In this episode of Co-Tee TV I wear a promotional Lost T-Shirt from the Lost Season 6 Premier and review City Pop by IZzI Pop, a New York based T-Shirt brand who had the idea of combining pop culture, fashion and style in one concept that can be identified. IZzI PoP focuses on color, style and quality along with innovative art designs.
You can also watch this episode on Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, blip.tv and download and sync all episodes to your iPod or iPhone by subscribing for free to Co-Tee TV in the iTunes Store.
Coty’s Thoughts:
City Pop by IZzI PoP.Pros: T-Shirt is tagless and features a screen printed label instead. Custom hangtag on the shirts adds a nice custom touch. Nice large graphic that fits a good portion of the front of the tee. Printed on an 100% Combed ringspun cotton and pre shrunk tee and is advertised as being true to size. Design features many elements from city life . Cons: Might be a bit too busy for some, especially with all of the vector elements. Price: $23.00
In this episode of Co-Tee TV I wear I Listen To Bands That Don’t Even Exist Yet by Threadless and review Muerte Cooking Worms by Tolky Monkys. Spanish based Tolky Monkys specializes in creating unique, one-of-a-kind characters. I also show off a special chracter that Tolky Monkys drew of me!
You can also watch this episode on Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, blip.tv and download and sync all episodes to your iPod or iPhone by subscribing for free to Co-Tee TV in the iTunes Store.
Coty’s Thoughts:
Muerte Cooking Worms by Tolky Monkys.Pros: Fun shirt, if you like funky characters that have a background story than you’ll probably enjoy this shirt as well as the rest of the Tolky Monkys line. The tee features a custom embroidered necktag and comes with a Tolky Monkys hangtag. The shirt was individually packaged in a separate plastic bag within the mailer which is good for keeping the shirt protected during transit. Design is printed on a 100% pre-shrunk cotton tee and features a reinforced cover-seamed collar in Elastano (Lycra/Spandex) for a better fit. The collar, sleeves and lower hem are double stitched. Cons: The print was a bit thick and vinyl feeling, but it may become softer after the first wash.Price: €20 ($28 US)
And here’s a closeup of the character that Tolky Monkys drew for me! Thanks again Tolky Monkys, I think it’s awesome!
I Listen To Bands That Don’t Even Exist Yet by Evan Ferstenfeld and available at Threadless.Pros: Perfect shirt for any pompous music lover. We all know one of those. Get that person this shirt. Cons: The print, although looks like a solid colored print in the product shots are not really so. The resulting print looks like what happens when you have a faulty inkjet printer whose head needs cleaning (see gallery photos to see what I mean). I would have preferred just a solid brown colored print for the type. Price: $15.
If you want to send me a product to review, please feel free to do so. You can find my information in the contact menu above. Thanks!
Cottonable has also sponsored a contest giveaway! Just leave a comment mentioning your favorite Christmas Song EVER and you’ll be entered to win a tee from Crazy Dog T-Shirts, EIO Clothing or a $25 Threadless Gift Certificate! Awesome!
You can leave your comment entries in three places. If you leave a comment in all three then you’ll receive three entries in the drawing. Leave a comment: 1. Here on this post, 2. on the Cottonable post featuring Co-Tee TV Episode 49, or 3. on the Co-Tee TV Facebook Fan Page! You can only leave one comment entry on each place. So, if you want to increase your chance to win the prize, you have to leave your comment at all three places! There will be three winners, one for each of the three three prizes.
Last day to enter and submit your comment mentioning what you all time favorite Christmas song is by Wednesday, December 23, 2009 (11:59 pm Hawaii time). Good luck!
You can also watch this episode on Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, blip.tv and download and sync all episodes to your iPod or iPhone by subscribing for free to Co-Tee TV in the iTunes Store.
Coty’s Thoughts:
Isometric by EIO (Excess Is OK) Clothing.Pros: The tee from EIO Clothing has got to be THE softest shirt that I have ever had the pleasure of trying on. It’s even softer than that Finroo tee I reviewed a few months back. The shirt is just perfect, not too thin and yet not to thick and it feels great against your skin. It’s a trendy shirt, yes, and would probably best be suited for a night out to a club (maybe throw on a blazer and you’ll be good to go). The black and gold print is soft to the touch and does not weigh down the T-Shirt at all. Isometric features cut and sew elements with a custom neck tag and custom tag on the lower left portion of the shirt. Comes wrapped in tissue paper. Cons: A bit pricey, but then again, this is a high fashion T-Shirt made with high quality materials. Some people might not like that the length is made to come just below the belt. Price: £29.95 ($48 US)
Evolution of War by Crazy Dog T-Shirts.Pros: Fun design that’s perfect for any World of Warcraft addict (and we all know at least one of those). The Alstyle T-Shirt provides a nice fit that is comparable to American Apparel and the cotton feels good. Affordable at just $16.99. Cons: Not tagless, ink used for printing is a bit thick. Price: $16.99 (Use the code “HOHOHO” at checkout to score $5 off).
If you want to send me a product to review, please feel free to do so. You can find my information in the contact menu above. Thanks!
In this episode of Co-Tee TV I wear Melted by Desired Hearts and review Modern Art and Pirates from New Math by Craig Damrauer. The shirts are based on the popular website, More New Math, and the book written by Damrauer. The site, book and shirts feature witty equations for every day living.
You can also watch this episode on Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, blip.tv and download and sync all episodes to your iPod or iPhone by subscribing for free to Co-Tee TV in the iTunes Store.
Coty’s Thoughts:
Pirates and Modern Art by New Math.Pros: The New Math shirts by Craig Damrauer match the New Math website and book perfectly. Printed on American Apparel tees so you know that I dig the fit and feel of these shirts – super comfortable and soft. My shirts came packaged in a lovely New Math printed cardboard box. Excellent shirt for those who enjoy mathematics, typography or just fun witty one liners. Cons: Nothing really. The shirt is what it is and that is a compliment to the New Math book and website. Price: $20.
The second episode of the scheduled five this is week is here and it features an up-and-coming brand based out of New York, New York, Skilla Fashion. I review Power of Peace, a limited edition shirt, from Skilla Fashion. And if you’re wondering what the heck “Skilla” means, well, you’ll have to watch on to find out!
How many of you think I’ll survive to finish all five episodes of Co-Tee TV this week? I honestly don’t know how I will manage – but as they say (who is THEY anyway) – we’ll see!
You can also watch this episode on Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, blip.tv and download and sync all episodes to your iPod or iPhone by subscribing for free to Co-Tee TV in the iTunes Store.
Coty’s Thoughts:
Power of Peace by Skilla Fashion.Pros: Excellent custom packaging, shirts come wrapped in tissue paper. Package included extra goodies like Skilla Fashion buttons and stickers. Shirt is screen printed in three different areas: front, back and inner neck. Shirts are tagless for itch free comfort. Not sure what brand blank was used but the shirt fit well and felt great. Comes with a hangtag for a professional touch. Nice, large multi-colored print. If you are into streetwear/urbanwear than Skilla Fashion will probably appeal to you. Cons: Nothing really, I was really impressed by the product that Skilla Fashion sent me, from the packing to the shirt itself. If you dig this style of clothing then you’ll probably want to check out the rest of the Skilla Fashion line. Price: $20.00
This week I continue my summer long series on Ongoing T-Shirt Contest Sites. Every week, I will be reviewing a different tee from one of many different online contest sites. I’ll be discussing how each of these sites differ, how the submission and selection process work and what your rights are as a designer. Check out past reviews on: ShirtFight, A Better Tomorrow, Full Metal T-Shirt, tFuse and Design By Humans.
You can also watch this episode on Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, blip.tv and download and sync all episodes to your iPod or iPhone by subscribing for free to Co-Tee TV in the iTunes Store.
Coty’s Thoughts:
If You Wish Upon A Star by Tom Neal and available at Teextile.Pros: Love the shirt, great design! Nice gradient effect, most likely achieved through Direct-To-Garment printing. Printed on an American Apparel blank so you know I like the fit and softness of the shirt. Overall, a solid shirt. Cons: Not tagless. Not many extras here, just a solid shirt, I guess that helps to keep the costs down. Price: $12
Make Wellness Not War by I Am Wellness.Pros: Lots of things to love about the package from I Am Wellness. Shirts were individually packaged in plastic to keep out odors and liquids from damaging the shirt. The cut and sew elements, from the custom neck tag to the seam tag on the lowert portion of this shirt was well done, as was the custom hangtag. Included with the Baseball tee (not reviewed here but will be in a future episode) were Bazooka Bubblegum and an Upper Deck baseball card, as well as an I Am Wellness card and sticker. The Make Wellness Not War shirt was printed on an American Apparel Tri-Blend blank, which was super soft, I loved the feel of it and the fit was magnificent. It looks like the I Am Wellness people put a lot of effort and thought into their product and brand. I loved it and I highly recommend I Am Wellness! Cons: What cons? Price: $27.95.
Meat Is Murder. Tasty, tasty murder. by Stu and available at Threadless. I “got” this shirt but many of my friends did not “get it” (poor souls). And for the record, I am a carnivore and will never, ever, ever, become vegetarian. It’s just not in my DNA. Price: $15.00.
If you want to send me a product to review, please feel free to do so. You can find my information in the contact menu above. Thanks!
This is the sixth edition of the Indie Tee Spotlight and this week I highlight Daren Girdner and his brand Never In Wonderland Clothing, or, as it is often referred to, NIWL.
Daren started NIWL in July 2007 with the help of his girlfriend, Kassie. Since then, NIWL has been a team effort between both Daren and Kassie with the both of them sharing promotion, packaging and selling duties. I was fortunate to have a word with Daren and we talked a bit about how he runs NIWL, the secret behind the NIWL name, that Johnny Cupcakes incident and how he has used the Internet to market his brand.
Coty: You started NIWL just a little over a year ago (July 2007) “for fun”, what has the experience been like for you since turning your fun idea into an actual business?
Daren: It’s been really fun! It’s amazing to see how well the reactions are from all these kids who enjoy what my girlfriend, Kassie, and I are doing. NIWL is like our baby, we watched it start out from just a few ideas, and now we are watching it grow.
Coty: The first tee you produced for sale was “Hungry for Cupcakes”, you no longer have that one available for sale on your website. What did that tee look like?
Daren: That tee was printed on American Apparel, and it featured only a 12 inch print, with a little zombie monster holding cupcakes. After we released it, we sold a few, and Johnny Cupcakes and his designers sent us threatening messages, saying we ripped him off, and that we must take it down. At the time I designed that shirt and got it printed, I had no idea who Johnny Cupcakes was, or what he was about. After selling all those shirts, we decided to never print anything with cupcakes on it again. We respect and love what Johnny is doing, we had no intention of copying him! But you live and you learn.
Coty: Your brand name, Never In Wonderland, is an interesting choice. What does it mean and how did you come up with it?
Daren: Honestly, there is no real story about where Never In Wonderland came from. After brainstorming some ideas, I just came up with that name. People think that since Kassie and I don’t use drugs, Never In Wonderland was meant as an anti-drug reference, which is not what our company is about at all. We do what we like, and you do what you like.
Coty: You run your own business and yet you just graduated from high school a few months ago. Other than running NIWL, what else are you up to? Have you followed through with your plans of majoring in photography? If not, what other things are you up to?
Daren: Currently, I am just working on NIWL. Next semester I plan on going to college for photography, but I’m not sure where yet.
Coty: Many indie brands hire artists to design tees for their brand. Do you design the NIWL artwork yourself or do you hire artist to do the drawing for you?
Daren: In the beginning of NIWL, I used to design the stuff myself but after awhile I felt that I would be better off hiring artists.
Coty: There are a ton of quality indie tee brands out there at the moment, which are some of you favorites? Was there any particular brand that inspired you when you first started out?
Daren: Right now I am currently into 410BC. I really enjoy what they are doing, and they have a little bit of something for everyone. I believe that they are going to go a long way if they keep at it.
As for inspiring brands that helped me start there really aren’t any. I mean, when I was growing up my uncles and aunts were all silk screening their own shirts and trying to sell them over the Internet. So I guess I just picked up from that and did my own thing with it. I’ve never really looked up to any brands because I was way to busy looking up to bands like Blink-182. I never figured I would be selling shirts over the Internet. But I love it and seems like a lot of kids are enjoying what we do so that makes it even better. If I had to pick one brand that I look up to currently I would say Johnny Cupcakes.
Coty: One of the most important things for new brands is to get exposure. What are some of the things that NIWL is doing to get the NIWL brand noticed? How have you used the Internet to maximize your brand exposure?
Daren: Well so far we have only used the Internet for exposure. We haven’t sold at any shows or things of that nature. But it seems like the Internet has been getting the job done for us. As corny as it is we just have a MySpace account that kids see and they check out our website and if they dig it hopefully they buy a shirt, and if they don’t then they move on. It is as simple as that. But don’t get us wrong we would love to sell at shows and things like that. We just haven’t had the chance to yet.
Coty: Finally, you’ve mentioned on your blog that your goal would be to open up a NIWL boutique. Running a physical store takes a lot of dedication and hard work. In an ideal world, what would be your time frame for accomplishing this goal? What other goals do you currently have for NIWL?
Daren: Depending on how things go with NIWL we hope to get our own store 2-3 years from now. Man, we have so many goals that we would like to accomplish it just takes time. When we first started out one of our goals was to get cut and sew t-shirts made, and we did it. We want to get into a lot more cut and sew things such as sweaters, denim, etc.
*I’d like to thank Daren for allowing me to interview him and also his patience in waiting for me to get the interview questions to him! I’d like to wish both Daren and Kassie the best with NIWL and that in the near future I can shop in a NIWL boutique!
Be sure to check out the NIWL site to buy some awesome NIWL gear and also visit the NIWL MySpace to upload pictures of you in NIWL gear!
Here’s a great video that I found on the Emptees forum board (posted by Cole). The YouTube video, titled “How An Engineer Folds A T-Shirt” shows, step-by-step how you can construct your own fancy T-Shirt folder using a ruler, a razor blade, cardboard and some tape.
Turns out, based on the replies in the video, this is how many of retailers get that perfect fold on the tees that they stock on their shelves. So if you’re interested in making a fancy tee folder then watch on!
And now for those of you who are too lazy (myself included) to make one of those cardboard concoctions then check out the famous “How To Fold A T-Shirt in Two Seconds Japanese Style!” video.
And for the intellectual types, check out this video explaining the “technicals” of the two second fold (who knew?!).
Welcome to this weeks Indie Tee Spotlight! This week I feature Rethink Clothing and its founder, Andy Meyer. Rethink Clothing is a unique clothing brand with a unique target audience and unique designer base. I was fortunate to have been able to have a word with Rethink’s Andy Meyer to discuss his brand, his designs and the future of Rethink Clothing.
Coty: Rethink is unlike any other clothing company out there. Your clothing company has adopted a different approach when it comes to choosing designers. Explain this premise to me.
Andy Meyer: At Rethink I am really trying to switch up how things are done design wise. The unique thing is that I chose only college enrolled artists. Now, I am willing to admit I have had one designer who wasn’t in college. You may think, doesn’t this ruin your core premise? Not really, Grant is a high school kid, who has become a friend of mine through Emptees. While he isn’t in college you will be happy to know my money went to buying his parking pass for school and towards his car so he can get to college.
Coty: As graduate student myself, I know the college students are a feisty and particular bunch with a lot of punch. What attracted you to choosing college students as your designers?
Andy Meyer: Actually in my working I have encountered little feistiness and more welcoming arms. I see Rethink as a way for designers to have a great outlet for their talent and great start to a portfolio. Also, any college student who is looking for an actual worthwhile project other than some B.S fake sign for a fictional donut shop. More than that though is the fact that each designer brings some different background, edge, style, talent, and attitude. I think this all leads to a stronger brand with mucho appeal.
Coty: You mentioned in the past that Rethink is run solely by you. Is this still the case? What advice do you have to for intrepid youngsters wanting to start their own line of tees?
Andy Meyer: Rethink is still only staffed by me. Now this isnt really the case, I have a solid support network of friends who help me make decisions, balance books and promote. Advice to all your entrepenureal readers, have your ducks in a row before you start. This was kind of a joke and reaction to some hilarious decisons while at a party and I started something with little knowledge or idea of what I wanted. So make sure you have your mind right. Also gobs of money and gorgeous women to model wouldn’t hurt either.
Coty: You’re about to release some new tee designs to your online store, talk to us a little bit about these designs. How do each of these new designs reflect the Rethink Brand?
Andy Meyer: Yes sir. Well I have only one more new design coming out and new scheme of the super soaker shirt. The shirt by Andrew Olivier is awesome. He is a college freshman from Canada and an awesome artist. His style is something new for rethink, but the theme is something I love. On the shirt you can see a city on a shelf which is falling and there are people parachuting out of the buildings. This is Rethink at its heart – something airy, fun and not what you would expect or find anywhere else. I am starting now to hone my design choosing skills to things that you cant find elsewhere and that have an air of oddity to them, such as a half naked lady on the wing of a space shuttle.
Coty: Aspiring wrestler, Johnny Vinyl, earned sponsorship from Rethink Clothing earlier this year. Any new sponsorship developments?
Andy Meyer: Not for now. Johnny is a wild man though which is awesome, he is quite the college entrepenuer which is what really make me wanna sponsor the guy. Also, It is always nice to know my shirts are being worn by a man flying off the ropes, it brings up my brands street cred. I am always looking to sponsor someone who has a unique edge to them, whether that be an awesome band or a collegiate underwater basket weaving team. Know anyone???
Coty: Shirt.Woot has featured Rethink clothing as side deals twice now. Have you submitted Rethink designs to be a Shirt.Woot tee of the day? How has being featured on Shirt.Woot affected sales at Rethink?
Andy Meyer: Awesome, Awesome, is all I can say about Shirt.Woot and Phil at Woot in general. They have extended to me an amazing oppurtunity that has helped expand me into a fledgling little business. I haven’t submitted anything to Woot on the design side, probably because most of my designs look like I did them while drunk and in MS Paint.
Coty: Finally, for students interested in designing for your company, how would they go about doing this?
Andy Meyer: Really, the way I do it now is by having students send me an email saying they are interested, what style they like to do and a portfolio of some past work. When I see a project that will be awesome for the brand then I will hit them up!
*Thanks to Andy Meyer and Rethink Clothing for taking the time to discuss all the cool things happening at Rethink. Keep up the great work!
Featured Indie Tee Spotlight artist, Jimiyo, finished 4th place in the big $10,000 Design By Humans contest. Not the finish he wanted, but nonetheless, he finished in the top end amongst a handful of very talented artists. Here’s what he had to say on his blog:
“At least it’s a hot looking shirt. One color too.. and they are selling it for $24? They are going to be making some good margin on this shirt, as well as, for the $1000 payout to me, I did some massive promotions. Was all the work worth it? Not sure. The $1000 is definitely not worth the time investment, but then is having participated and reached the top tier level of the contest worth the time investment? Because theoretically, many new eyes have been exposed to my name and work. Still feel Defeated, but elated it’s finally over. Now I can start workin!” – Jimiyo
Only thing left to do now is to go and buy his T-shirt!
