We spoke to the guys behind Pollock’s new lifestyle brand: Court.

Pollock Halls can sometimes feel like it is its own world made up of eight small residential communities, each with their own personality and reputation. With this, Pollock has its own corner shop, a bar and something resembling a restaurant – it sometimes feels like a civilisation cut off from the real world.

Like any civilisation, we have artists, natural and social scientists, the politically active, a police force in red jackets – all of this adds up to form Pollock’s cultural fabric – and now, a brand is adding to this culture, trying to capture this civilisation in photography and clothing.

We caught up with two Chancellors residents and first-year students, Harry Richards and Ben Dunkley, who are adding to this Pollock culture with their lifestyle and clothing brand Court.

Like any high-end lifestyle and clothing brand, it needs firstly, a solid Instagram account – preferably with all the photos in black and white – secondly, a rad and recognisable logo, and thirdly, founders who understand the culture they are meant to represent and have a vision for the brands future.

Court, ticks all the boxes.

The Instagram is what Richards describes as “a black and white aesthetic”, one that “gives off student or Edinburgh vibes”. Dunkley gives me an insight into its success and why they enjoy the Instagram so much: “It’s aspirational as fuck! Like, everyone wants to be on Court..”

And that is true. Alex Microulis (see above), who was captured in a candid shot sitting on a bench, smoking and looking into the grey misty distance, told us: “As an American, being on Court was a long-awaited highlight to 2016.”

To us, it seems as if to be on the Instagram is like when you were at school and you get onto the school website. Your mum prints out a screenshot of it for the family archive and everyone in school respects that you’re now famous.

This is so Court.

The logo is also simple and effective, just the word “Court.” As Richards explains: “It’s Times New Roman, yeah. It was a joint effort, it was Ben’s idea for the font and I think the full stop is quite cool so I added that.”

The full-stop is cool. It gives the one-word logo a crisp cutting edge and reflects their slogan ‘Nothing Lasts’ – which is true even for sentences.

Richards is very friendly and extremely animated when talking about the brand, whereas Dunkley is a cool, suave operator picking his moments to explain his thoughts.

The lifestyle brand has recently developed into a clothing brand with a t-shirt they are selling for £15. Dunkley explains that “you’ve got to create a brand before you set up the clothing brand… something that makes people want to buy the t-shirt.”

This is why we need our own bathrooms in Chancellors – photoshoots.

We then move on to talk about the idea behind the brand and what it means. Richards says “it’s a nostalgic brand.” Dunkley explains how the slogan ‘Nothing Lasts’ represents our lives now in Pollock and Edinburgh: “In the future this bubble, what we’re experiencing won’t continue… Court. is about capturing how fun life is.”

Overall, we were sceptical before the interview. The black and white Instagram seemed a bit pretentious, trying to be edgy and artistic, fulfilling that Chancellors Court stereotype. But Dunkley tells us “Court. is the opposite.” Their intentions have to be admired: “we all want our time at university to last forever.”

Long flowing gap year hair, a signet ring and definitely not a very Chancellors vibe.

Dunkley continues by explaining that “Court is just about having fun.” All of us find some way to create something that can last forever and will always remind us of this experience. This article does that for me, Court. does that for Harry and Ben – and anyone who is lucky enough to appear on their Instagram at @court_edinburgh.

T-shirts are on sale now for £15 – just contact Ben Dunkley or Harry Richards to order.