Taking the big step from student to business enthusiast is a scary and tricky affair. Many fashion graduates dream of setting up their own clothing label, but are often unaware of the reality of developing a brand and getting yourself noticed.
I spoke to Matt Kingdom, a 24 year old former student of Nottingham Trent University, who has spent the last two years setting up his own street wear label Mr 3. He talks about the highs and lows of starting up a business in today’s economic climate and what lies ahead in the future for his brand.
What is the idea behind Mr 3?
Mr 3 is a social reflection on what is going on in the world and how I interpret life around me. My inspiration comes from music, contemporary art, history, art movements, people, friends and family. If a song hits me in a certain way, I’ll put that lyric in my design. Every print that I create starts off with a complete concept regardless of cost restrictions, I just let my imagination flow without thinking too much about the cost to begin with. Of course I have to adapt to costs as the design develops. The name Mr 3 comes from three different genres of menswear, street, skate and urban. I decided that the logo should be green because green is a positive colour, it is a go colour.
Who is Mr 3 aimed at?
At the moment Mr 3 is mostly marketed at young men between the ages of 16-28, although I have made a few women’s t shirts to order. In the future I hope to launch Miss 3, an all female version of the brand.
Where is Mr 3 currently stocked?
Up to December 2009 I was in five different stores and had my Facebook page up and running. When stock didn’t appear to be selling well in one outlet I would ask the stockist of another store whether I could transfer stock into their premises, it was only by chance that they were fine with that. So it all got mixed around then it went down from 5 shops to 3 shops, and when that sold out it went down to 2 shops. At the moment I only have stock in Nottingham stores.
How much would I be expected to pay for a Mr 3 t-shirt?
In store you would pay between £20-£25.
As well as selling in stores can people buy your garments online?
I wish. We tried opening an ebay shop, but nothing sold! This was frustrating because we had put the garments online at a cheaper price than in-store. My interpretation of shopping as a bloke, is you go into a store and try something on, you buy it if you like it, I don’t like online shopping and I think most guys think the same. Shopping for men is more impulsive and unplanned, guys don’t want to sit at a computer for hours searching for clothes, they just don’t.
In the art and fashion world, who do you take inspiration from?
Because I’ve studied art and design for a good 15 years, I’ve always been interested in the freedom of the canvas. I respect all artists hands down no matter what, even if it’s Jake & Dino Chapman, who are f***ed up. From them to Andy Warhol the whole spectrum is incredible, one huge inspiration for me is Roy Lichtenstein. I was in the Tate gallery on a college trip, and in one room there was one huge Roy Lichtenstein piece, called “Whaam!” I stood about an inch away from it, and I thought if he can do it, I can do it. Graffiti artist Banksy is also someone I could talk about all day.
What do you like about Banksy so much? I know he’s popular with a lot of art lovers.
I can’t talk for everyone, but I think there is something appealing about guerrilla advertising, and art with anti government, anti social messages.
What has been the biggest struggle in running your own business?
Definitely lack of money. The recession has made it harder to expand the business, at the moment I can’t afford new promotion, so I’m relying on people who have brought my products, to promote Mr3 to their friends. I don’t think word of mouth is good enough for a business to grow, but at the moment it’ll have to do.
What highs and lows have you experienced whilst setting up your own label?
The highs would definitely be the feeling of satisfaction when you see your designs on a garment. I love what I do, so just being able to channel my creativity is a massive high for me. There have been too many Lows, mostly including lack of money. You don’t realise how much money you need to set up a business. It seems like every day there’s something else you have to pay for. On top of all this I lost £2,000 because of bad advice from my ex-business partner, he was unreliable in many ways, which is why he’s my EX partner [laughs].
Can you expand on that a little bit more?
I don’t want to talk about him too much, but he ran out on me at a critical stage in the business. I lost my full time job round about the same time he decided to disappear, and because we shared a flat, when he left I couldn’t afford to pay the rent, so I lost the flat and ended up sleeping on my friend’s settee. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise, it taught me to be more cautious in business, especially with my money. And now that I have full control over the business I’m a lot happier, I get to decide how I want things done and business is starting to pick up again.
What’s in store for Mr 3 in the future?
T shirts are very versatile garments so it made sense to start off with t shirts, until Mr 3 became established. Plans for my second range include expanding into hooded jackets with all over print designs. The big plan for the future, in about five years, is to open a shop in Nottingham with its own in-house printing facility. I’m already in talks with local designs Bantum and Mimm, and I’m in negotiation with Nottingham Nise skate crew, who I’m hoping to do some freelance design work for.
The genius part is anything that can go on a t-shirt can go on any other garment or canvas, which leaves room for marketing any merchandise.
I’m considering going on a Prince’s Trust course to get some funding and gain more business experience, which will help Mr3 expand.
What advice would you give someone who’s just starting their own clothing company?
Keep on top of your finances, only involve people in your business that you can trust, don’t compromise quality to cut costs, from the beginning you want to create a good reputation with your customers. Finally, build a good relationship with stockists, if you make a good impression from the start you’ll keep those contacts for life.
