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Interview: Vicious History, Revisited

Ivy — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:49:55 +0000

Last time we reviewed the indie brand Vicious History, they were still a fledgling company with only a handful of shirts. Now, nearly a year later, they have released several new shirts and completely revamped their look. Owner Chaz Matses was kind enough to (metaphorically) sit down with us and answer a few questions about his brand and its tremendous growth.

Tee Junction: Can you give our readers a brief introduction to Vicious History and yourself?

Chaz: My name is Chaz and I am a college student from Boston, Massachusetts. I started Vicious History after putting together my passions for history, fashion and marketing in early 2010. Vicious History is a contemporary street fashion brand with historically inspired designs. Vicious History’s mission is to create innovative and unique apparel that allows us to share our artistic vision with our customers. In our designs you will find historical references from many different time periods merged with elements of contemporary street fashion like tattoos, photography and music. In my free time, I also write about t-shirt marketing for a few independent clothing blogs.

TJ: When and why did you decide that you wanted to start a clothing company?

Chaz: I decided that I wanted to start a clothing company about a year before Vicious History launched. I had always been into fashion and found myself always spending my money on new tees from clothing companies. There were so many brands out there that were putting out low quality products and that motivated me to create a brand. The problem was that there were so many brands out there that saturated the market and made it difficult to come up with an original idea. I basically spent a year or so forming a business plan to launch my brand around. In the planning stages, I noticed that my passion for history kept popping up and I decided to follow that route. I wanted to put a contemporary twist on all sorts of historical subjects. I then spent several months doing
as much research as I could to really make an impact on the market.

In its simplest form, I started Vicious History because I wanted to share my ideas with the world and clothing was the outlet that I was most passionate about.

TJ: Why the history theme?

Chaz: I chose the history theme because it’s always been something that I wanted interested in. I always tried to sneak in a history course or two while I was in school, even as a marketing/accounting major in college. History is a very broad term though, with countless time periods and subjects. Over the years I found out the history that I was most interested in was 19th & 18th century world history as well as anything to do with esoteric history. I have a pretty large obsession with Napoleon Bonaparte, so much so that he’s tattooed on my upper arm.

I often find myself spending countless hours in Barnes & Noble doing research and expanding my historical horizons. I really enjoy the challenge of coming up with designs that consumers enjoy but previously thought of the subject as boring. The idea of making history fun and enjoyable through my brand is something I put a lot of work into.

TJ: I love your dapper Grim Reaper logo. Is there any — no pun intended — history behind it?

Chaz: The VH grim reaper logo isn’t really influenced by any historical subject. I worked with my pal Mackey at Blue Beanie designs on coming up with a logo that would represent my brand image. We worked with the grim reaper idea because it was something different, as well as bold and eye-catching. We wanted to give it some interesting features that represented gentlemanly luxury in promoting a high quality clothing brand. There were literally hundreds of different facial options but in the end I chose the monocle and skull nose. The logo represents Vicious History as a brand that embodies alternative culture and style but with historically inspired features. This same principle and mindset was used in creating the VH secret society known as the Scholars & Thieves.

TJ: Your brand is home to some truly exceptional designs. What is your process for developing them?

Chaz: Developing a new design for my brand all starts with something I call the inspiration folder. It is a folder on my computer that is filled with thousands of illustrations, quotes and photographs that represent what Vicious History is all about. I also carry around a notepad everywhere I go just in case inspiration strikes when I’m not at my office. After my ideas are in place, I work with an artist of my choosing who’s illustrative style I believe will bring out the most in the design. I provide the art direction and let the artist basically do their thing. That way, the final product ends up being something we are both extremely proud about.

TJ: Who are your favorite artists to work with?

Chaz: I’ve only worked with about seven or eight artists at this point and I enjoyed working with them all. I’ve truly had great experiences with them all. I like to work with a variety of artists that can bring something different to the table and set my brand apart.

Some of the artists I have worked a few times with are Craig Robson, Keaton Henson and Gabriel Gozzer. All of these artists are people I plan to work with on future VH releases.

TJ: It’s awesome to see the way Vicious History has grown since we last reviewed your brand. How did it change since its inception? Were there any roadbumps?

Chaz: I’m really surprised as to how much VH has grown over the last year. You guys reviewed my brand at the very start, when I only had four t-shirts for sale. The brand has grown a great deal since then, but not without several road bumps along the way.

Before launching my brand, I tried to do as much research as I could so I wouldn’t encounter any snags. The very first day I ran into some problems and those continue to this day. These types of things are often unexpected but they are all learning experiences each brand must move on from. When a problem comes your way, you just have to stay calm and find the best solution possible. The fastest solution may not always be the best solution, so try out a few ideas and see which solution works best.

All brands change over time, the amount of change that occurs is up to the owner. As trends in the market move into a new direction, so do the products that a brand releases. Change isn’t a necessarily a bad thing for a brand, as long as you stay true to your overall image.

TJ: For indie brands, a big part of the challenge is marketing. How did you go about promoting Vicious History?

Chaz: Marketing is definitely a big challenge for independent brands, especially for newcomers on a budget. Working with different style blogs has been a huge marketing platform for my brand. Sending in shirts for reviews and doing interviews is a plus for both your brand and the blogger. Handing out flyers, stickers and business cards is also a good way to get your name out there. Make connections with your peers and create a relationship with them.

Never try to push a sale onto someone; it just leaves the consumer feeling pressured and uncomfortable. Instead, spend time building relationships with consumers and the sales will follow. Lastly, always try to wear your brand when you go out in public, you never know who you might spark up a conversation with.

TJ: Where do you see Vicious History going in the future?

Chaz: I have a lot of big plans for Vicious History. I plan to keep networking and forming relationships with as many people as I can. Getting the word out is always the most important thing.

In terms of new products, I have hundreds of unique design ideas that will be coming to life. I really want to establish Vicious History as something more than just another clothing company and own my place in the market. In order to do that, I am going to be putting out original designs that you won’t see any other company doing. Later this spring I will be releasing a secret society themed release called the Occultus Collection. Occultus is a latin word that essentially means hidden knowledge and the wisdom that is needed to find it.

TJ: Finally, is there anything you would like to tell our readers?

Chaz: I just want to say that I hope you guys enjoyed reading this interview and learning what Vicious History is all about. If you have any questions regarding Vicious History or t-shirt marketing, don’t hesitate to email me at chazzy@vicioushistory.com. You can be part of the VH family at http://www.facebook.com/vicioushistoryfb and http://www.twitter.com/vicioushistory.

TJ: Thanks for your time, Chaz! If you like the shirts at Vicious History, you can save 10% with our exclusive coupon! Just enter TJ10 at checkout.

Other great deals to checkout:

24 Hour Spring Broke Sales At Over 50 Brands

Ivy — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:39:10 +0000

Adam at I Am The Trend has done something truly awesome: he has coordinated a 24-hour Black-Friday-style day called the “Spring Broke” sale. It’s a clever play off of ’spring break’, which starts today for many students (I, unfortunately, cannot count myself among them). There are over 50 brands offering great discounts — most of them between 25 to 50% off. Definitely a great time to pick up a few tees, if you are indeed kind of broke. Or even if you aren’t, because saving a couple bucks never hurt anyone!

So click on the banner, and get in on those savings!

Other great deals to checkout:

Sale Roundup [Valentine's Day Edition]

Ivy — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:37:51 +0000

Unfortunately there haven’t been many huge sales lately, so here are a few to whet your appetite!

10% off Johnny Cupcakes? Okay, so that won’t make the shirts that much more affordable, but it’s better than nothing! Use HEART for the discount, good till February 16.

Seventh Ink (glad to see they finally got the right domain name!) is holding a clearance sale on a bunch of their tees for — you guessed it — $7 each.

Get 15% off at Glamour Kills until the 15th with SPREADLOVE.

If you’re quick, you can get 30% off at Arkaik until midnight tonight with the code JORDANIS20.

Winky Boo is offering 30% off everything with the coupon code WINKYLOVE.

Other great deals to checkout:

Exclusive Deals: The Cooler

Ivy — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 04:14:07 +0000

Every now and then you find brands which make you stop and look through each one of their shirts, individually. The Cooler Collective, a Los Angeles design studio, is one of those brands. It spins stunningly creative designs out of people and things from hip-hop culture. It’s a must-see for anyone who’s a fan of the music, or of design in general. They also have a few shirts unrelated to this main theme, such as a design based off of the popular cult anime Akira.

I won’t lie, I find “Geek Row” immensely amusing. As a self-professed geek who follows tech news, it’s funny to see these giants of the tech industry decked out in bling. Personally, I don’t think Mark Zuckerberg gets to stand up next to pioneers like Jobs and Gates, but that’s just me (not the hugest Facebook fan).

I don’t know the last thing about Kanye West, other than that he’s known for being a self-centered jerk who constantly praises himself in his songs, so when I saw this shirt I went “Ohh, awesome Egypt-themed design!”, not “Ohh, Kanye West design!” Regardless, “Horus Chain” gets my vote simply because with or without the Kanye element, it’s a damn eye-catching design. It may be a bit bright for some people’s tastes, but hey — Kanye was never a modest man.

I hardly know anything about Nicki Minaj either, but her artificial, doll-like look sticks in your mind — you can’t forget shocking pink hair combined with ludicrous amounts of makeup anytime soon! That said, I found this mashup of Minaj and Barbie, “My First Nicki“, to be very appropriate. Somewhat unrelated, but I also applaud The Cooler with providing an ample womens section that at least comes somewhat close to matching the mens.

If you enjoy The Cooler Collective’s shirts as much as I do (and I’m not even a hip-hop fan, if I didn’t make it obvious enough!), you’re in luck! We have a 15% off coupon code, good forever. Check it out. (Plus, for the month of February, you can cash in on their buy 2, get 1 free deal, no coupon required!)

Coupon: 15% off with TEEJUNCTION15

Store: The Cooler Collective

Leave a Review: Here

Other great deals to checkout:

Sale Roundup

Ivy — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 02:51:17 +0000

Sales have been kind of slow this month, which is to be expected — I bet everyone is still recuperating from the mass-spending of last month! Here are a few good (mostly clearance) sales to tide you over until February, at which time we can hope to see a couple of good Valentine’s Day deals popping up.

First off we have Threadless, and a $14 sale on all their love-themed tees. In wake of all the $9/10/12 sales they’ve had which extend to ALL their merchandise, this seems kind of flimsy, but we’ll take what we can get.

They also have this tantalizing little banner in their newsletter — 20% off your order when you shop using your mobile browser. I haven’t had the chance to test it with my iPhone, but it’s worth checking out if you own a smartphone.

30% off Pyknic with MRWINTER.

This Disturbia coupon was posted a while ago, but seems to be good until the end of the month. Use NEWYEAR at checkout.

Splitreason put a bunch of tees on clearance, check it out to see if there are any that catch your attention.

If Splitreason doesn’t do it for you, Jinx is another good place to get your cheap geek tee fix. They’ve got a ton of tees on clearance through the end of the month.

40% off at Heel Bruise (streetwear brand) with the code FOUR ZERO.

30% off Infinite SF with SALE30

Other great deals to checkout:

Exclusive Deals: Crooked Monkey

Ivy — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 05:01:53 +0000

It’s been a while since our last Exclusive Deal! The first for the year is from Crooked Monkey, a t-shirt company aimed at the college market. This brand got its start in 2005 at the University of Maryland. Since its launch, Crooked Monkey has found its way into big retailers like Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom — not bad for a dorm-room startup!

For the most part, Crooked Monkey deals in t-shirt staples — vintage graphics and pop culture themes. You’ll find lots of distressed prints, retro typography, and references to The Jersey Shore here. (Seriously, lots of references.) While these shirts are decent, there isn’t much that makes them stand out from similar sites hawking similar tees. I admit it, with the proliferation of vintage/pop culture/humor shirt brands nowadays, it takes a lot to impress me (not to mention I don’t really sit in the target market), and Crooked Monkey, in my eyes, doesn’t really do that — not to mention I find the slogans on some of their girls’ tees to be almost laughably inane. So why feature their site?

Because, buried beneath all the cliched slogans and references to a reality show representing all that is wrong with modern society, are a handful of pretty creative tees which, sadly, are mostly sold out by now. Take, for example, the “Origami Flock” shirt, which I adore for its great use of color and repetition. Or the ostrich and hair/beard shirts in the first image of this post. These are great, wearable shirts which easily appeal to both the mainstream market and picky tee connoisseurs like myself. I’d love to see more shirts like this from Crooked Monkey — I know they aim to cater to the market that enjoys The Jersey Shore, but it never hurts to flex those creative muscles every now and then, no?

I also hope that some day, Crooked Monkey switches over to using real model shots across their entire website. It’s jarring to see obviously-mocked images like this next to product photos in which the model is wearing the actual shirt. I’m of the opinion that unless you’re running a user-customized print-on-demand operation (i.e. Cafepress or Spreadshirt), there’s no excuse not to provide your customers the most accurate representation possible of the clothing you’re selling. Even a point-and-click photo of the shirt lying on a table is better than nothing. Of course, I’m just tossing this out in general; Crooked Monkey is definitely not the worst offender in this respect, as they do have several real model photos.

Either way, if you like Crooked Monkey’s wearables, make sure to nab the coupon code below to save some cash on your next purchase!

Coupon: TEEJ for 20% off

Store: Crooked Monkey

Leave a Review: Here

Other great deals to checkout:

Win 3 Tees from Young Lovers

Ivy — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:52:58 +0000

I really like the shirts at Young Lovers, but unfortunately the $48 price tag is beyond my reach (as is the case, as I expect, with many Tee-Junction readers). Lucky for us, the brand is holding a contest for the next ten days, in which participants have the chance to win three tees of their choosing. Each. All you have to do is go to their website, and click the Facebook “Like” button on the shirts you…well, like. Then, on January 31, Young Lovers will draw the lucky winners and get them set up with their three free shirts (which would normally cost you $144 to buy). As is usual with these luck-of-the-draw competitions, the odds of scoring are pretty low, but hey — it doesn’t cost anything to enter, and the tees are damn cool, so it doesn’t hurt to try!

Young Lovers was also kind enough to offer Tee-Junction readers a coupon for free worldwide shipping on any orders of two or more tees. Use the code GRATIS078 to get the deal!

Store: Young Lovers

Other great deals to checkout:

Sale Roundup

Ivy — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:22:44 +0000

A couple of brands are holding end-of-year sales, so this is a good time to load up on cheap t-shirts!

Threadless has knocked a bunch of shirts down to $5. Naturally, this is mostly older shirts, so you’ll have to hold off for another sale if you have your eye on one of their snazzy newer tees.

Until January 9, all tees at Design By Humans are on sale for $12! They’ve been printing a lot of winners lately, so it’d be worth your time to check out their catalog.

Almost all shirts at Glamour Kills are on sale for 25% off with the coupon code WINTERWONDER. This includes sale items! You can also use FREESHIP for free shipping, if that gives you a better deal.

Many shirts at Pyknic are on sale for $10-15, and sweatshirts for $20-25.

Until New Year’s Day, you can save 30% off at Miles to Go with the coupon code MILES.

Until January 3, a limited selection of tees at New Standard are on sale for $15 plus free shipping.

A bunch of Electric Zombie shirts and hoodies are on sale starting at $10.

And finally, a sale from good ol’ Glennz, with all shirts knocked down to $12.95 until the end of the year.

Other great deals to checkout:

Exclusive Deals: Threads or Tales

Ivy — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:30:22 +0000

Thanks to my workload, it’s been a while since our last Exclusive Deal! I must deeply apologize to the two brands I’ll be featuring for the remainder of the month, as their promised posts have been long-delayed.

First we have Threads or Tales, a unique indie brand which popped up recently. I was immediately taken with their concept, which is based on the premise that every image has a story. This is definitely something I like to keep in mind when doing art myself, and I was intrigued to see how this idea manifested in Threads or Tales’ tees. A lot of times when I see character tees, I wonder why the artist chose to include so-and-so characteristic in the character, or why they drew him/her/it in a certain way.

What Threads or Tales does is print a short story/poem on the inside of every shirt, as you can see in the photo below.

I really like this approach, as it keeps the artwork front and center. I also like the decision to go with poems (I’m assuming they’re all poems, from what I can see in the product photos), as it suits the brand’s overall look. The tees here are dominated by a lighthearted style, so if you’re one of those people who wear nothing but black, this brand probably isn’t for you! Even the grungier designs have a very fun, cartoony feel, and all of the designs are printed on brightly colored tees.

Overall, I’m rather impressed with the concept behind Threads or Tales, and I’d love to see what new shirt/story ideas they come up with in the future! Currently, they only have six tees, but I’m assuming they’re working on getting more stock as everything is on sale for $15, and many sizes are sold out. Plus, you can use our coupon code to save an additional 10%!

Coupon: 10% off with TEEJUNC

Store: Threads or Tales

Leave a Review: Here

Other great deals to checkout:

Photo Review: Threadless Select (and a Future Coupon Code?)

Ivy — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 02:32:40 +0000

Threadless caused quite the stir when they announced they were replacing their old Select system with a new ‘fashion’ line — some people love the new cuts and fabrics, others believe that at $35 apiece, they’re overpriced and targeting the wrong demographic. I tend to side with the latter opinion — good on Threadless if they can get customers to pay the higher price, it’s just not for me. For $40 ($35 + the cost of shipping), I could buy a lot more than one tee with fancy eco-friendly fabric and distressed printing.

Regardless, I really liked the look of the Select-ified “Funkalicious“, so thought I’d give the New Select a shot once Threadless announced their 20% off sale, which I combined with my $7 newsletter coupon. With shipping that still added up to just a little over $22.

In today’s edition of Photo Review, I’ll be focusing on just the shirt — everyone knows by now that Threadless has top-notch customer service, so there’s no need to rehash that. On the other hand, I’m sure there are a lot of folks wondering if the $35 is worth it.

According to the product description, the Select Funkalicious is printed on a shirt made of a “blend of organic cotton, recycled polyester, and rayon.” It’s also low-impact dyed, so you know this is one hell of an environmentally-friendly shirt. The fabric is fairly soft to the touch — compared to the American Apparel tri-blend shirt, I’d say this “eco tee” is slightly rougher and thicker in texture, but just barely. It’s still very soft and flexible compared to normal 100% cotton.

The print is actually much fainter than it appears in the photos — in reality, it’s more gray than white. Frankly I wouldn’t call this much of an issue, though, as it suits the whole ‘vintage’ look of the tee.

Finally, there’s a printed neck tag and something which doesn’t appear on any of Threadless’ other products: an embroidered monogram. It’s very subtle branding and you wouldn’t know it was there unless you knew to look for it. Definitely a good extra touch on Threadless’ part — it makes the product feel premium and worth its higher price.

So, is it worth it?

Unless you find yourself intensely moved by eco-friendly products, no, it probably isn’t. What you’re paying for here, essentially, is the fancy branding and a couple of extra flourishes, which is obvious only because Threadless doesn’t usually market itself as a high-end, premium-priced fashion label. The eco tee and embroidered monogram are nice and all, but I’d say I’d pay $30 tops for those features, if even that.

Then again, I’m a notorious bargain shopper and rarely pay full price for anything, so maybe I’m not the most reliable judge of whether or not a high-priced t-shirt is worth it.

You mentioned a coupon, right…?

Yup! My order came with the following card:

Unfortunately, the coupon doesn’t work (I tried it for you), and according to the card it won’t come online until January. I thought this was a bit odd, handing out a coupon so far in advance, but hey I’m not complaining. By the time 2011 rolls around, I’ll be sure to plug the coupon again in case you forget.