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ExploreBased out of California, clothing brand Charliegh (established 2010), is inspired by typography, iconic art & minimalism. Fundamentally, their debut collection manages to stay true to their geographical roots without appear trite or cliché. The styles have a nuance that larger brands like Hollister have lost sight of in their bid to sell a “lifestyle”. Charliegh’s garments would look at home adorning anyone from skaters to musicians, surfers or beatniks, not to mention style conscious teenagers and style confident 20-somethings. Charliegh, pronounced “char-lee”, is part of a new wave of independent brands touting a refined style, simple yet bold designs and a lifestyle aesthetic that doesn’t force itself on the wearer, instead merely accentuating what they already understand about the brand. Tee Hunter recently spoke to founder, Germain about inspiration, selling something you believe in and creating cohesion in a collection.
TH: What events led to the founding of the brand?
G: I’ve always been interested in art and fashion. Growing up, music and art was a huge inspiration and was pretty much all I did/thought about. As I got older, Co-managing a couple of retail stores took over my life. Later to discover that working for large corporations wasn’t for me, I wanted to branch out and launch a clothing brand of my own that was more hands on with its products and its customers. Providing great quality and service, but most importantly; selling products that you actually believe in rather that just making a quick buck. A lot of brainstorming and planning soon followed. Months turned into a year and I was ready to refine and launch the brand.
TH: How did you approach creating a new t shirt brand in a already crowded market?
G: Taking the necessary time to launch was vital. After we were ready, we kind of just went for it. I’d say the more tees the merrier.
TH: Did you have an idea of style and tone and do you feel your debut collection has achieved it?
G: At the moment we have a variety of minimal designs that reflect what were about. When we first launched the brand our goal was to have a very cohesive group of garments that a male and female could wear. That in itself was a very tedious process, but very fun experience. Sometimes minimal doesn’t always mean easier, but overall it all worked out.
TH: What inspires the design aesthetic of the label, you seem to have a distinctive, cohesive style that runs through all the garments?
G: Music, art and photography are a huge inspiration in what we do. Our first couple of releases was focused on iconic art, typography and a unisex appeal. As the brand continues to grow were getting a chance to experiment with different artists which has been a lot of fun. For our 2011 spring/summer release we will be focusing more on typography and color. The possibilities are endless, we’ve been around for about 5 months now and not knowing what’s next is what keeps us motivated and excited in moving forward.
TH: California seems to be a big inspiration, what makes where you live such a major influence with the brand?
G: California is a huge inspiration indeed. Were located in San Jose, Ca ( Bay Area ) which is in the middle of San Francisco and Santa Cruz. There’s just so much history within the state not to mention different cultures, music and art forms all around. It’s very motivating.
TH: Do you design in-house or outsource and why?
G: At the moment we outsource our designs. Ideally in the future we would love to in-house. I guess you can say that has its ups and downs. Outsourcing allows you to experiment with different artists. We still have a great amount of contribution over the artwork of our tees. We start from scratch. When we have a clear idea of what we want, we present our concept to one of the artist that we would love to work with. Not only does it allow you work with different styles and techniques the artist has to offer, but it also gives you vital feedback of what someone in the market genuinely thinks about the artwork. We support everyone that’s out there making art their job and or career and we find this process to work great for us and the artist.
TH: What is your favourite piece from the collection and why?
G: It definitely has to be the California Goods tee (pictured above). Not only is it super comfortable, it’s very minimal. Something you would wear all year long no matter how old you are, a very neutral color for any season
TH: Is the best seller the one you expected it to be or has it been a surprise?
G: Our best-selling tee is the Anchor-tee (pictured below). It’s been a close call between the rest. We love this tee, the print came out great.
TH: What advice do you have for aspiring designers and budding fashion entrepreneurs?
G: Be patient and have a plan. There’s a lot of time and dedication that goes a long with running a tee shirt company, so don’t forget to give yourself a day off or two. Review printing companies and their costs. While there’s a lot great printing companies out there, there’s usually one that will fit you best for the artwork you’re trying to print regardless of their cost or reputation. Always make sure that your product shots reflect your brand. I find myself taking new product shots or editing the overall look of the store ever so often as it keeps growing. Most importantly, if you want to start a clothing company go ahead and do it and don’t let anyone hold you back. We love what we do and you have to love it too. Make it fun and continue no matter how hard it may seem at times. The best learning will be trial and error just continue to move forward no matter how big the obstacle.
View/shop the Charleigh debut collection now (use “TEEHUNTER” to get 10% OFF during check-out)
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