Eoin Butler's Q&A

Richard Doodyand Fergal Swanof Counter Propaganda tell us what men really want for Christmas

How is this Christmas shaping up for Irish retailers?Richard: Pretty good, I think. There's a limit to how much doom and gloom people can take.

Fergal: We’ve had so much bad news for many years. It would take something pretty epic now to surpass all that.

What would it take? A plague of locusts? A zombie invasion?Richard: I think last year was about as bad as it could get. In the space of four weeks, we had the IMF coming in, a four-year austerity plan, a budget adjustment of €3 billion that ended up being €6 billion.

Fergal: Then there was a month of snow. The pavements were frozen. Losing a day in Christmas week was like losing a week any other time of the year.

I used to be street, but now I'm at about landing level. What are the cool kids wearing these days?Fergal: As well as our own range, we've been building up a portfolio of other brands like Duck Cover, Bench, DC footwear.

Richard: The buzzword at the moment is “investment pieces”. In a time of recession, people are interested in utility. They’re looking for something smart that they can wear to work but also wear in the pub. So they’re not as adventurous as they used to be.

What is the secret to prospering in a crap economy?Richard: We're lucky in that we were only getting off the ground during the boom years. We didn't splash out on cars or property. We didn't commit to any ridiculous leasing agreements. We've had 46 months of consecutive retail decline, that's the reason shops are closing.

Richard: Hard work. Cash is at a premium. You’re not going to get a loan from the bank. You’re not going to get credit from suppliers in any large amount. So if there’s something to be done, you do it yourself. Before we opened our new store in Liffey Street in Dublin, we painted the roof. We wallpapered the walls. We concrete grinded the floor. We ordered a skip and removed forty tonnes of rubble ourselves.

Looking forward to this year – what are the best Christmas presents for men?Richard: Belts, beanie hats, plain T-shirts. Those are things that will get used, no matter what. In terms of women buying for men, I'd say nudge, don't push. We often have girls come in here buying skinny jeans or a bright preppy shirt, say. Then the boyfriend comes with the receipt two days later and swaps them for baggie blue jeans and a hoodie. So if you want to change the way a man dresses, do it in increments.

What's the worst present you can give a man?Fergal: The worst present is something he'll never use. A ridiculous Christmas jumper or a novelty gift he'll throw away. Money is also pretty bad.

Richard: Money is the last refuge of the unimaginative gift giver.

Fergal: A voucher is a much better option.

Assuming I don't have a crack habit, how is giving me a voucher better than giving me money?Richard: Giving cash is like saying "I don't have time to think about what you might like." A voucher is more like a proper gift. I remember when we were starting out with Counter Propaganda, I was flat broke and my mother gave me a voucher to a really nice restaurant. If she'd given me cash, I'd probably have spent on something more practical.

What's the worst present anyone has ever given you?Fergal: My girlfriend once gave me vintage coat hangers that didn't fit around a standard wardrobe rail.

Richard: When we were kids, my sister and I spent a summer windsurfing in Cornwall. When we got home, my aunt decided to get us a board and wet suits.

God, that sounds like something out of Dickens.Richard: Let's just say, Dublin bay in March is very different to Cornwall during the summer.

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