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History of Famous Brand Broken Planet
Broken Planet Market has become one of the most recognisable names in UK streetwear — bold graphics, oversized fits, and drops that sell out in minutes. But behind the hype is a genuinely interesting story: two Lithuanian students who met at 17, a long-distance relationship, a lockdown side project, and a charity that took four rejected applications and 18 months to get approved. Here’s the real history, based on facts rather than filler.
Who Founded Broken Planet?
Broken Planet was founded by Lukas Žvikas and Indrė Narbutaitė, a couple originally from Lithuania. They actually met when they were both 17 years old, then spent four years in a long-distance relationship while studying abroad — Lukas in New York, where he studied software engineering, and Indrė in the UK, studying International Tourist Management. Neither background has anything to do with fashion, which makes the brand’s success even more unusual.
The label officially launched in July 2020, with its first drop following in September 2020 — right in the middle of the UK’s Covid lockdowns. With both founders stuck at home and the rest of the fashion industry paused, it turned out to be an unlikely but perfect window to build something new.
How Broken Planet Got Famous
Broken Planet grew almost entirely through social media, not traditional advertising. The founders filmed street-style videos around London and posted them on the platforms that were exploding at the time — TikTok, Instagram, and BeReal. The brand’s first drop reportedly sold out in under 40 minutes after one of these videos went viral.
From there, the brand kept building visibility through a mix of:
- Monthly drops, plus occasional unannounced “shock drops”
- Mystery drops, where customers buy a mystery hoodie, tee, or pair of sweatpants without knowing the exact design in advance
- Faulty-stock drops, where items with only minor flaws are sold at a reduced price instead of being thrown away — a small but genuinely sustainable touch
- Appearances at New York Fashion Week and pop-up events in multiple cities
The brand has been worn by high-profile names including SZA and iShowSpeed, which helped push it beyond the UK streetwear scene and into a global audience.
The Broken Planet Foundation
One of the lesser-known parts of the brand’s story is the Broken Planet Foundation, its own registered charity, started in 2021. Rather than donating to existing organisations, the founders wanted full transparency over where the money actually went — so they built their own foundation instead.
That wasn’t a quick process. According to the brand, the foundation application was rejected four times before finally being approved, taking around a year and a half from start to finish.
The Foundation is funded mainly through “Friends and Family” raffle drops — limited pieces that customers can only get by entering a raffle at £3 a ticket, with unlimited entries allowed. Individual raffles have drawn anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 entries, with all proceeds going to environmental causes chosen by the brand’s own community. Over time, this has raised more than £70,000 for environmental projects.
The Shoreditch Pop-Up
Broken Planet held its first physical pop-up store on 30 July 2022 in Shoreditch, London. Rather than a standard retail space, it was split into themed rooms — a moon room, an ice planet room, a desert planet room, a “planet of life” room, and a spaceship room — each with its own lighting, temperature, and scent designed to match the theme. It’s a good example of the brand treating retail as an experience rather than just a place to sell hoodies.
What Makes Broken Planet Different?
A few things separate Broken Planet from most other streetwear labels:
Real sustainability, not just marketing
The brand uses GOTS-certified organic cotton where possible, recycled cotton as a backup, and its jeans are made from 100% recycled denim.
Independent ownership
Žvikas and Narbutaitė still own and run the brand themselves, with full creative control over every collection.
Distinctive fit
The label’s boxy, oversized silhouettes are one of the most consistently mentioned reasons fans give for sticking with the brand.
Waste reduction built into the model
Selling faulty stock at a discount instead of scrapping it is a small detail, but it’s a genuine sustainability decision rather than a talking point.
Broken Planet’s Product Range
The current core lineup includes:
Each collection tends to follow a loose theme, with recurring motifs around space, chaos, and rebellion running through the graphics and naming of individual drops.
Is Broken Planet Still Popular?
Yes — and it’s kept growing well past its initial viral moment, which is rare for a brand that built its name on short-form video hype. It continues to run regular drops, has expanded into outerwear and pop-up retail, and remains one of the most talked-about names in UK streetwear.
Where to Buy Broken Planet?
Genuine Broken Planet pieces are available through the brand’s own official channels and select verified resellers. If buying secondhand or through a marketplace, check stitching quality, label placement, and fabric weight against official product photos — the brand’s popularity has understandably attracted counterfeit listings.
Browse the current range here: Shop Broken Planet Clothing