a stylist's diary: 5 Minutes with Serge DeNimes

~~5 Minutes with Serge DeNimes~~

Following on from the Graphic T-shirt shoot I planned & styled at TFN I then went on to interview some of the featured brands to showcase on the Fashion Network's webpage and what better place to start than with up-and-coming brand Serge DeNimes...

Here is my interview with the fabulous designer Oliver Proudlock...

When did you first decide to set up Serge DeNimes?

When I left Newcastle in 2010, having studied Fine Art for 4 years, I moved back to London and decided I needed a break from painting. I have always been into fashion and for me the two come hand in hand. Therefore Serge DeNimes has felt like a very organic development into the fashion world.

What was it that first drew you to the Graphic t-shirt printing industry?
At my exhibitions, I always printed my artwork on t-shirts to give my friends a chance to buy something, as well as promote my art. T-shirts are an amazing wearable tool, to express your creativity.
Therefore when starting Serge I wanted to begin with a product that I am familiar with. I believe there is niche in the market for cool, original, graphic T-shirts, of a high quality, and therefore I decided to start with Tees.

What does Serge DeNimes stand for?
To start I wanted to establish the brand by creating original urban t-shirts of the highest quality. As well as producing our own designs, Serge DeNimes also plans to collaborate with other artists in the future, acting as a platform for up and coming talent. We hope to create an artistic community that focuses on producing cutting edge clothes of the highest quality. T-shirts are just the beginning, I want to start experimenting with denim along with other fabrics, we aspire to be an ever-evolving brand. In 5 years time, I hope to have a wide range of products including board shorts, sunglasses, knitwear and jeans!! And I hope that the brand will be stocked worldwide. The pressure is on, but I am so excited and passionate about the future of Serge DeNimes.

What was the main inspiration behind your first collection?
Our first collection is comprised of 8 limited edition designs. It celebrates the stunning photographs by renowned photographers Lena Proudlock and Douglas Villiers, taken during the legendary Rio de Janeiro Carnival in 1978. The photos were published in the book, Carnival In Rio 1978. I have always loved the book, and thought the images were unreal. Since visiting Carnival for the 1st time when I was 18, I fell in love with the place and everything the festival represents. As a result i have always wanted to print these amazing images onto T-shirts, so for me they seemed like the perfect subject for the first collection.

What’s next for Serge DeNimes?
We have a Serge Basic Line coming out, with emphasis on cut, and material. Alongside these we have some LOGO Tees, and we our currently designing a Serge Celeb. line. We are working on Samples at the moment, and they should be out for the summer!! Then for Autumn/Winter we are working on some sweatshirts, as well as some accessories.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start up their own brand?
There is a lot of competition out there and it is hard to establish yourself within today’s market. However, I think if you have a product that is original and unique, that you believe in and you are willing to give it everything you’ve got, nothing is impossible. You need to surround yourself with positive, energetic and loyal people and you have to constantly try and come up with new ideas and think of how you can stand out from the crowd. Nothing in life is easy, one has to make hard decisions, and it is this uphill struggle that makes it so exciting, and rewarding.

...and just incase you haven't already seen them, here's a quick look at some of my fav Serge Denimes tees...