Why aren’t we holding brand owners to a higher standard anymore. Quality… AWFUL. Design…LOW EFFORT. Creative vision…DEAD.

Sorry to whoever I may offend by saying this but you’re not Corteiz, that white tee or black hoodie you slapped a logo on isn’t fashion and neither are those copycat crotch logo cargos you’re selling.

I can only imagine the frustration the real designers are feeling after spending months going back and forth with manufactures perfecting pieces or even being sat in their studios hand making pieces all for an Instagram brand to come a long and drop a second-rate tee that’ll gain loads of traction by blind consumers on Tiktok.

With that being said, as consumers, we need to raise expectations when brands are marketing their clothes to us. I promise you just because all the comments are saying ‘yes bro i need this’ about a shirt with a logo that was made in an hour doesn’t mean you have to go and buy it. These guys are laughing at how easily satisfied you are.

What happened to aiming for timeless pieces and having a brand name that was original and gave us a sense of longevity?

– Recent trends have illustrated that some brands are knowingly opting to utilize minimalistic designs on their products, particularly T-shirts. This suggests that the market may not be as discerning as previously thought, enabling brands to skimp on intricacies in both design and material quality while still achieving commercial success. Understanding this could present valuable opportunities for brands to reassess their “creative” strategies…

I believe this conversation extends beyond mere aesthetics – it can be applied to brand positioning and consumer perception. When brands attempt to capitalize on the idea that a simple logo or message showcased on a basic shirt is sufficient to capture consumer interest, the results can be telling. It prompts us to question whether customers prioritize branding over product quality, or if they are simply drawn to the convenience of these items.

DB ARCHIVE INTERVIEW:

His work is “ART” He’s not a clothing brand owner, instead… an artist that loves the feeling of make people feel like they are apart of the the journey when making their pieces.

MEGAN: “What would you say differentiates you from other current brand owners/designers?“

DB: “I only make one of one pieces which makes it more special for the customer knowing that it won’t be done again. I don’t want to be the focus of my pieces and many designers and brand owners want to be the face of their of brand or focus the design in order to gain popularity for themselves. I think this leads to the loss of the passion and hunger they have for the brand. But when it comes to me, it’s all about letting my ART shine and knowing that God has gave me this gift to be shown and not to be used for my own self gain.”

megan: “Why did you choose not to go the arguably ‘easy’ route and have a manufacturer make your clothing?”

DB: “At the the age of 8 my mom told me “If you learn how to sew, life will be easy for you, I can see it”. When I think about I’ve always want to make clothes using my hands not a machine, it removes the authenticity from the piece you make. I’ve tried to make a manufactured product but it didn’t make me feel the same way that a handmade piece would make me feel. It’s no disrespect to the people that use manufacturers…but for me it’s all about the ‘feeling’ rather than anything else.”

MEGAN: “when did you realise you wanted to work with denim and why?”

 DB: “Denim is so different to other fabrics. When it comes to Denim you can make so many pieces and have so many different outcomes that you will never get bored. There are countless pieces of mine that I’ve looked and said ‘how did I do it?’ There’s several colours, shapes, sizes and shades. All that matters is when I look back and see that I did that and that’s what this fabric can do that’s when I realise I’d never go back to do any other fabric. Yeah, sometimes I think that I want to work with other fabrics but when it comes to making “THAT” piece… Denim is the one for me.”

As I bring this article to an end, I’d like to reiterate I do think that there are loads of good manufacturer-reliant brands that put out cool and unique pieces but a lot of the newer brands are lazy and strictly trend based – and I’m talking 2 week trends. A question for the new designers coming out of the woodworks…would you buy what you’re selling, especially for the prices you’re selling it at?

For me it’s all about culture, if you feel you can give the industry something beneficial then that’s all you. As the fashion industry moves forward, and the world looks to the new gen of designers to provide us with pieces never seen before…what will they really be able to give us?

Thanks for reading,

Until next time,

Megankamangawrites.