Kirsty has built the business while still working full-time Monday to Friday.
She says she has never had funding behind the business and has largely just figured things out as she has gone along.
“I’ve just built this myself with no business experience and nothing but a background of working in retail and merchandising for my first few jobs,” she said.
“I just knew it was something I wanted to pursue and went all in.”
Even now, Rebel Rebel doesn’t have some huge warehouse behind it.
The stock is still kept in Kirsty’s old bedroom at her parents’ house.
And balancing everything can be tough.
“I say pretty often that I just don’t have enough hours in a week to do everything I want to do.”
When there is a weekend pop-up, it can quite literally mean working seven days straight before heading back to the day job again on Monday.
But Kirsty isn’t alone, she has got the amazing support of her family and friends who she says “help out massively with events and day to day running.”
Her mum and dad pack her orders and take them to the post office.
“They'd kill me if I didn't thank them!” she laughs.
Kirsty continued by telling me that her boyfriend “does all the heavy lifting” which includes packing and moving boxes for pop ups.
So it’s clear that there is a lot of love and hard work that goes into Kirsty’s business.
Why the Dundee pop-ups matter
Because Rebel Rebel doesn’t have a permanent shop, the Overgate pop-ups have become an important way for Kirsty to actually meet customers face-to-face.
She estimates she has been doing them for around five years now.
And it sounds like the conversations are often just as important as the sales.
People stop by and talk about gigs they’ve been to, festivals they’re heading to, favourite bands and even vinyl collections they have inherited from family members.
“I can have a lot of interesting chats and meet some very interesting people, so it’s one of the best things about having pop-ups,” Kirsty said.
“That and encouraging people to shop local and support small businesses.”
Like many businesses, she has noticed a big change in the way people spend their time and money over the last few years.
She would love to see more opportunities for pop-ups around Dundee, particularly with so many empty units still visible around the city centre.
Back at the Overgate this weekend
Rebel Rebel will be on the ground floor of the Overgate, beside Costa Coffee and Schuh, on Saturday, September 26 from 9am until 6pm and Sunday, September 27 from 10am until 5pm.
The pop-up will then return on Wednesday, September 30 from 11am until 6pm.
That evening, Rebel Rebel will also take part in the Overgate’s Student Lock-In from 6pm until 9pm.
Kirsty has been part of the event every year since 2022, making this the fifth time she has brought Rebel Rebel along.
And apparently, it’s as chaotic as it sounds.
“It’s an absolutely crazy night,” she said.
“DJs playing loud music, discounts and freebies in every shop and even businesses from outside the centre like Nando’s and Domino’s getting involved too.
“It’s three hours of non-stop chaos and fun, but I’ve found them to be a huge success over the years. That’s why I keep going back for more!”
The event also gives Kirsty the chance to introduce Rebel Rebel to students who may only have recently arrived in Dundee.
Then, less than two weeks later, the business hits another milestone.
On October 12, Rebel Rebel officially turns seven.
Seven years on from starting in a spare room with no funding, no business experience and just a handful of band T-shirts, Kirsty is still doing it.
So maybe that slogan really is the perfect one after all.
“It wasn’t a phase”
Check out Rebel Rebel Boutique’s website here: https://www.rebelrebelboutique.com
