In 1998 Abi & Rupert met at a London design agency. Their shared love of illustration and printmaking made their decision to start a company together easy. They quickly pooled clients, resources and capital to start a clothing label called Rude.

As trained graphic designers their passion for print and applied art began with a collection of screen-printed t-shirts. This quickly grew into an international street brand and before long the couple were producing fully printed collections and stocking to the best retailers.