California Apparel News

Challenged by a spike in competition, T-shirt designers are putting their creativity to work and are coming up with some new and old concepts to stir up sales and the political pot.

Streetwear companies have been feeling the pressure due to a shrinking Japanese customer base as well as redundancies in the marketplace. Also, more women are setting their tees aside for dresses.

As a result, T-shirt artists have been putting their creativity into overdrive. With plenty of fodder for subject matter, they have been capitalizing on everything from the antiwar sentiment to eco-friendly topics.

The creativity has definitely been heightened, said Zach Mandelstein, chief executive of Egg Projects Inc., a Los Angeles–based apparel maker and incubator for up-and-coming as well as established designers.

“There is so much creativity out there right now, and a lot of these designers don’t have the means to get their lines off the ground. That’s where we come in. [Egg Projects is] a platform for artists to get their brands out,” he said.

Egg Projects partners and sponsors about 10 companies in addition to its own brands. They include Blastmaster, which is hip-hop artist KRS-One’s line, Universal Mind; Millitree; Wallyhood and Better Chemistry. The company has collaborated with notables such as Shepard Fairey of Obey fame.

The shirts focus on verbiage, imagery and art. The subject matter runs the gamut from political issues to whimsical ideas. One of its brands, Universal Mind, drew some controversy with its “Drop Knowledge Not Bombs” shirt, especially when actress Mischa Barton began wearing it. “The O.C.” star’s image of her with the T-shirt was in most of the tabloids, including some cover shots, Mandelstein said.

Swedish newcomer T-Post is also tackling political satire with subscription-based T-shirts, featuring graphic interpretations of political and news events. The company just launched in the United States.

Recent issues focused on Big Brother and “The Cosmos.” The inside of the shirts are printed with commentary with original graphics on the exterior. The designs are done by noted artists from around the world. Subscribers get a new shirt every six weeks for $32 via TPost’s Web site (www.t-post.se).

“The common thread for T-Post news stories is that they make people think and feel,” said Chief Executive Peter Lundgren.

Aside from war, gasoline prices and Paris Hilton, growing themes include 1990s-era subjects, vintage rock ’n’ roll, hot-rod culture and fixed-gear bicycles, of all things, said Aaron Levant, producer of the Agenda Trade Shows, which specialize in streetwear.

“The all-over prints have kind of taken a fall, but the throwbacks to the early ’90s, Metallica-type shirts are catching on again,” he said.

And techno shirts are also in, said Orange County, Calif.–based graphic artist Sal Loredo, who recently launched his Podware shirts for the Apple iPod. IPods slip into a pouch on the front of the shirt but are concealed from view.

“I found that iPod cases always got in the way, especially for women. They don’t wear baggy clothes like men and usually wear their iPods along the waistline,” he said.

Podware is launching men’s and kid’s models as well as carrying it over to other products. Loredo is also looking for wholesalers online at www.podware.us.

Mandelstein of Egg Projects said the T-shirt business is a jumping point to launch other products, but it’s also the basis of many companies.

“T-shirts are special and unique to each individual,” Mandelstein said. “It means something to them, and it’s a worldwide thing.”