October is a t shirt printing, screen printing, garment sourcing and embroidery supplier established in 1990. We source a wide range of clothing and accessories to fit the most demanding of specifications. Although we print and embroider for a variety of sectors, our speciality is fashion.
With this in mind we offer a full service including garment sourcing, graphic design input, range development, technical screen print and embroidery advice, label supply, re-labelling, bagging, swing ticketing and bulk distribution.
This isn't everything. That would just be too massive, but it is a cross section of all our favourite T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoods, polos, hats etc. It's what a pretentious bell end might call a curated edit. Feel free to call us with any questions, and let us know if we left anything out.
It all started 25 years ago. Paul finished a degree in obscure eastern religions, and was surprised to find he couldn't get a job. Not a problem, a friend had a sewing machine,
October is a t shirt printing, screen printing, garment sourcing and embroidery supplier established in 1990. We source a wide range of clothing and accessories to fit the most demanding of specifications. Although we print and embroider for a variety of sectors, our speciality is fashion.
The Print Liberation team has done it all. They have designed for small, mid-sized and large clients and created logos, posters and full print campaigns for sneakers, car shares, museums and retail spaces.
They have managed photo shoots for major magazines, started own clothing company; founded a gallery (Black Floor/Copy); authored a book on screen printing (due out in June of 2008) and finally, quit there jobs at large advertising agencies, so that they can do what they do best – work directly with customers to create effective designs for their premium brand/creative business that reflect the Print Liberation’s knowledge of contemporary art, culture and commerce.
With an unconditional love for typography, design, logos, screen printing and creative direction, Print Liberation works hard everyday to make smart and effective design for the world and its people.
The term streetwear is common place in today’s fashion world. It is used to describe high quality clothing that draws influence from its surroundings. These influences tend to be from “the street” taking in everything that surrounds them, such as graffiti and much like graffiti sometimes express political and social issues of the here and now.
So where and when did streetwear originate? Many people speculate as to the when and how of the styles origins but it is clear that it started at the end of the 1970’s and the early 1980’s. It was an exciting time with the emergence of punk and what would become hip hop. Both of these musical styles embraced a do-it-yourself ethic brought about by the mainstreams refusal to except them and both styles had strong roots with in the skate and surf scenes.
Influenced by the punk and rap scene whose acts would produce their own records, mix tapes and t-shirts to sell to their fans many surfers and skaters started to follow suit. Often surfers and skaters would produce their own branded boards and t-shirts with their own unique styles. The first of these to make an impact on the scene was Shawn Stussy who placed his tag like signature on his boards and t-shirts. As his cult status as a surfer rose, so did the popularity of his boards and clothing.
Streetwear primarily started in the California surf and skate scene and was originally it was known as skatewear and surfwear depending on what particular scene the clothing came from. With the rise of Stussy others soon began to follow suit and the two styles became more closely interlinked. By the mid 80’s more brands had begun to appear and become common place as they spread across the USA. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the world caught on.
Japan was the next market to catch on to the streetwear ideal and as always they brought their own unique styles to the table. Japanese designers drew on influences from anime, toys and gadgets as well as their own style of Japanese street art. This in turn influenced streetwear as a whole and the different types of styles and designs were soon adopted worldwide.
By the mid 90’s streetwear had firmly established itself within the world market with Europe being the last to catch on. Now it seemed that almost anyone could start a streetwear brand but while many brands such as Volcom, Fly53, Obey, 55dsl and WESC became more popular those lesser brands began to fall by the wayside.
Streetwear was now big business with the high street and designer fashion brands taking on many of the ideas and innovations that the original brands brought to the fashion world. However neither could match the quality and the originality of the independent streetwear companies apart from the newer independent brands like Addict and Supremebeing.
Today streetwear is crossing boundaries moving into different areas of the fashion industry. Sunglasses and bags are becoming evermore present within the style with brands such as Eastpak producing high quality and original bags and Blackflyz making some of the most original shades around.
So what is next for streetwear? While the bright and innovative designs on t-shirts, hoodies and jeans remain prominent many brands are now beginning to cross styles by mixing casual wear with smart wear. This has resulted in brands like MbyM, Volcom and Hurley producing evening wear such as suits and dresses that look smart yet individual.
As time has gone on streetwear has also become more prominent in the female market with more brands like MbyM and Gentle Fawn producing clothes for women where as in the beginning most brands primarily catered for the male market.
Naketano is the name of an idea, a certain conception of what it is that defines truly genuine street fashion design. On this particular subject, one will come across as many varying opinions as there are fashion designers and those who consider themselves designers.
In the eyes of Nicole Christensen, Naketano´s head designer, a fashion designer receives ultimate accolade when a piece of clothing becomes a favourite piece. When one buys and wears other garments solely to combine them with the one, the favourite piece. Whoever craves to wear one item constantly (if possible or hygienically bearable), on any occasion and in all possible and impossible combinations, awards that item´s designer to the max and, at the same time, defines the benchmark Naketano perpetually aims to reach.
The Naketano favourite piece concept
A favourite piece by Naketano is supposed to be pleasing to touch. That is why choosing the right fabric is a lengthy and tedious process at Naketano. Largely due to Nicole Christensen´s extraordinary feeling for elegant cuts, Naketano´s comfortable garments never appear ungraceful, but always distinctly female and light.
Naketano collections are always marked by vivid and bright colours. Nicole Christensen uses colours either restrictedly to accentuate or in large, contrasting patches. In her five years as mazine head designer, she really made a name for herself by using colours such as turquoise and pink in contrast with army style olive and brown or grey melange. Naketano has granted her lots of authority in the design department. She uses it excessively and never ceases to amaze with outrageous colour combinations and unusual cuts. For whom is Naketano made?
For young women, who find favourite items in the collection. Simple as that. Naketano customers are likely to be between 20 and 30 years of age and interested in all the things 20- to 30-year old women are interested in. Which is a lot. And their interests vary all the time. Naketano hopes to appeal to those who pay attention to quality and dare to haul out of the masses by choosing an out-of-the-ordinary outfit.
Naketano works in the conviction that in this day and age of hybrid trend leaders and extremely well informed consumers, elaborate target group definitions and positioning strategies get proven utterly and mindboggingly wrong more rapidly than a tailor-dressed marketing guru can say „sorry“. In the long run, the demand of an amorphous target group is impossible to specify in detail. The people at Naketano believe that their only chance of being successful in the long run is to full-heartedly embark on the recurring adventure that encompasses every new collection. With a focus on the ultimate Naketano paradigm: to create favourite pieces.
Spring / Summer Collection 2008
In line with Naketano tradition, warm and merry colours dominate the upcoming collections for the warm season. The use of patches deserves extra mention, since it works wonders to accentuate and add class to an otherwise primarily sporty, yet very fashionable jersey collection. It works particulary well in combination with the tender single jersey and light sweat-fleece tops. Modal which is an extremely soft and elegant fabirc made from a mix of cotton and viscose fibre, is also widely used in the collection. It is rather complicated to make and, hence, a bit more expensive than your ordinary ready-to-wear-fabric, but the unsurpassed comfort and superb processability more than justifies its price.
For spring and summer, Naketano longsleeves come in 2 different sweat fleece and 2 different single jersey qualities. Especially in the warm season, single jersey has an advantage over the usual jersey fleece due to its superior ventilation and its more feminine silhouette. The latter being something of a general paradigm for the work on a summer collection of favourite pieces, owing to the fact that warm temperatures allow a designer to create clothes that reveal rather than conceil, without sacrificing the wellness aspect of the favourite-piece-concept.
Pattern-wise Naketano continues to use lots of Kimono-cuts. Wide, comfortably patterned tops dominate the overall picture.
Chris, Arran and Max of Super Indelible have created yet more beauty at the Chateau Roux shop in Newburgh Street.
Some of Chris’s past work includes projects for X-box, Zoo York, Jones Lang Lasalle, Pernod, Asos, Don’t Panic and Rough Trade, while being featured in Dazed and Confused Magazine.
See more at www.superindelible.blogspot.com and www.chateauroux.co.uk
“Remember when you were younger and didn’t really care about fashion trends and fads?
You always had that one outfit, shirt, or pair of pants that you loved to wear no matter what, like it was just comfortable as hell even after you washed it about 30 times or more. Regardless of what happened to that garment it was still your shit forever and that right there is what our brand is built on. We make clothing that we hope can take you back to those days, where comfort was a part of style and clothing actually meant something to you. We hope that you see that in our brand and we hope to be a part of your journey back to the good old days”. Quote: Jay Aces — CEO of Ace of All Trades Apparel
We are in our 2nd season now and working diligently on the 3rd. Our brand is built from the idea of looking good without having to attach yourself to a certain style or fad. The main goal is to stand out as an individual and be the one who starts the trends without even knowing it. We like to look at our selves as a style company instead of a fashion company because when it all boils down, fashion can be bought, style cannot.
It’s a question we’ve often asked, ‘How to start a clothing label’ and why wouldn’t we? You’re here so we guess you’re part of that special club – so what are you going to do? On the off chance you weren’t blessed with Cruyff-like footballing genius, (god rest his sainted soul) or the ability to knock out the odd anthemic rock masterpiece, how else are you going to spend your time between London Paris and Milan, wondering whether it’s time for your next facial? Your own clothing label, it’s the obvious answer. Can that clothing label become successful? We believe so, but let us tread lightly my friends, and with all due diligence.
You’ve worked on some interesting designs, you know where you can lay your hands on a lorry load of T-shirts, Bob’s your Mother’s, next stop Geneva with your Louis Vuitton bursting with lolly. As I sit writing this over a coronary special at the Flying Sausage Road Kill Restaurant, A614, I have to say ‘I bloody wish’ starting a clothing label was that straightforward. Because as a garment printer, embroiderer and re-labeller who sees on average 4 new label start up companies a week, if they’d half worked I’d have had a piece of that fashion action, and maybe at least been off to the Halifax with a bum bag full of tenners. Now I was going to go on to list the reasons why most of them sadly fail, but I am not as someone recently suggested a ‘glass half smashed’ kind of man, I’m half full, of something at least. So here are a few common themes that seem to apply to the winners:
The successful Clothing Label.
Successful clothing labels often go for a specific niche. Totally obvious, but it certainly helps with the old online marketing. If you’re thinking of starting a general sportswear brand, you may have a few problems getting ahead of Nike and Adidas on page one of Google. If however you have a penchant for ageing motorbikes, you’re onto a safe bet with the search ‘vintage motorcycle clothing’ — genius! Unfortunately this does not apply if you’re a budding campanologist. Surveys have shown a limited desire for fashionable tackle in this market, and you may find more success ringing your bell in the back bedroom.
More successful clothing labels also seem to know their customers. An old friend of mine once had a period of slap and tickle with the founder of a now national retail chain (discretion naturally prohibits detail; your secret is safe with me). Said founder knew exactly how his customer voted, which newspaper they read, the football team they supported, and the direction they pointed their hang dang on a trip to the tailors. Only my opinion, but you wouldn’t have worn any of his clothes to un-block a whiffy drain, but that didn’t seem to matter. He identified his target market precisely, took perfect aim and bang, he hit the target.
The clothing labels on the up often deliver a subtle message or follow a particular line of thought, a theme which pulls all the imagery together. The artwork I often see consists of lovely pictures, which is….lovely – your Mum will say ‘Look at what Brian has drawn now, he’s so very very gifted you know’, and the rest of the world will wait to flush your head down the bogs at break time. To stand out from the crowd, the front running graphics may have social, political or sexual undertones. Yes sexual, why not – it’s your clothing label, you are allowed to do all the things that River Island and Top shop won’t dare go near. If at a total loss, at least make no sense whatsoever to the point where people assume a brilliant hidden meaning – it worked for David Bowie (god rest his equally sainted soul).
On a selfish note, when starting a clothing label, don’t obsess about finding the perfect T-shirt. I’ve looked, God knows, in a loin cloth with long hair on a diet of locusts….I found the Holy Grail, Lord Lucan, a sticky toffee and some fluff. But the perfect T is not out there. Do your best, and we can really help, but then kick the gun across the floor to me and put your hands on the roof of the car. It’s over, but I may be able to get you into the T-shirt protection program. (I say all this of course with a massive dose of hypocrisy – I am well known for vanishing up my own backside in the quest for the ideal garment)
Of most whopping great importance however, the established clothing labels refused to capitulate. When all his dearest friends and family invited him round for a surprise ‘let’s take the piss out of Brian’s new clothing label’ party, Nigel stood tall, finished his sausage roll and carried on regardless. I know Denholm Elliott look-alikes in stained cream suits, adrift in a haze of Sangria and social disease, who still believe their range of T-shirts will make it. And you know what, they just might. They’ve certainly got a better chance than the ‘I’ve had a crack at it and still no Porsche after six months’ posse. Never, ever give in!
The survivors also seem to spend their loot well. They don’t blow all their financial beans on product development, but retain the lion’s share for marketing when starting a clothing label. And when this runs out, they recognise the value of celebrity chums. I know it’s wrong and I hate the way it’s going, but if you can even get a small T-shirt worn by a psycho poodle starring on ‘Dog Borstal’, it’s going to help, I think. It’s not a business plan and it’s not quickly monetised, but it is brand building, and it can’t do too much harm.
So you have relentless motivation, and a niched clothing label with message aimed at an understood customer endorsed by a celebrity hound backed up by a sound business plan and a marketing strategy supported by accurate financial analysis a full understanding of ecommerce and a following wind. All you need to do then is find a garment supplier who has some garments, and a printer embroiderer and re-labeller who hasn’t been close to so many chemicals that they walk backwards wearing a traffic cone — easy.
There is of course so much more to it that that, luck figures as always, but I’ve got to end somewhere and it may as well be back at the Flying Sausage. As she flips another bright pink (pantone 213) burger, I notice from the tattoos on Maureen’s fore arm that she is not only fond of her parents, but also enjoys the occasional pint of both mild and bitter. Maureen has never to my knowledge re-parented her inner child, there are no self-help books in this truck stop, but she knows who she is. Perhaps that is the most important requirement of all, when we’re wondering how to start a new clothing label?
Who would go to this much trouble to design such a unique set of bottles?
Well it is obvious someone with a passion for the odd bottle of fizz and feeling very good about life in general. If this doesn’t inspire you to create on a bigger canvas such as a t shirt then you had better give up and try a different profession.
L-R-G: One of the newest and coolest brands to hit the Yukka collection of Urban and Streetwear and “OFFICIAL stockists of L-R-G clothing”.
Quote: “LRG’s slogan is simple, “underground inventive, overground effective.” “At LRG we’re trying to put the spotlight where we think it really belongs, because it is much more than clothing and concepts, it is a way of living. LRG’s is innovative essence for the above average person”.
Not many t shirt designers go as far as producing a theme that is bigger than the brand but designer Rocky Davies of Mythic Style seems to have taken what to many is a basic garment to become a label with a story that immerses the wearer into the tale, as seen in more detail on www.tcritic.com.
This wouldn’t work for all t shirts designs but here’s to you for pulling it off. Visit the website for more: http://www.mythicstyle.com
Drool Gear is an exclusive indie fashion label from London selling bespoke and small-run garments from screen printed fabrics.
We make anything from casual streetwear with a twist to haute PUNKcouture garments, simple cute tops with nasty prints to hotpants with a labia. It all depends on our mood when we start splashing about fabric inks or abusing the overlocker machine. One thing is certain, all clothing runs are very small (if not one-off) and you won’t find any of that corporate sweatshop rubbish in our studio, so no wholesale orders please.
Genius is in the detail, Drool Gear is in textures and tailoring. We take inspiration from the romantic decay of the facades of old buildings. Elegant yet barely legible graffiti scribbles overlap the rusty construction signs, fade, get painted over, crossed out; walls are a living breathing constantly mutating organism, and Drool Gear textiles document that organism in the urban landscapes.
We “digitally shoplift” the graffiti from the walls, bridges, trains of Milan, London, Berlin, Tokyo… Using the snapshots of the tags we recreate that unique texture onto fabric. Multiple screens are employed with overprinting, random placement of designs and variant colour ways.
We print and overprint jersey fabric with textural designs. We cut the fabrics into ribbons, mix up contrasting or matching colours and sew them back together. Textiles, as well as the meaning of words in the print, undergo a dada-ist treatment… And that’s when we cut patterns for the actual garment.
For special orders and the readily available garments inquire through droolgear@gmail.com.
We mostly work on commission basis so that the customer can get a truly unique piece designed and fitted specially for them. We try to use as much of recycled textiles as possible. We often build a garment around the customers’ old t-shirt with their favourite design. (Drool garments combine brand new t-shirts with recycled quality second-hand textiles.
Visit >> http://www.myspace.com/droolgear >> for more info.
Founded in 1998 by graphic designer Leke Adesoye, Aerosoul had humble beginnings but always harboured grandiose ambitions. Central to Leke’s vision was to see his label become a premier British streetwear brand with world-wide appeal.Hence, some seven years later this goal has been achieved. Not only has Aerosoul gained a well-deserved reputation for its highly-quality merchandise. but also ground-breaking designs which reflects the rapidly evolving themes of British urban culture today.London-born Leke began his design venture in the early nineties when, greatly inspired by the burgeoning drum n’ bass and hip hop scene, he sought to capture that energy and innovation in his clothing.By skilfully fusing different elements of these disparate yet interwoven tribes, Aerosoul managed to reach out to several at once. His much-loved “Junglist Movement” T-shirts became the underground logo of a generation, but the brand was soon to establish a wider clientele.Whilst street culture remained Leke’s core inspiration, Aerosoul was soon being sported by indie rockers and sugary teen bands alike. The brands wide demographic was now firmly established and forever growing in diversity.One of the central plans of the Aerosoul philosophy has always been for the clothing to be marketed by the cultural icons of contemporary British street youth culture. Considering Aerosoul appeal, there was little problem in executing this desire.As the label’s notoriety expanded, so did the list of those underground a.list artists who featured as models. Aerosoul has always had a keen eye for up-and-coming talent. The fact that many who’ve modelled for the label have since blown up on the British urban music scene is demonstrative of Leke’s intuition.Included in these, too numerous to mention artists are: Estelle, Roots Manuva, Damage, Paradox, A.I , Karl hinds, Rodney P, TY, Omar and Normski.In 2004 sales in the brand reached their healthiest growth yet. , Meanwhile, innovation, quality and the desire to remain at the pulse of youth culture will continue to be Aerosoul’s over-riding motivation and drive.As the global streetwear market expands at an eye-popping rate, the future only holds endless and exciting possibilities for Aerosoul limited.
FUSION
Since its creation Aerosoul has prized its inspirations from the streets. As such the designs incorporate the vast melting pot that composes British urban culture. Our designs reflect that lifestyle. An ever-evolving movement; inclusive, free-spirited and never predictable.
DIVERSIFICATION
Whilst the Junglist Movement T-shirt was for a period an Aerosoul mainstay diversification was, of course, a necessity. And so AS xtreme Sports was born. This division successfully tapped into the skater/snow boarder market. Meanwhile Leke responded to the cries for a feminine twist to streetwear and founded Soulero Sista ”feminine wear 4 urban livin”. Both strands have proved a popular addition to the ever-evolving brand’s portfolio.
PROMINENT AFFILIATIONS
Aerosoul is also proud to have had a 6 year sponsorship association with Acupuncture footwear, a uk ground-breaking brand whose designs have featured in all our promotions.Alongside this successful affiliation we are also sponsored by Kirk Originals who provide the essential eye wear to compliment the Aerosoul vibe.
GLOBAL SUCCESS
In 1999 the Junglist Movement T-shirt achieved global cult status when it featured prominently in the wardrobe of the cult British dance movie, Human Traffic.
Along with the ever-growing on-line store, the brand has been available at ,
TK Max, Top Shop, Blackmarket, HMV, ASOS, Dr jays as well as a range of specialist outlets from America, Germany, Japan to Amsterdam.
Visit >> http://www.aerosoul.co.uk >> for more info…
