ImagesMagUK_April_2021

MARKET INTELLIGENCE www.images-magazine.com 28 images APRIL 2021 decorator was hard work. We went through a few beforehand, which cost us a lot of time and money – it was a real hassle and put us way behind schedule. “The first one we had just didn’t produce stuff at a high enough quality. The second one produced great quality work but couldn’t keep up with the workload and missed deadlines. We then spent ages talking to a vast number of suppliers before taking on Woven Inc, a printer/embroider in the north of England. I would 100% recommend them as they’re very helpful and nice people.” Dangerous and sustainable The casualwear collection includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and hats featuring designs created by Jonny. “It’s influenced by anything vaguely dangerous so it’s made to be comfortable and long-lasting.” The company has a strong emphasis on sustainability and so the garments are mainly from Stanley/Stella, with some from AS Colour, while caps are from Beechfield. “The cotton garments are organic and Peta-approved vegan. For anything else, we try to use recycled materials like polyester to stay in line with the sustainable vibe as much as possible.” The garments are all sold via DeadLoud’s webshop. “Everything is online these days, given the sorry state A udio engineer Jonny ‘Famous’ Williams has worked all over the world with acts such as Kylie Minogue, Rita Ora and Wu Tang Clan. When he returned to the UK in March 2020 after working on a tour in Australia, lockdown kicked in and gigs were cancelled – along with his work. Having already shown an entrepreneurial streak – he’s the creator of BoomBocs, a wireless speaker system – he decided to set up a fashion brand. “DeadLoud is an independent, sustainable clothing brand that donates profits to Mind, in aid of supporting Britain’s mental health,” Jonny explains. “The DeadLoud demographic is quite varied and we try to appeal to all walks of life. From sales research we’ve found that most of our garments sell to males aged 25-35, although they are based all over the world. Strangely enough, we seem to have a lot of fans in Malta and no idea why. The majority of customers seem to have a keen interest in adventure and extreme sports.” Finding the right decorator for the brand could almost be classified as an extreme sport itself. The company now works with Woven Inc, which is based in Washington, Tyne and Wear, but it took time and multiple setbacks to track down the perfect garment decorator for DeadLoud, as Jonny explains. “To tell the truth, finding our Images talks to Jonny ‘Famous’ Williams about setting up the brand DeadLoud when his music work stopped abruptly in March 2020 – and how finding the right decorator was harder than he’d anticipated of physical retail, so it works well for us,” comments Jonny. The range features a range of decoration techniques. “Most of the garments are made from cotton so we’re able to screen print using a water-based ink. Not only is this non-toxic and kind to the environment, but it ensures each garment remains breathable and avoids the artwork cracking with stretching over time. “For non-cotton garments, we either use vinyl transfers or we embroider them.” The bestseller has been a surprise – the Original Tee. “We sell a good amount of all garments, but for some reason people just love the simple T-shirt with the DeadLoud logo.” His tip for garment decorators looking to work with a brand like DeadLoud is straightforward and pulls no punches. “My number one piece of advice would be not to talk your way into a job you’re incapable of doing. If the brief from the client is for premium quality prints or embroidery and you’re given clear deadlines, you need to be honest about whether you can live up to expectations.” www.deadloud.london www.woveninc.com Turning up the volume Jonny set up DeadLoud when his music industry work was halted by the pandemic The Original T is the brand’s bestseller