By Moustapha Camara

We interview Anthony Simpson of t-shirt brand Random Objects.

TM: How did you decide on the name, Random Objects, for your brand?

AS: Well the name “Random Objects” came from me being influenced by random objects I would see throughout my daily travels. I would often design graphics after seeing things that intrigued me. Music, typography, art installations, nature… even the news could instantly motivate me to design.

TM: So, what’s the ‘Pigeons Love New York’ shirt all about?

AS: I came across a story last year about a councilman who proposed a $1000 fine for anyone caught feeding pigeons. When I read this I immediately began to think of all the pigeons I have seen around NYC. Pigeons are part of the New York landscape just as yellow cabs and pretzel vendors are. I wanted to create a design that played on that iconic “I Love NY” design but with a twist.

TM: What challenges have you come across in the t-shirt business? How did you overcome them?

AS: One of the biggest challenges I have faced is getting our name out there. There are so many great brands and designs out there that we have to navigate through. Tee shirt blogs like Cottonable, Hide Your Arms, Rumplo, and others have greatly helped to expose us to a much larger audience.

TM: What t-shirt brands have you been influenced by?

AS: Some brands that have influenced me are: Graniph, 2K by Gingham, Tank Theory, Concrete Hermit, Monsieur T… and the list goes on and on! I really like the cohesive randomness of many of these brands.

TM: Interesting post you got on your blog about Obama’s Luxury Tank. What would be included in your own personal luxury tank?

AS: I can’t think of one thing that I would want to add that his limo does not already have. It even has viles of his own blood… that’s crazy! Maybe if it had a personal sushi chef and conveyor belt– that would make it perfect.

TM: What do plan on accomplishing in 2009 with your brand? What’s in store for the future of Random Objects?

AS: There are so many future plans for Random Objects. I want to continue to grow our fan base both nationally and internationally. We have been blessed to have been so well received in both of these arenas so far. I also have a few surprises planned for the holidays that I’m excited about. Stay tuned to our blog for hints and further developments.

TM: How did Waffles+Falafels begin? What’s the story behind the brand?

WF: The creator of Waffles+Falafels is nicknamed “waffles”. Falafels is some cat we know. The name kinda rhymed, it made people laugh, and most importantly, it sounded delicious! The first batch of W+F shirts got in the hands of the invisible woman. She liked them, told all her Hollywood superfriends, and the rest is history!

TM: So do the girls on the shirt ‘B and Cassie Tee’ represent you and your biz partner, or what?

WF: Cassie and B are Waffles Girls! Their full names are Cassie F. Baby and ‘B’ as in Breezy. Or ‘B’ as in boombastic. Yeah, like the Shaggy song. Shigetomo designed that shirt after seeing the photos Dirk Mai did for us at Japan [and] L.A. It’s totally accurate, besides the cartoon bodies.

TM: Out of the tees in your collection, which one is your favorite?

WF: Honestly, I like em all. They’re all based on our photos. But in particular, I think the ‘Get ‘em Mamis’ one is siccccck. Like, when do you ever see gangsta rappers like that? And there’s a really rare limited edition of Sky Ferreira that’s kind of amazing too. But you gotta bribe us to get your hands on that though.

TM: Your poll about who has the best personal hygiene is pretty funny. I chose Rihanna. Why did you decide to create such a poll on your site?

WF: Rihanna is an excellent pick. Have you seen the ‘Shut up and Drive’ video? She’s a mechanic in it. No oil stains anywhere. As for the poll, we don’t really have a reason besides using it as an excuse to mention Harry and the Hendersons, but we’re stoked you like it!

TM: In your e-mail to me, you state that you promote and sell your products exclusively through Twitter and Myspace. Tell me more about how you go about using this strategy.

WF: We like Twitter, Myspace and Facebook because they give us a chance to interact with everyone, and they’re all really helpful for promos if you use them properly, and not as spam machines! People use Twitter because it’s fun and they like it; they don’t want links to some blog with crap! We try to produce a lot of quality, original content so people have a reason to not only click our links, but also to come back on their own.

TM: What are some plans you have for Waffles+Falafels this year?

WF: As usual more shirts, more food and more goofiness! Also, a bunch of the Waffles Girls are musicians, so look for new tracks by Simone, G.E.M. and of course our very own teen superstar, Sky Ferreira! Oh, and we’re going to be launching Waffles+Falafels U.K. sometime this year, which should be pretty awesome; London is a great place for cool tees!

TM: From what you’ve learned so far, what tips can you give to upcoming t-shirt entrepreneurs about getting their brands known?

WF: Don’t follow the rules! Rules are overrated. And talk to people… a lot! They can help you get your stuff right. And make sure you always release a quality product. Don’t compromise even if it costs you a little more. People would much rather rock one dope shirt from you than try to pick one out of ten average ones, ya know?

By Moustapha Camara

We interview Ray Masaki of the clothing line, Lowdtown Friends & Freaks.

TM: How long have you been in the t-shirt industry? What have you learned?

RM: For my age (currently 18, 19 on April 23rd) I like to think of myself as someone who has a bit of experience in the t-shirt industry. Granted, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs. Before I had Lowdtown, I started with a company called RAWR! Clothing. At the time I started I was only 16 and still in highschool, so I had no idea how to run a business, I just wanted to get my designs on t-shirts.

Of course, that probably wasn’t the right attitude when running a business, but it taught me a lot. I learned to always research what you want to do, before you do it. Or, if you do what you wanted to do and mess up, pick yourself up, and learn from your mistake. Since starting Lowdtown Friends & Freaks, I’ve used a lot of the fuel that was taken from RAWR! and have followed through really well with what I want to do. I feel that I’ve come a long way since RAWR! and I’m proud of that.

TM: How do you go about balancing school work and being a professional t-shirt designer?

RM: Honestly, it’s extremely difficult. There are lot of times, when I think to myself “hmm… this would all be so much easier if I didn’t have that school thing in the way.” But of course, at the end of the day, I want to get myself a degree and become a fancy shmancy designer. Balancing both school work and design work, I find, gives me little time to play. I also wish I could sometimes focus on one more than the other, but I guess I just have to stay disciplined. It’s tough doing both, but I have to do it.

TM: What advantages do you have in this industry as a teenage artist?

RM: Not so much as a teenage artist, but being a college student in New York City gives me a lot advantages. Not only do I have this amazing city as inspiration, but I also have the chance to get many opinions from fellow peers that all fit into my target demographic for Lowdtown. For a lot of my designs, I collaborate with other designers, and sometimes I even work with students who’s work I like. It’s really fun being able to sit down next to the person and think of a crazy idea that we can both work on and truly have a collaboration.

TM: I see you do illustration work as well. Out of all of your illustrations, which one is your favorite?

RM: Yea, illustration is awesome. I love sketching and then later putting my sketches into the computer and coming up with a finished digital illustration. If you haven’t noticed, I have a weird obsession where I give all my characters really ridiculous eyebrows, so I really enjoy those illustrations. I’m not sure if it’s my favorite, but one illustration that I did recently and mocked up on a shirt for fun is my “I’m the Boss” design. I just like the pose and the texture on his sweater. It’s not overly complicated, and it’s fun to look at.

TM: Who is that guy on the Townster shirt?

RM: Well, the theme behind Lowdtown Friends & Freaks is that everything and everyone that appears on the t-shirts are all part of this Lowdtown pseudo-verse. Most of my designs have a bunch of crazy characters and stuff, but Townster is a little different. He is just an ordinarily hip Lowdtown townster. So this is the kind of normal person you might see walking around in Lowdtown, but the rest of the things you might see are probably crazy monsters and stuff.

TM: What’s the idea behind the soda can with a mouth on the LTFF Logo tee?

RM: Mouthcan was the first character I came up with when I was thinking about Lowdtown. Before I actually came up with the name Lowdtown Friends & Freaks, I just knew that I wanted to incorporate Mouthcan somehow. At one point, I was even considering naming my clothing company Mouthcan, but it didn’t sound catchy enough. Eventually, Mouthcan just became the town mascot of Lowdtown, as well as the logo for the company. I wish I could give you some crazy back-story behind Mouthcan where I used to have a crazy obsession of taking a silver sharpie and drawing mouths on cans, but that’s not true. It just started as a little doodle of a can with crazy swirls flying out of it, and I decided to give it a mouth. That’s where it came from.

TM: How do you go about marketing your brand and your services?

RM: Probably my best marketing so far has been the Lowdtown Blog. I’ve only been blogging for around 2 months, but it has gotten me a pretty substantial amount of viewers. The biggest catalyst I’d say are the articles about how I started my brand and my experiences. I feel like there are a lot of people who want to start a clothing company but don’t know how, so my hopes were that a lot of people would come to the blog looking for answers, and I hope I sort of achieved that. Some of the articles even got Stumble-Upon’d (it’s kind of a stretch as a verb) and it gave my site a ridiculous amount of hits in the span of a few days. It was crazy!

TM: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

RM: In a store! Yea, dream big! No, I’m just kidding, well not really. I probably wouldn’t see myself in a retail store in 5 years, but that’s ideally what I want to do. I’m currently a freshman in college, so my hopes are that by the end of senior year, I might have enough capital to actually think about brick and mortar. Hopefully I get a large enough fanbase to build Lowdtown from the bottom up, but these are mostly just dreams. Maybe in 10 years, haha.

By Coty Gonzales

Seventh.Ink is the offspring of Seventhfury and is based out of Liverpool, New York. Seventh.Ink tees are designed by Matthew Johnson of Seventhfury Studios and features one of a kind designs that range from computer illustrated to hand drawn.

CG: Seventh.Ink grew out of the success of Seventhfury Studios. What prompted the decision to start a site focused solely on t-shirts?

The best seller is definitely Lift Off, the ladies just can’t get enough of that little guy on his jet pack.

MJ: There’s never enough funds to cover the printing costs of all the designs in my head! I have pages of designs waiting to make print, but to keep my sanity I have to release them at a steady pace and not all at once.

5 years.. well, let’s just say that there will be a lot more to Seventh.Ink than just shirts.

Visit the Seventh.Ink shop.

By Coty Gonzales

Kyle Crawford, the founder of Electric Zombie, is no stranger to guts, gore and controversy. In this interview, Kyle talks about why he is so excited for his new Electric Zombie line, the things he has done different this time around to make the new line stand out and why Wrestlemania will be awesome!

CG: Kyle, you’ve just released a new collection of Electric Zombie tees. You’ve mentioned that this is your favorite line so far – what is it about the new line that has you all pumped up?

KC: I think I’m more into this line because I did the most work on it. I usually split my stuff up 50/50. Hire out for half and I do half. This time I did 8 of the 12 designs. I’m pretty stoked on them. Mainly because they’re ideas I had sitting on my phone for a while. It’s way diverse and different from the past stuff.

CG: What are some things that you’ve done with the new line that you did not do in previous Electric Zombie releases?

KC: I cut down on the cartoonie stuff. I did loads of full color designs printed on custom made tees. The tees are amazing. Vintage feel and still maintaining the slim fit. I basically went for the look that I pushed for Rockett a year or so ago. It’s something that they don’t really put out anymore. So I felt sort of obligated to bring that style back. I think i’t's been missed.

CG: Your product shots for the new line are amazing. You actually
traveled out of state to meet up with your friend Adam Elmakias to get the shots done. What was this experience like? What propelled you to put so much effort into your product shots and lookbook this time around?

KC: It was basically way way way chill and laid back. It was slow at first. He had to do his thing setting up. But once everyone got their and the camera was clicking it was nothing but fun and laughs. Took everyone out to dinner after. It was extremely fun, and Adam is a top notch photographer. He has his stuff together and made everyone comfortable. I’m basically trying to push myself this year. This is going to be a make it or break it year for me. I say for me because I do everything. I work too much, way too much. If things don’t take off then I might step back a bit. I feel you need to dress for success, and you have to look the part you want to play.

CG: You’ve taken some flack recently for criticizing new brands that hand pick the latest, hippest, and most “in” designers. Is this honestly something that would deter you from continuing Electric Zombie?

KC: Yea, I’m actually super bummed. People look and view me as this huge successful company and it’s totally not the case. So I think they feel like, “oh, EZ is doing it, let’s do that”. I honestly have no idea what their reason for going the route they do. I guess in my head I feel like they’re copying, but who knows. As far as the “IN” crowd. I just feel like brands don’t really have a vision. It’s someone else’s ideas. I feel a bunch of people now look at who sells and what sells instead of just doing what you love. I guess that’s the difference. It kind of
sucks to have to snoop and give my designers or designers I want to use the 20 questions treatment.

Lurking on other line’s Flickrs or Myspace and see who’s doing what so that I don’t become the copy cat. It’s partially why I got my hands way more wet with this past line. It’s looking like that’s going to be the way to go. I loveeee doing this. But with the way things are going from the haters, to the wannabes and just working so much in general, it’s actually taking a toll on me. I have no idea what the future brings. I just know I’m doing my part to stand apart and ahead of the crowd.

CG: I can’t believe you got tickets to Wrestlemania! Are you excited for Wrestlemania? Whose your favorite old school wrestler and which wrestler(s) do you currently enjoy watching? Who is your all time least favorite (most hated) wrestler?

KC: I’m super stoked. I am actually doing this to kill time until RAW comes on. The build up for Wrestlmania is awesome. I went last year. I didn’t sit nearly as close as this year, but it’s still a fun time. I’m hoping to bring a huge EZ sign to the event. I’m sitting RINGSIDE!

When I was a kid, Hulk Hogan was ALWAYSSSSS my favorite. I had a workout tape and everything. When I was in 3rd grade, my friend Joey liked Ultimate Warrior. I never got into him until he came back at WCW. Then I became a fan. I used to love the original NWO. Right now, HHH and Jericho are my favorites. CM punks matches are awesome. Christian rules, too; glad he’s back as well. There’s too many wrestlers I hate. I don’t get how some of them have jobs. AHHHH wrestling geek talk!

CG: You’ve professed your love for Blink-182 in the past, often saying that you would quit designing tees if you could design Blink-182 merchandise. Would it be an understatement to say that you’re excited about their recently announced comeback?

KC: I wouldn’t give up. I actually worked on their stuff before the Grammy’s. I knew about the return before hand. I was doing some preliminary work. I’m supposed to work on it every free moment I have. So one of my dreams came true. I have a list of bands I’d love to work with, and if it came down to me never designing again and I knocked out those bands. I would be more then satisfied.

CG: If Kyle Crawford could no longer design tees, what else would he be doing? What’s your dream job?

KC: I still want to do movie posters and DVD packaging. I feel like my stronger work is graphic based. Honestly anything other than a shirt design. I did over ’300′ last year, and I’m already over 30 so far this year. I wish WWE (back with the wrestling talk again, haha) would hire me already. Honestly give me anything! I’m up for any challenge!

Visit Kyle Crawford’s Electric Zombie site.

The Ex-Boyfriend Collection consists of custom made tees and accessories for Men and Women, including silk-screened tees, apparel for infants and even messenger bags. In this interview we chat with the creative mind behind Ex-Boyfriend about his brand.

CG: What’s the story behind the Ex-Boyfriend name? What inspired you to get started in the t-shirt business?

EB: When I first started designing tees, the idea was to create fun flirty t-shirts a person could wear to a bar if they wanted to meet someone. Pick-up line tees are a dime a dozen, but the overwhelming majority of them are really kind of crass and use what I refer to as “lowest-common-denominator” or “Family Guy” humor. Don’t get me wrong, I can be as crass as the next guy; I just wanted a certain level of charm or cleverness to be my calling card as a designer. As for the name itself, Ex-Boyfriend struck me as fun and memorable and the tagline “add to your collection” can refer to both adding to your collection of exes or adding to your collection of t-shirts.

As for getting started, I’ve always liked drawing, and the t-shirt medium is a fun way to share what’s essentially one’s art collection with everyone you meet. Don’t get me wrong, we have art hanging all over our walls at home, but it’s still fun to wear a cool illustration out and about.

CG: Are Ex-Boyfriend tee designs outsourced or do you do all of the
design work?

EB: Right now I do all of the designs myself. I’m probably going to establish a guest artist series at some point in the future, but I have my hands kind of full right now and haven’t had time to flesh that idea out yet.

CG: Unlike many tee shops, you’re open to taking custom design requests. Is this a popular feature, do a lot of people take advantage of this? What have been some of the requests that you’ve received?

EB: I actually just started doing this a few days ago. When I’m not working on Ex-Boyfriend, I’m a freelance graphic designer, so offering custom illustrations for tees (or messenger bags) is not all that different from what I do “professionally”. I thought it would be nice to make the option available. I know I’ve had times where I wanted something very specific on a wall decal or hoodie or what have you, and couldn’t find exactly the right thing, so I wanted to let visitors to my site know that I’m open to their ideas. If it’s something I can’t or don’t want to do, I can always say no.

Actually, I did do a slightly more steam-punk variation of this a couple years ago, right when I started Ex-Boyfriend: I got a hold of a bunch of inexpensive blank nylon messenger bags, and offered to do custom designs through both my website and my Etsy shop. These are a lot more labor intensive, because I was painting directly onto the bags with a camel brush and acrylic paint, and then coating the finished art with water-proof varnish. Some of the designs featured robots, while another featuring a Delorean was ordered for a fan of the Back to the Future films.

CG: 5% of the net profits at Ex-Boyfriend go directly to local animal charities. Are you a pet owner? What’s you’re all time favorite animal?

EB: Cats! We love all animals, but I’ve had cats my entire life. We only have one cat right now, my best bud Oliver. We lost our other cat, Sadie, to heart disease in December and haven’t been ready to bring another critter home yet. I am sure we’ll be adding a new quadruped to the family in the not-too-distant future, though. Sadie is the inspiration for our fund-raising, though. Our fund-raising logo is actually a drawing I did of her.

Cats probably are my favorite animals, but really I love all of them. They inspire a lot of my illustrations. My poor girlfriend cringes every time we go into a PetsMart, because she knows I’ll want to take all of the rescued shelter kitties there home.

CG: How, if any, have social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter helped Ex-Boyfriend? How else do you market Ex-Boyfriend?

They are a great way to stay in touch with fans. I send out an email newsletter monthly, but if I have news to share between newsletters, such as letting them know that new designs are up on the website, social networking sites are a great way to do it without cluttering friends’ in-boxes.

Marketing is an ever-evolving thing around here, and I get a lot of help from my girl in that department. I think we rely on a lot of the basics like SEO and email marketing, like most clothing companies. Co-op advertising on sites like ishopindie.com has been really good for us, we are definitely looking into doing more of this type of advertising in the future. I think co-operative marketing efforts and cross-promotion efforts are a really good way to get your name out
there on a shoestring budget.

CG: Do you run Ex-Boyfriend full time, or is this a hobby/side business that complements a day job?

EB: I guess it complements my day job. I’m a graphic designer, although Ex-Boyfriend definitely occupies a good bit of my time each week.

CG: Other than Ex-Boyfriend, where else do you shop online for tees?

EB: I am a big comic book geek, so any place I can find Justice League tees is great! As for more esoteric designs, it’s hard to say. I think a lot of designers would agree that there aren’t any sites out there that are all killer, no filler. Usually I can find at least one design I like on any given site, though the most frustrating feeling in the world is seeing a great idea poorly executed. I come across at least one shirt a week that I think is soooo close to being awesome, but just barely misses the mark. It might be because of the illustration style, or something really basic like placement or type choice. But you know, it’s art, and like all art, it’s completely subjective, which is probably why I love it so much!

Check out the Ex-Boyfriend shop.

By Coty Gonzales

Matt Rupp founded All For Love Apparel in 2007 and runs the day-to-day operations at All For Love, a brand whose main goal is to provide affordable clothing that is fun, creative and inspiring to all those out there who have a heart and positive outlook on life. You can’t help but smile when you an All For Love design.

CG: You have an obvious love for New Jersey, with the proof being your ‘I (heart) NJ tee, tell us a little about your passion for New Jersey.

MR: I was born and raised for the first 18 years of my life in New Jersey. Its a notorious state that you can’t help but love no matter what! The pride that comes from NJ natives is unlike any other state.

CG: How did All For Love Apparel come about? What inspired you to get it started?

MR: All For Love was started when I realized I had a message that I really wanted to get out to the world. Art has been in my life since I was a baby and I had a dream I wanted to pursue. All For Love was my road to that dream.

CG: What are some things that Matt Rupp loves, other than t-shirts and graphic design?

MR: I am very passionate about anything that interests or intrigues me. Besides tees and design, I am into astronomy, astrology, Ancient Egypt, the human mind and every form of art from photography to poetry to cinematography. I love everything that surrounds me in one way or another.

CG: Your Totally Rad tee is definitely a throwback to 80′s design. Why do you think the 80′s is all of a sudden popular again?

MR: Absolutely! Fashion has a way of being recycled through the generations. I believe that those who would wear hand-me-down and thrift shop clothing brought back the 80s trend. The 80s fashion is one of those things you may not take seriously at first because of its bright and flashy essence. Once you give in and wear a neon shirt, you realize how fun and alive it is.

CG: You sponsor a couple of bands, are these bands ones that you already knew of and reached out to or did they come to you because they liked your product?

MR: The bands I sponsor are talented musicians, as well as great individuals that I feel would do a great job representing what my company is about. Bands such as The Title (myspace.com/thetitlenj) are best friends of mine from back home. They started the band the same time I started All For Love and we have grown very rapidly in the past year. Also, there are many bands who contact me wanting to be sponsored. Since I am only one man running this entire company– I cannot afford to sponsor them all, though I offer a very generous endorsement for all who would like to be a part of the family!

CG: Based on your MySpace, you have an incredible love for music. Who are some of you favorite bands (other than the ones you sponsor)?

MR: Music is a huge inspiration to my work and affects me immensely. Some of my favorite musicians are John Lennon/The Beatles, Radiohead, Sublime, Sufjan Stephens, Muse, The Mars Volta and anything Mike Patton is involved in. Quite a variety to say the least.

CG: What has been the most useful thing you think you’ve done to promote/market your brand All For Love Apparel?

MR: The most useful thing I have done to spread the word about All For Love is simple: being personable and friendly with customers. People really enjoy knowing there is a real person behind the company who cares about those who support it. By creating friendships with customers, a community is created that spreads from one friend to another. There is not a better marketing device than a walking billboard.

Visit the ‘All For Love‘ shop.

By Coty Gonzales

Origin 68 is a clothing brand that was started by two friends in Manchester, England. They work around the clock to deliver tee designs that are not just fashion statements but define who they are. We are fortunate to interview one of the co-founders, Matt McKinney.

CG: What does the name Origin68 represent? What does it mean?

MM: We wanted to create a brand that had roots in both the past and the present day. We are very much influenced by all things retro and vintage but didn’t just want to create another brand that just churns out nostalgic mock 60′s/70′s designs. We want to encapsulate the spirit of the past and be able to put a modern spin on it, which led us to the year 1968. It was the cultural, political and musical developments of 1968 that fundamentally shaped the world we live in today. It was the year Martin Luther King delivered his famous, ‘I’ve been to the Mountaintop’, speech and his subsequent assassination. It was very much a turning point in the civil rights movement which has so much relevance today what with President Obama becoming the first black president of the United States. So much of what happened back then resonates with us today. Go on…research it. So we took this as our platform and it’s taken us on an amazing journey so far, it has provided us with endless inspiration. We even went as far as using the Frutiger font for our logo as it was created in 1968!

CG: Origin68 recently had two shirts published in the book Protest T-Shirts: Designs From The Cult Independents. What was that experience like and how did it come about?

MM: It was a great experience. To actually see our work in a tangible real-life book was quite special. It’s a good feeling knowing that somebody was so impressed they wanted to feature our designs in print. We were contacted by the author of the book and asked if we would like to be involved. Obviously we didn’t need to be asked twice!

CG: How did the two of you, Matt and Harry, meet and what inspired the two of you to start Origin68?

MM: We met, aged 11, at school. It only took us 15 years to find the inspiration to get Origin68 going. Basically born out of a love of all things shirty and seeing some of the sub-standard efforts out there and thinking, “We could do better than that”.

CG: You mention on your site that the idea of Origin68 was “knocked around in the pub”, if so, then the question begs – what are your favorite beers?

MM: Harry enjoys a tipple of Suffolk’s finest Greene King IPA, whilst Matt enjoys a nice creamy pint of Boddingtons. We both like Shiner Bock.

CG: What are your favorite designs from the Origin68 collection?

MM: Harry’s favourite is Butterfly Girl. Matt’s favourite is Up In Smoke. We sometimes fight about this.

CG: What has been the best piece of fan mail you’ve received in response to one of your shirts?

MM: The best piece of fan mail would probably be someone liking our designs so much that they actually wanted to come and work for us. That’s quite a compliment! They even wanted to do it for free! We would have happily exploited them but we just didn’t have enough work on for the 3 of us!

CG: What has been the toughest part of running Origin68?

MM: The toughest part of running Origin68 are the constant parties, the millions of dollars, the countless women, the fame, the paparazzi………. and trying to juggle day jobs with getting work done for Origin68 to a standard that we’re happy to put out there. That and tax. We hate the tax man. He probably hates us too.

For more on Origin68, visit their site.

We interview Tamera Lawrence, co-founder of Single Tease.

TM: How did you come up with the concept for Single Tease?

TL: My friend and business partner, Kristin, and I are single women and came up with the concept when we became frustrated with the dating scene. We would go out and men would look at us, but not always approach (I started giving her a dollar if she approached a guy.) We weren’t sure if they just didn’t know what to say, or if they assumed we were not available. We knew there had to be a better way. That summer we went on beach weekend and bought these cheesy beach shirts and got a lot of attention. That’s when we realized our concept, create a line of clever messages that would let a guy know we were available and approachable!

TM: Your t-shirts are very simple in design. How do you differentiate yourself from other t-shirt brands with simple text t-shirts?

TL: Our brand is about creating conversation starters for singles. Our messages have intent, to let someone know you are available and approachable. Our product is designed to facilitate that connection: 1) the messages are only printed in bright white on a dark background for readability close and far, 2) most of our messages have a smaller line of text to bring the other person closer to read the complete message, 3) placing the message on the front and center on the t-shirt allows for a face to face connection, and 4) placing the logo on the back of the right shoulder also works as a conversation starter. One little-known secret, there is a different message in the tag for each size. For example, for the small size, the tag reads, “Let’s start with SMALL talk and a smile.”

TM: A lot of t-shirt entrepreneurs want to know how to get celebrities to wear their tees. How did you get Mariah Carey to wear your t-shirt?

TL: It’s WHO you know, timing and some luck. My best friend’s good friend’s sister is a stylist in Hollywood. We sent her a box of our SingleTees and Mariah Carey just happened to be filming her “Touch My Body” video. Our “boy scouting (are you prepared?) t-shirt was perfect for the last scene in the video.

TM: How do you come up with and decide on which phrases to use for your tees?

TL: Kristin and I come up with the messages. We’re both graphic designers and have been branding, naming, marketing companies for 18 years. We have a panel of 10 colleagues, men and women, who provide us with feedback on all new messages. The messages also need to meet four criteria: 1) non-explicit, 2) suggests you are available, 3) suggests you are approachable (a fun element) and 4) promotes conversation.

TM: It seems that your target audience is, well, single women. How do you go about reaching your target market and spreading the word about your brand?

TL: We reach our target audience a number of ways:
1) Retail shopping events for women such as Girls Night Out by Sheckys.com
2) Diligently sending pitches to all the fashion magazines
3) Exhibiting at wholesale shows
4) Selling our product through retail stores
5) Bloggers and online sites like T-Shirt Magazine! and
6) Loyal customers who love our product and spread the word.

We have a customer whose 74 year old mom loved her “say hello” SingleTee so much so that she bought her mom one for Christmas. Another customer bought SingleTees for three of his good friends who are single who then told their friends…

TM: The dogs look so funny with those t-shirts on. What made you decide to come out with t-shirts for dogs?

TL: In March, we will celebrate our second year in business and we have some exciting ideas to make SingleTease a resource for singles. First, we are expanding our product line to reach more of the singles audience: SingleTees for Men (much requested and anticipated) and SingleTote canvas bags (to help save the environment and get a date) will be available this first quarter. Second, we are aligning our blog with our product side to form a community for conversations!

TM: What are some tips you can give to other entrepreneurs who want to get their brand out there?

We interview Matt Tyler of Redemption Clothing.

TM: How long have you been in the t-shirt business? What have you learned?

MT: We have been around for just over 1 year. We started in November,of 2007. Wow,where to start. I learn something new everyday. However the most unexpected thing I have gathered, is how much work is actually put in to owning and operating a clothing brand.

Seriously,every day,all day I am doing something with Redemption and yet I still feel as though there is so much more that needs to be done everyday.So be prepared to have no life. Luckily I am single,so Redemption Clothing is my world!

TM: From the look of your storefront, it seems like you have an affinity for monsters and mammoths. What’s the idea behind Redemption Clothing?

MT: Well, I have had a thing for monsters (and anything imaginable ) since I was a kid. These are the things I never really saw in the fashion industry until lately, although I try to have more original, semi-friendly monsters in my line. Oh, and the positive message behind our brand. I didn’t want to be just another clothing brand. I think its important to put yourself,and your beliefs that you are so passionate about in everything you do. So, with Redemption being my life, I wanted to preach the hope of redemption. To encourage people to love each other and forgive. Just maybe if everyone in the world owned one of my shirts we would have world peace.

TM: How do you get inspiration for your t-shirt designs?

MT: Wow, so much inspires me. Movies, nature, dreams, childhood memories, my faith and the list goes on. A lot of times I just get a awesome idea and its like a cold, it just wont go away.

TM: Out of all of the t-shirts you designed, which one is your favorite?

MT: Not a shirt, but its the Mammoth hoodie! Its simple,yet powerful. I love mammoths and think they are amazing, tough, yet adorable!

TM: What are your future plans for Redemption Clothing?

MT: To be in major stores all over the world! Possibly open my own store. I guess we will just see what happens.

TM: What are some helpful tips you can give to others trying to get into the t-shirt industry?

MT: Like I said before, be prepared to not have a life. Be dedicated, original, patient, and you will become successful.

For more on Redemption Clothing, check out their online shop.

We interview Michael Van Niekirk, owner of ‘I Came From Nothing.’

TM: How long have you been in the t-shirt industry? What have you learned?

MVN: Well, I’ve started about 2 years ago, making stencil designs and printing tees by hand. I’ve learned there’s much more to this game than just sticking your name all over a tee and expecting it to sell.

TM: What’s the idea behind the t-shirt with an alien version of Kanye West on it?

MVN: Bear Brains was by a guest designer “Killer Napkins”. He did it for a contest on Emptees. I loved it and had to have it.

TM: What’s the idea behind the ‘A Bathing Abe’ shirt?

MVN: Abe for a laugh, was me testing out print styles and POP humour, I did it 100% as a joke tee and everybody wanted it…

TM: What have been the best methods you’ve used for promoting and marketing your site?

MVN: Great designs & word of mouth work best, plus a compulsive addiction to Forums, Myspace and Facebook.

TM: What are your future plans for ‘I Came From Nothing’?

MVN: With 3 new tees & zipper hoodies on the way early 2009, some more guest artists & a couple of my own designs. I’m working on quite a few other little items as well, so why not register at www.icamefromnothing.com to be kept up to date.

TM: What are some helpful tips you can give to other designers out there?

MVN: The only info I can give is try your style and keep at it, not everything works, but if you have a vision and spread the word…why the hell not?

Check out his online shop, I Came From Nothing.

TM: What’s the idea behind Indivisual Clothing?

DP: Essentially Indivisual produces exactly what our independent artists want without branding it in any specific way. It’s a way to capture the work of peers and individuals, including myself, onto a medium that is accessible to anyone and moving and walking around the streets.

TM: How long have you been in the t-shirt business? What have you learned?

DP: I’ve been screen printing since I was 15, so that would make about 15 years now. I’ve definitely learned a lot in that time, but still don’t have my head wrapped around the whole selling/buying experience. I’m a better maker than seller who just enjoys making cool stuff that hopefully others react to and enjoy for themselves. I’d like to think that it gets people to either question, ponder, or smile. I’ve learned that others have better equipment and can make a better, more environmentally friendly product than me, so I don’t do the printing myself anymore. There’s also so many niches that usually each new design release is manufactured by someone new making each design a unique learning experience.

TM: The ‘Doves’ shirt seems very intriguing. What does that shirt represent?

DP: The artist Robbie Bolick, or IRONCLAW is very interested in peace and the few controlling heads that decide their peoples’ fates versus our duty to stand up, question and respond when necessary. His response for the “Why” section about his design probably wraps it up the best – “It still amazes me that so many close family members are pro war. Why fight here on American soil when we can do it somewhere else instead? Why do we so endorse war as a nation? War in the name of peace is for those who don’t really understand the horror of war. Can we someday trade our weapons for books? Schools? Can our immature country learn from the mistakes we’ve made? Will I ever be proud of the nation I’m a part of? Maybe I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. Until that day, I speak peace.”

DP: Lately I’ve been painting and drawing these arterial-botanic city organisms. This one’s growing from the cracks of a sidewalk and budding a human face, not that oddly similar to my own. They are my way of interpreting and challenging man’s claims of control over social systems, habitat and nature.

TM: I see you’ve gotten your products into a few stores all around America. How did you go about getting your products into stores?

DP: To be honest, I really know the least about retail and push for online sales. Our costs for production at these small limited run quantities make for terrible wholesale pricing for us. I’d have to price the garments at well over what I would like the affordability rate to be. Making it an exclusive high end price point would eliminate who I would think respond to the designs the most. The stores are just an extra bonus and an excuse to work with great stores and people, and get the work in front of the public eye. The only downfall is that so many people are understandably “hands-on” about their clothing buying experience. We provide sizing instructions and detail shots, but unless you get to throw a shirt over your shoulders, feel it, and take it for a walk, I suppose its always a bit of a gamble and you may have to send back for another size. We’ve all been surprised with some companies showing one thing on screen and getting something totally different in the mail, or with a big logo on the back that they didn’t know would be there. We of course, don’t do this, but others have damaged the public trust of online buying.

DP: Continue to stay small, limited, inspiring and approachable. Look for a new design release every 2 months to nab ‘em before they’re gone forever. Also, continue to look for our stuff in small independent boutiques across the states and a few select international cities.

DP: I’d suggest either starting small to be small, or start big to be big. If big is your goal, get a loan or some startup funds and go for hit. Get some partners who make up for your weak points and hit the trade shows and get your clothes in some chains. If staying small is your deal, have fun. It’s hard work and the rewards aren’t huge, at least in my case, but it’s a fun and more “manageable” ride.

For more of Indivisual Clothing, check out the site.

TM: To start things off, how did you come up with the name, Thisrespekwear?

JS: I came up with the name because all of the designs I come up you might not understand or get right away. You have to think about them and basically work for it like Respect (Respek). Respect is something that is earned and not given just like Thisrespekwear.

JS: The most important advise I could give is to put your all into this business and don’t get discouraged. Just do what you love. Success, money and happiness will follow.

For more on Thisrespekwear, check out the site.

We interview Scott Stoopster of the t-shirt shop Stoopster.

TM: When did you decide that you wanted to open an online shop?

SS: Last summer I had read about a couple of t-shirt printing sites and did a few joke t-shirts of my friends. My friends really liked the shirts and from there I started doing my own designs and within a few months Stoopster.com was launched.

TM: How long have you been running your online shop? What have you learned?

SS: Stoopster has been up since October 2007 and I’ve learned a lot about running your own website, design techniques, and most importantly, how to stay creative.

TM: Which of your t-shirts is your favorite?

SS: I’ve always been a huge sports fan, so some of my favorite shirts are sports related. Being from Canada, I’d have to say my Steve Nash ‘Hair Canada’ shirt is my favorite, it was actually the first one I made, too.

TM: Which t-shirt is the best selling tee?

SS: Definitely the ‘Darth Gerber’ shirt that depicts Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber. The shirt was very popular amongst Sens fans and was even sold to fans in Switzerland and the Czech Republic. The ‘It’s Britney, Bitch’ shirt has also been a top seller with our female fans.

TM: Do your run your shop alone or do you have a team?

SS: The site is a one man show, run by me, myself, and I.

TM: What makes Stoopster stand out from all of the other t-shirt shops with funny pop culture tees?

SS: Like I said before, I’m a huge sports fan so you can always count on me to make up a new wacky, fun, or controversial current sports t-shirt to go along with my pop culture t-shirts.

TM: What marketing techniques have you used that worked out great for your shop?

SS: I try and make new shirts that are related to hot topics in the sports and
pop culture world. I concentrate on SEO, sending shirts to bloggers, and
relying on word of mouth.

TM: What’s in the works for the future of Stoopster?

SS: I’ve had a lot of fun with Stoopster so far and I will to continue to grow my t-shirt collection and come up with new sports and pop culture designs. I am very accessible and welcome any suggestions from fans of the site who can reach me at mail@stoopster.com

TM: What tips could you give to others trying to get into the t-shirt biz?

SS: Create what you know, have fun, and always create a product that you yourself would wear.

For more info on Stoopster, check out the site!

We interview William Matte Jr. of Prestigious Clothing.

TM: What made you decide to name your clothing company “Prestigious”?

WM: I feel like the name of a company should be representative of said company’s existence in general. When I think of the word “prestigious”, I think of accomplishment, pride, and things of a positive and sophisticated nature. Retrospectively speaking, starting a line and creating a brand was something I more or less decided to do after admiring so many of the famous and trend-setting lines out there. As I learned the ins and outs and created more products to offer, I basically observed a snapshot of what was happening in my life- at the time, I had just turned 20, was ¾ finished with my second year of college and had begun something that I’d honestly be ecstatic continuing to develop into the years ahead, and have yet to lose any steam. If a feeling of elevated happiness and ambition can be issued all-inclusive nomenclature, “Prestigious” just fits the best. That’s why I picked it.

TM: How long have you been running your shop?

WM: I had my first idea rendered to print in March 2008, however I registered my business with the state of Massachusetts as a sole proprietor in November 2007 as a wholesaler of band tees and select clothing brands. Since releasing my first design in March of 2008, I’ve put out a total of 23 different tees, and have collaborated with such apparel design geniuses as Jim Breen, Derek Deal, Matthew Skiff, Joshua Stomberg, and Nate Maggio. http://www.shop.thisisprestigious.org/ was launched at the beginning of April 2008, and the site, http://www.thisisprestigious.org/ was launched on June 5th, 2008.

TM: What have you learned?

WM: I have learned so many things on what seems like a day-to-day basis. Anyone can offer tips that only end up encouraging you to spend money needlessly; to run with ideas you know deep down you shouldn’t get involved with; to make frivolous business decisions that will leave you scratching your head wondering what possibly went wrong. The best advice I’ve gotten to date, summarized in a few words of course, is to do something unique that you love producing from start to finish- do something that people will remember and be hungry for when more comes. Create a lasting impression by being personal with your customers- it goes quite a long way.

TM: Just out of curiosity, why did you create a shirt with an outline of California on it, when you are from Massachusetts?

WM: There is a story behind this, of course. Last January, just before Prestigious was born, I visited California for ten days. It was my first time out on the west coast, and in that short length of time I saw some of the most beautiful and inspirational cities and locations I’ve ever seen. From LA to Berkley to Frisco, through Carmel and down the coast, through Hollywood and Malibu, on Venice beach- the list goes on. Basically, despite my short-natured visit, I love the state of California.

As I began selling more and more shirts, I estimated that about 50 to 60% of my business came from southern California. Low and behold, after speaking to Nate Maggio in early October, he had done a California tribute shirt that I fell in love with and was lucky enough to obtain. He and I printed it in early November and it has become sort of a dedication piece to one of my favorite places in the world; a tribute to all of my great fans and supporters that reside there. The cali tee was a fun project and retains quite a bit of sentiment to myself and to my brand.

TM: What’s in the works for the future of Prestigious?

WM: I plan on releasing multiple items on certain occasions, probably monthly or bi monthly. As of late, releases have been rather sporadic and somewhat unannounced, and have been predominantly one design at a time. I would like to release a hoodie print for guys and girls this coming spring, but for now it will be tees, tees, and more tees. 2009 will be a big year for Prestigious.

TM: I see that you’re a college student. How do you go about running a line while still attending classes? What challenges are involved with this?

WM: Running a line alone while doing my best to be successful academically is difficult at times, not due to time constraints but more so due to time management and the problems I have with it in general. There are times when I’m doodling and brainstorming, blogging and promoting, connecting and networking, and doing everything under the sun to get my name out there and keep in touch with customers that I feel like schoolwork takes a backseat. I am one year away from earning a Bachelor’s degree in Management, concentrating in international business. Luckily enough, both are given the time they need by the end of each day, but I admit that I can’t wait until school is behind me; this will allow me to concentrate on this business full time with minimal distraction and less added external commitment. This is what my education will assist. It works out quite well.

TM: What tips would you give others trying to get into the t-shirt biz?

WM: There are enough tips, pointers, suggestions and bits of advice that volumes could be written. Here are a few that I’m sculpting as I progress and grow.

1) Remember that you never stop learning new and better ways to progress your brand and develop a name for yourself. Always be open to suggestions, advice, and criticism. Most of these are offered because the person offering has been there and cares that others succeed. Even the most accomplished and wealthy company owners have advisors and strategists.

2) Stay honest with yourself and do what you love. There is no preset formula for success, but a trend among those who are successful is that they all love what they do and put their heart and soul into it. Positive in, positive out.

3) Customer service has no substitute. Be nice to people. Respond positively to negativity, and be thankful for support, help, advice, and purchases no matter how big or small. Follow up with customers post-purchase, within reason. It is nearly impossible to keep up with the pace once things get busy, but never forget that if it weren’t for supporters and customers, your dream wouldn’t be possible. Embrace it!

For more info, check out the Prestigious Clothing website.

We interview Thomas of Uhuru Clothing Co.

TM: What does your label name, ‘Uhuru’, mean?

UC: Uhuru is a Swahili word meaning ‘freedom’. Uhuru Clothing Co. represents a call to all of Africa to stand up and claim their freedom from illiteracy, poverty and disease. It is time for the African people to be emancipated from the chains that bind them economically and socially and this can only be achieved through a unified continent-wide effort.

TM: When did you decide that t-shirts was your thing?

UC: Well I was in the mall during Christmas in 2007 trying to find a shirt that had an African theme or image and every store I went to I was surprised to see that there was no item that had anything that represented Africa. So I made one myself and everywhere I went my friends kept asking me where I bought my shirt thus the ideas was born. Next couple of weeks I printed about 36 shirts and sold out with a week.

TM: How long have you been in the t-shirt biz? And what have you learned?

UC: We have been in the t shirt biz since Dec 2007. One the most important things I have leant is one has to be consistent, in both quality and promise of delivery and to always accept feedback from the people who purchase your merchandise.

TM: How did you decide to make your line of t-shirts based around Kenya?

UC: Both my girlfriend and I were born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya and even though we have lived in the United States for close to 10 years now, we are still strongly influenced by our Kenyan heritage. It is important to note that even though many of our shirts are centered on Kenya, Uhuru Clothing Co. considers itself an African t-shirt company and would like its message to ring true not just for Kenyans but for all Africans.

TM: Which of your shirts has been a customer favorite?

UC: I would have to say it’s a 2 way tie. One is the ‘UC classic’ which is the white shirt with the black map of Africa on the front and the Uhuru Clothing name across the bottom has been by far the customer favorite. I think this is because even though it is simple in design, it is a great representation of the Uhuru Clothing’s core values. The ‘dark continent’ as it has often been referred to is standing out from the rest of the world as a force to be reckoned with. The second is the ‘One Nation One People’ this is one that has the Kenya coat of arms at the front. This design was inspired by the post election violence that took place in January this year, after a month of fighting in Kenya I felt we all wanted to feel as one nation and one people.

TM: Do your run your label alone or do you have a team?

UC: I have been fortunate enough to have friends who share my vision and believe in the brand as much as I do. My girlfriend, Naomi is instrumental in all design development and her opinion is greatly valued. Also enough cannot be said about Rosslyn W, Ced N, Natasha N, Vanessa K, Peter M and Moses T. Who all push me to develop a better product then the last, their advice, criticism and encouragement has been a big factor in achieving success.

TM: What has been your best marketing vehicle in attracting customers?

UC: Our best marketing tool has been a combination of online marketing tools as well as word of mouth. Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have played a pivotal role in getting the word out but I have also heavily relied on my customers returning to buy more t-shirts and more importantly telling their friends about them. My greatest asset has been indeed the people who buy the shirts.

TM: What’s in the works for the future of Uhuru Clothing?

UC: We are looking to expand to showcase our designs on shorts and later in the year to include hoodies and sweaters. We are also in talks with a certain high end clothing store in Kenya to eventually have a store front where our product may be sold in Kenya as we have received numerous requests to have the shirts in Africa. We feel diversity is very important and we are also looking into doing soccer and rugby jerseys by years end.

TM: What tips could you give to others trying to get into the t-shirt business?

UC: I would have to say believe in your brand and don’t give up, surround yourself with positive people who share your vision as these are people you will need when things get tough. David Brinkley once said “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him” Also last but not least don’t sacrifice quality of the product for a bigger profit because at the end of the day people will always choose quality over price.

Before I go I would like to thank you for taking the time to learn more about Uhuru Clothing and helping get a step closer to our goal of informing people about what Africa has to offer. Last but not least I would like to thank all those people who have supported us from day 1.

Check out the Uhuru Clothing Co. shop.

TM: When did you decide that t-shirts was your thing?

SD: When I went to my first job interview in college and realized suits were definitely NOT my thing! As for funny shirts, I realized a few years ago that the right shirt, with the right humor, in the right situation was one of the best ways to make an impression and meet new people.

TM: How long have you been running your online shop?

SD: About a year and a half now.

TM: What have you learned?

SD: I have learned a great deal of respect for anyone who runs a successful online shop! It’s definitely a lot of work. Really, the lessons learned are way too many to mention, but it has been both interesting and fun.

TM: That is one funny duck! What made you decide to have a talking duck explain the shirts in your shop?

SD: From the beginning, one of our goals was to create subtle designs that were funny to people in the know, but could be worn anywhere without offending people. We obviously haven’t achieved this with every design, but we realized that the most subtle designs often required an explanation. The duck was a natural fit, as he was already part of our company logo.

TM: Which t-shirt is your absolute favorite?

SD: That is tough to say. Our shirts are situational. For instance, our ‘I Don’t Believe In Pre-Marital Sex, She Has To Be Married’ shirt is great for wedding receptions. ‘Everyone Starts Out A Winner’ is great for any sporting event, ‘I Bring Nothing To The Table’ is perfect in any business setting, ‘Nice Snatch’ great for baseball games and ‘Curious Jorge’ is good when making a run for the border.

TM: Do your run your shop alone or do you have a team?

SD: We have a team of people with different responsibilities.

TM: How do you go about creating a design? Do you go with an idea that instantly comes to your head or do you spend a lot time thinking about the design?

SD: First, we come up with the idea or slogan, which often happens while out drinking with a group of friends. Once the general idea is conceived, we spend time discussing, tweaking, and refining it. When the concept solidifies, we begin working with our artists to develop the perfect design.

TM: What marketing techniques have you used that worked out great for your shop?

SD: Joining T-Shirt Magazine! We have experimented with email blasts, banner advertising, affiliate marketing, Google adwords, radio spots, and event sponsorship to name a few. At this point it’s hard to say what has worked out the best; however, it’s clear that our focus on search engine optimization is , paying off. We believe SEO is our most important marketing tool, providing the greatest return on investment.

TM: What’s in the works for the future of GAFY?

SD: We continue to bring on more partner sites, and we also have plans to launch the ability for our customers to create and submit their own designs online. This will give them complete freedom to economically print what they want on a shirt.

TM: What tips could you give to others trying to get into the t-shirt biz?

SD: Be prepared for a lot of work. It can be a very rewarding effort, but be patient and keep at it. We have recently formed a new partnership and launched a new division of GAFY, www.GreatApparelForYou.com, that handles fulfillment for people starting online t-shirt businesses, but don’t have the capital to maintain an inventory. We print and ship orders as they arrive via Direct-To-Garment printing, the same method we use for www.GAFY.com. The business owners create and manage their storefront, and Great Apparel For You manages everything else (garment ordering, printing, custom packaging, drop shipping, labeling etc). It would have been GREAT if something like this was available when we were getting started!

TM: When did you decide that t-shirts was your thing?

PB: It was a natural progression, Chris and I learned how to make shirts when we were in high school and never really stopped. While in college Chris was always hand painting his new designs onto screens to make his own t-shirts. Over time he went from making just a handful of shirts to printing as many as he could afford to ensure that everyone he knew would get one. He was already making them for himself and friends so why not see if the rest of the world wanted them?

TM: How long have you been in the t-shirt biz? And what have you learned?

PB: The Company started in 2002, so that is 6 years…wow. We have definitely learned a lot, it was just a couple years ago that we were printing all of the shirts on our own, we learned how to lie to wholesalers to get bulk rates, the science of building a makeshift setup to create the screens and the basic techniques of shirt printing, which always seemed to take place in either a freezing cold garage in the middle of the winter or outside in the sweltering heat during the middle of the summer. The whole process of actually making shirts has taught us so much on a technical level, which we can still apply today when working with printers and vendors. It has also made me really thankful that we don’t print shirts on our own anymore!

TM: Do your run your label alone or do you have a team?

PB: The team includes Chris Piascik, Vaughn Fender, and myself Jamie Murrett. We all attended the University of Hartford together. Chris and Vaughn were design students in the art school and I was a few years ahead of them majoring in entrepreneurial studies in the business school. Chris and Vaughn started up the company while they were still in school and I joined the ranks a couple years later.

TM: I know you love all of your shirts, but which one is your ‘favorite-favorite‘?

PB: My favorite shirt is currently the Fame, Fame, Fatal Fame shirt. One night I asked Chris if he would draw it out for me so that I could make a stencil and spray paint it on a shirt. He asked, “why don’t we just make it into a design for the new line?” The next morning I was blown away when I saw what he came up with. When the shirts were printed and I saw the finished product I was even more excited, they just look so good. It came out a million times better then it would have if I had tried to spray paint it on a shirt with cutout cardboard stencil.

TM: There a lot of new clothing line owners that are trying to get their products in stores. Briefly explain how you were able to get your t-shirts sold in retail stores.

PB: We haven’t really put much focus or energy into having our products sold in stores; the stores that we are currently being sold in are a result of networking and friendships. However, one store that was different for us was Horror Business located in Boston, MA. I was helping Chris look for an apartment before he moved to Boston a little over 2-years ago and we got lost looking for the real estate office. We ended up passing this store called Horror Business that was decorated in the Misfits green and purple colors. Our jaws dropped as we drove by but unfortunately we couldn’t stop to check it out. As soon as Chris moved and got settled in he contacted the shop owner and he was more then happy to start selling our Tribute to Danzig and Horror Biz shirts in the store. I think that would be a prime example of finding the proper outlet for your product. We plan on doing a larger push towards retail in the future but the time isn’t right for us at the moment. We are happy with the stores we currently have selling our products along with our own efforts through our online store.

TM: What would you say your niche is and what has been your best marketing vehicle in targeting that audience?

PB: That’s a tough question, right now we are marketing to the hustlers, bike lovers, Smiths fans, and some other random weirdos, haha, so there are a couple of niche markets that we are tapping into. Our best marketing vehicle has really become our customers. I like to think that our new designs speak for themselves (some literally). They give people a way to express themselves and tell others about themselves without having to say anything; they are like silent conversation starters. A lot of our sales come from referrals of people who have purchased from us. We are always getting messages from people letting us know that they saw someone else wearing one of our designs and had to ask them where they got it. We’re really grateful for that, it is such a good feeling to know that our customers are the reason for our growth and success.

TM: What’s in store for the future of Print Brigade?

PB: Well we just launched our new line of shirts along with a new website to showcase them. So we will be focused on selling those for the Holiday Season. We are also gearing up to start planning our trip to the Bitter Cold Showdown in February. The BCSD is the largest rollerblading competition and trade-show in the country. This will be our third year attending the trade-show and we plan on making a brand new, limited edition I Still Rollerblade t-shirt specifically for the event. Besides that we just want to keep moving forward with larger print runs, new designs and more color options. We are at a place where we are happy with everything that he have going for us and want to focus on staying on this path.

TM: What tips could you give to others trying to get into the t-shirt biz?

PB: Make and design t-shirts that you want to wear, if other people are into it then that’s awesome, but its so much more fun when you are doing it for yourself. And show your appreciation for your customers and people you do business with however you can. If take good care of them, they will take care of you.

For more info on Print Brigade, check ‘em out at PrintBrigade.com.