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It is no secret that Tee hunter has the hots for Darren and the awesome UK brand Regal Clothing! So The Hunter thought it would be a bloody good idea to have a chat with Darren about his designs, his brand and all manner of other Teeliscious facts! Enjoy the interview below!
TH: So Regal was established in 2008, how did this come about, was this a dream of yours or did something inspire you to start a clothing brand?
Darren: I’ve always been interested in design and have been creating my own tees for years I have 100s, I figure why pay for something that you could make that little bit better? I like being unique and slightly odd ball and try to express that in my design. I’m a Self employed graphic designer, mostly corporate stuff.. Stationery, promotional print and design so i guess this t-shirt sideline is just a hobby? A hobby that is starting to take over my life… In a good way!
TH: Regal has a particular style, bold colours, prints and typography, what influenced this memorable, clean style of design?
Darren: You’ve already mentioned the reasoning behind it… “Memorable” & “Clean” design is important to me not necessarily illustration, This is different for everybody but the reactions i’ve had from my gowning portfolio has been amazing in just 5 months… The fact that my style is particular to my brand is important…
Regal Clothing
TH: What is your background, is it in design or is this a new undertaking for you, in other words: what led you to where you are now?
Darren: I started out as a Marketing Manager for a nightclub in Edinburgh. It was during this time i started to dabble in Graphic Design. I set-up www.THISISDESIGNUK.com and ran that at the evenings and weekends… business has been steadily growing over the years, but designing and printing t-shirts is a good way for me to let my hair down (if i had any) be a little more creative.
TH: What is your favourite Regal design and why?
Darren: Ohh, Well i really like the Tyrannocat tee. It kinda sums up how i think! I’ll let you make your own judgements about that though.
TH: What has been your most popular design to date?
Darren: Most popular design has to be the “Sex Drugs & Sausage Rolls” controversially though as I’ve had a lot of intellectual right grief from it.. But we won’t go into that!!
TH: Is Regal your full time occupation yet and if not do you hope it will be one day in the future?
Darren: No no, I can’t yet support myself on it but i’m looking to start selling wholesale to distributors and possibly pay my bills that way!
Regal Clothing
TH: What steps do you take to ensure Regal stands out amongst the countless tshirt brands out there?
Darren: Do i stand out?! I’d like to think so… I like my clean image, I don’t hide behind fancy graphics or anything I still use bigcartel I’m always on-line and contactable (www.twitter.com/regalclothing) and best of all I’m a true t-shirt lover so I produce everything with quality in mind!
TH: What is it like running a UK based tshirt brand with so much American competition?
Darren: It’s hard, although more and more indie clothing brands are popping up in the UK all the time which is good! The exchange rate is going to help me out a lot as the Pound weakens i’m seeing more international customers… So that’s fantastic!
TH: What pluses and minuses are there to running a tshirt brand online and using the internet to attract customers?
Darren: There are endless pros and cons, getting people to know your brand can be the hardest. Social networking and advertising help this! Attracting new customers is also tricky, Word of Mouth is a powerful medium but can;pt always be relied on. it;s a really hard question to answer, I take each day as it comes and hope that each day i could tell at least 1 person about what I’m doing.
TH: What main advice would you give to aspiring designers and those wishing to start a tshirt brand?
Darren: Do it! Don’t be shy… Do your research and make sure you’re unique! If you can’t manage the logistics of printing and shipping there are plenty of solutions out there!
Regal Clothing
TH: Do you think the internet has changed how brands can respond to trends? It seems faster and more targeted, for example your Twitter tshirt did just that recently and even brands like Tshirt Hell have been quick to respond to topical & cultural happenings, not to mention Obama tshirts etc –
Darren: I Heart the Internet! Being able to keep a breast of current affairs in real time is essential to creating up front and topical designs. I’m not really one for political shirts, always try to stay away but everything else is fair game. Without the internet Id have no business. With the advances in searching and the like you’re new designs can be indexed and available next day more often than not!
TH: Do you think this is a sign of the future of consumerism?
Darren: E-commerce is the future you only have to look at the state of the high streets these days to realise that! On-line you can view 1000s of products in minutes and have it delivered within a few days… I’m a strong believer in internet shopping for example i can browse the websites of store you can only find the USA and vice-versa Anyone in the world can pop into my North East Scotland webstore!
TH: What can tshirt lovers expect from Regal in 2009? Anything tantalising and exciting, new designs, expansions?
Darren: You can always expect new designs, I come up with loads more than i actually display so yeah.. I’ve been in talks with a few wholesalers and distributors about selling my stuff on a larger scale, so getting into retail stores and other on-line stores might be happening real soon! As far as expansion is concerned, I’m sure i could devote just a little more of my living area to a stack more t-shirts… I’m a one man band though, and i think i will be for a while yet!
Massive thank you to the awesome Darren for his time! Now get yourselves over to www.regalclothing.co.uk and get yourself looking stunning. They are rocking the international delivery hard too, so no matter where you reside, you can look sharp!
