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Building Albion
Season 2 · Episode 14

Building Albion

Building Albion

Overnight Success

June 27, 20251h 15m

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Show Notes

Charlie Stewart, Rupert Hartley, and Jack Howker started the British apparel brand Albion nearly a decade ago. It began not in a boardroom, but in the wild weather of Wales. 

I first met founders Charlie and Rupert by chance on the roads of Mallorca, before they’d launched a single product. Years later, Albion has grown into a respected name in the ultra-distance and adventure cycling scene. This episode traces their journey from pre-dawn London rides to post-work email threads, through the hurdles of product development and the pivotal hires, like legendary designer Graeme Raeburn, that helped transform them from three friends with an idea into a serious brand.

It’s a story about staying small when everything tells you to scale fast. About designing for three seasons in a day. And about why authenticity, patience, and humility still matter in building a business—especially one worth believing in.